Program Manager, Pre-Construction EPC Projects (Power Delivery)

Hooper Corporation•De Forest, WI

About The Position

The Program Manager, Pre-Construction EPC Projects leads and coordinates pre-construction activities across multiple Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects in the electric power industry. The role provides program-level oversight for electrical substation and transmission line projects, supporting planning, engineering coordination, permitting, commercial alignment, risk management, and readiness for construction. The Program Manager coordinates engineering, estimating, procurement, environmental, permitting, construction, clients, utilities, and external stakeholders to advance projects efficiently from development into construction. The role maintains visibility into schedule, budget, scope, and risks across the portfolio while supporting business objectives and client expectations. Hooper is an electric power and mechanical contractor headquartered in Wisconsin, with offices in Colorado, Florida, and Ohio. Its stated values include safety, craftsmanship, respectful collaboration, community engagement, integrity, and growth. Hooper describes itself as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, Business, or a related field.
At least 8 years of experience in electric utility, power delivery, EPC, engineering, or construction environments.
At least 5 years of experience managing complex infrastructure projects.
Strong understanding of EPC project delivery processes.
Knowledge of electrical substation and transmission line design and construction practices.
Familiarity with utility standards, interconnection requirements, and industry regulations.
Experience with project scheduling tools such as Primavera P6.
Strong financial, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting capabilities.
Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to proactively identify and manage project risk.
Strong organizational and analytical skills, with attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer (PE), PMP, CCM, or equivalent certification.
Direct experience with electrical substation projects, preferably from 15kV through 345kV.
Experience supporting transmission line, utility, renewable interconnection, or grid modernization projects.

Responsibilities

Manage the pre-construction phase of multiple concurrent EPC projects, primarily electrical substations and associated transmission lines.
Establish and maintain program-level schedules, milestones, and deliverables across assigned projects.
Monitor project progress and provide leadership with portfolio updates, metrics, forecasts, and risk assessments.
Promote consistency in project planning, execution methodologies, documentation, and governance.
Facilitate stage-gate reviews and ensure projects meet readiness requirements before construction.
Coordinate engineering teams in developing conceptual, preliminary, and detailed designs.
Review engineering deliverables for alignment with scope, budget, constructability, and schedule objectives.
Identify design risks, scope gaps, and potential execution impacts; support value engineering and constructability reviews.
Coordinate clients, utilities, engineering, construction management, procurement, and regulatory agencies; lead project meetings and maintain client relationships.
Communicate project objectives, challenges, and recommendations to executive leadership and stakeholders.
Coordinate permitting, environmental compliance, land acquisition, easements, and regulatory approvals; monitor permit status and address potential schedule impacts.
Ensure development activities comply with applicable utility, environmental, local, state, and federal requirements.
Collaborate with estimating and commercial teams during project development and proposal execution.
Support project budgets, cash flow projections, and forecasts; monitor pre-construction expenditures and identify opportunities to improve financial performance.
Assist with contract reviews, scope definition, and change management.
Coordinate with procurement and supply chain teams on long-lead equipment, procurement strategies, equipment lead times, and material-related schedule risks.
Identify, assess, and mitigate risks; maintain risk registers and mitigation plans; lead cross-functional risk reviews and escalate critical issues.
Incorporate lessons learned and best practices across the project portfolio.
Coordinate project turnover from pre-construction to construction teams and ensure design, permitting, procurement, schedule, and budget requirements are developed sufficiently for construction.
Support project execution plans and construction strategies, and participate in kickoff and transition meetings.