Lead Substation P&C Engineer

WSP • New York, NY

2d • $150,000 - $182,000

About The Position

WSP is seeking a Senior Substation P&C Engineer to support utility-scale substation projects in the public and private sectors. Candidates may work from a mutually acceptable location in the Eastern time zone. Office-based or hybrid work is preferred, with remote arrangements possible for qualified candidates.

The position provides technical assistance and engineering guidance across multi-site, multi-phase projects, including due diligence, investigation, impact assessment, permitting support, design, development, and construction. Work focuses on protection and control engineering, including protective relaying and schemes, control house and panel design, substation automation and SCADA interfaces, communications, and commissioning support. The engineer also prepares and supports engineering reports, calculations, and technical documentation, while ensuring work meets applicable standards for substation design, safety, and functionality.

The role involves developing and reviewing detailed designs and engineering deliverables; preparing calculations, plans, specifications, estimates, and reports; coordinating with clients, utilities, contractors, regulators, and multidisciplinary teams; and supporting field activities, construction, testing, and commissioning. The engineer also provides guidance to entry-level engineers and may work schedules beyond the typical workweek and travel occasionally based on project requirements.

WSP USA is an engineering and professional services firm with more than 15,000 employees in over 300 U.S. offices. The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience.
• 7–10 years of relevant post-education experience as an electrical engineer providing protection and control or electrical design deliverables for large capital projects; substation or utility-scale electrical infrastructure experience is preferred.
• Engineer in Training (EIT) certification.
• Proficient knowledge of electrical engineering principles, practices, processes, and design/build applications for substation projects, with emphasis on protection and control engineering.
• Experience with infrastructure planning, design, and construction management, including rehabilitation and new design projects, protection and control design packages, and construction and commissioning support.
• Working knowledge of relevant engineering and electrical construction laws, codes, regulations, compliance practices, and record-keeping requirements.
• Ability to perform technical computations and calculations, interpret plans and specifications, and evaluate regulatory compliance, including for AC/DC systems, station service, and protection and control interfaces.
• Project management experience supporting small- to mid-level projects, including tracking hours and expenses.
• Ability to plan and conduct inspections and investigations related to facility construction and design, including protection and control installation, wiring, and testing support.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills for interacting with engineering and non-engineering audiences.
• Demonstrated self-leadership, attention to detail, multitasking, and prioritization skills in a dynamic work environment.
• Ability to work independently while providing technical guidance and QA/QC oversight to junior team members.
• Proficiency in technical writing, office automation, and discipline-specific design tools such as AutoCAD Electrical and MicroStation, as well as spreadsheets and engineering tools.
• Strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to develop effective, economical, and logical engineering solutions, including troubleshooting protection and control design and field issues.
• Ability to assertively direct field personnel and subcontractors to ensure work is completed safely and efficiently.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety, drug/alcohol, and harassment policies.
• Ability to work schedules conducive to project-specific requirements that may extend beyond the typical workweek.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

• Professional Engineer (PE) license.

Responsibilities

• Determine methods for collecting, compiling, and analyzing protection and control requirements, equipment specifications, procurement information, detailed designs, and applicable standards.
• Review third-party substation design documents, protection and control deliverables, procurement lists, and project plans, and provide technical input.
• Design protection and control one-line and three-line diagrams, AC/DC schematics, elementary diagrams, wiring diagrams, cable schedules, termination drawings, and panel layouts.
• Develop protective relaying philosophies and schemes, substation automation architectures, communications systems, AC/DC systems, control panel layouts, and wiring and termination strategies, accounting for safety, constructability, and long-term operation.
• Support research, evaluation, and recommendations for protective relays, meters, RTUs or BCUs, telecommunications equipment, and control house and panel components.
• Verify site characteristics and provide technical input on engineering, design, testing, maintenance modifications, constructability, construction sequencing, panel installation, wiring, cutovers, and outage coordination.
• Develop engineering calculations and deliverables for DC loads, battery and charger sizing, AC station service loading, CT and VT sizing and verification, protective device coordination, relay logic and settings support, and substation automation integration.
• Develop plans, specifications, and cost estimates; prepare construction safety and phasing plans; and update electrical infrastructure layouts in coordination with owners, disciplines, sub-consultants, and clients.
• Develop SCADA point lists, communications requirements, and testing and commissioning scopes.
• Execute multiple concurrent substation projects independently or with cross-functional teams; assist with protection and control design packages, material takeoffs, and cost estimates; and ensure compliance with specifications, permits, and technical documentation.
• Prepare technical data and visualizations, including tables, charts, reports, sketches, calculations, and illustrations, to support engineering analysis and design decisions.
• Provide guidance and training to entry-level engineers.
• Prepare technical reports and presentations communicating design approaches, findings, recommendations, design bases, and operating philosophies.
• Analyze and interpret field investigation data and support risk-mitigation action plans, including for protection misoperations, wiring issues, and commissioning punch lists.
• Prepare and implement site-specific Health and Safety Plans (HASPs).
• Comply with regulatory requirements for data integrity, documentation, procedures, training, monitoring systems, and record retention, including applicable substation cyber and physical security interfaces.
• Interact professionally with clients, utilities, contractors, and regulatory agencies.
• Remain current in substation engineering techniques, tools, and industry practices, including protective relaying, substation automation, and communications.
• Collaborate with engineers and planners on federally, state, regionally, and locally funded infrastructure improvement projects.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources, and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Disability and life insurance
• Retirement savings
• Paid sick leave
• Paid vacation or other personal time
• Paid parental leave
• Paid time off for bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior