Substation Practice Leader

KCI Technologies•Nashville, TN

About The Position

The Practice Leader is a highly organized and experienced individual who assumes a pivotal role in the day-to-day leadership, technical oversight, financial management, marketing, coordination, collaboration, team building, mentoring, and staff development of the Substation team. This individual provides leadership in the execution of structural engineering associated with substation and power delivery projects, including substation design, equipment foundations, control buildings, transmission support structures, and related utility infrastructure. The role supports multidisciplinary coordination, drives technical quality, constructability, and operational consistency, and fosters strong client relationships while supporting the strategic growth and long-term development of the practice. The Practice Leader also supports evolving market needs associated with grid modernization, DER integration, resiliency, utility advisory services, interconnection strategies, behind-the-meter power solutions, and power infrastructure supporting large energy users and data center developments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in related field (AEC Industry) and 15 years of professional experience.
Progressive professional and increasing project management and organizational management experience.
Proven experience in project management roles within the technical practice.
Demonstrated leadership capability to build and lead teams of technical practitioners and/or project managers.
Strong interpersonal as well as verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire teams.
Demonstrated ability to effectively manage budgets, project margins, and cash flow.
Experience in business development, with a focus on maximizing client relationships and identifying growth opportunities.
Commitment to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence within the Practice.
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make decisions.
Adaptability and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Proficiency in relevant software and tools use in the practice area.
Knowledge of regulatory requirements and industry standards related to the service line.
Ability to complete the KCI PM Training and Contract Training within six months of start date.

Nice To Haves

Professional license or certification within the field of expertise preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide technical leadership and strategic direction for the Substation practice, ensuring consistency, quality, constructability, and alignment with organizational objectives and client expectations.
Lead the execution and oversight of complex structural engineering efforts associated with substations, transmission infrastructure, utility modernization, and power delivery projects from planning through implementation.
Serve as a senior technical lead and subject matter expert for structural design associated with substation, equipment foundations, control buildings, transmission support structures, seismic considerations, and related utility infrastructure.
Guide structural engineering approaches, design standards, quality assurance processes, and technical methodologies across substation and power delivery projects.
Support the development and review of engineering deliverables including structural calculations, design packages, construction drawings, technical specifications, foundation designs, structural assessments, and construction support documentation.
Provide leadership in utility coordination, constructability reviews, site development integration, outage coordination considerations, and multidisciplinary project execution for utility and energy clients.
Lead technical risk evaluation and resolution of complex structural and project execution challenges affecting scope, schedule, budget, quality, safety, and client satisfaction.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to engineering standards, design efficiency, quality control, project execution, and emerging technologies within the structural substation practice.
Collaborate across civil, electrical, protection and controls, transmission, geotechnical, and energy teams to support integrated and multidisciplinary project delivery.
Support projects associated with grid modernization, substation resiliency, DER integration, interconnection infrastructure, utility hardening, behind-the-meter solutions, and power infrastructure supporting large industrial and data center developments.
Support business development activities through client engagement, technical presentations, proposal development, scope definition, fee development, and strategic pursuit planning.
Build and maintain strong relationships with utility clients, developers, contractors, fabricators, regulatory agencies, and industry partners.
Mentor and develop engineering staff through technical guidance, leadership development, project exposure, and support of engineering best practices.
Maintain awareness of evolving utility standards, structural design codes, regulatory requirements, grid modernization initiatives, and emerging technologies impacting the power and energy sector.
Support recruitment, succession planning, and long-term technical team growth initiatives to strengthen organizational capability and practice leadership.
Provide leadership and guidance to Project Managers (PMs) and Senior Project Managers (Sr. PMs), and staff within the practice.
Support the professional growth and development of Sr. PMs, PMs, and staff.
Provide technical project and staff oversight.
Assume responsibility for the business within the practice, focusing on achieving budgeted margins, project health, and effective cash management across collective projects.
Collaborate closely with other Practice Leaders to share best practices and optimize collective success.
Hire and manage the work routine of all assigned staff and assign job activities as required.
Track and coordinate practice performance results.
Provide project and client leads to other practice leaders to grow their practices.
Serve as project manager on select projects.
Ensure a high level of quality on all projects within practice.
Lead recruiting and retention efforts to attract and retain top talent within the practice.
Develop and deliver timely annual employee performance appraisals for assigned staff.
Mentor staff, leading in their training and development.
Lead negotiations of contract terms, scopes, and fees with clients/subconsultants.
Lead project schedule development from inception to completion for projects with Practice.
Develop monthly progress reports and invoices for projects.
Prepare monthly staff utilization plans.
Operate within specified corporate or project budget parameters.
Provide input to unbilled work authorizations and forward to the Regional Practice Leader and operations manager.
Provide monthly cash management (WIP/AR) comments to Finance and the Project Management Office.
Provide weekly new project budget data to project analysts.
Drive business development initiatives by maximizing opportunities with existing and new clients, gathering valuable insights for business planning purposes, and cross-selling other KCI services where applicable.
Lead project opportunity evaluation, consultant selection, and the preparation of qualification/experience statements within Practice.
Lead identification of new business opportunities, coordinating and participating in project presentations to clients and other external groups, developing and organizing proposal teams and promoting KCI’s capabilities among existing and prospective clients within Practice.
Develop and maintain customer relationships by soliciting monthly performance feedback, identifying client needs, and identifying the next project.
Provide input for the annual business development plan to achieve sales target to the Regional Practice Leader.
Provide and review annual market research in preparation for annual business plan development.
Provide market trends to the Regional Practice Leader and Service Line Leader for strategic planning purposes.
Comply with all KCI policies and procedures.
Ensure practice fulfills Quality Management System compliance requirements.
Participate and contribute to annual leadership meeting.
Participate in and contribute to applicable regional office forums.
Represent KCI in technical/industry and community organizations.
Develop project specific safety plans as needed.
Ensure compliance with all Federal, state, and local safety rules and regulations.
Deliver all projects on time, within budget and at a high level of quality while fully meeting the scope.
Monitor effective use of equipment and personnel.