Substation Project Manager

Irby Construction Company•Lockhart, TX

About The Position

The Substation Project Manager leads the safe, timely, and financially successful delivery of electrical substation construction, expansion, modernization, and upgrade projects. The role oversees planning, scheduling, cost control, contract administration, resource allocation, quality, and customer coordination for greenfield and brownfield utility substations. Working with field leadership and engineering, estimating, procurement, safety, and corporate support teams, the Project Manager directs projects from turnover and mobilization through construction, testing, energization, closeout, and final acceptance. The position is accountable for project performance, technical specifications, customer requirements, and company safety expectations. Work takes place in office and active construction-site environments, includes regular travel to project sites, and may require occasional extended hours. Irby Construction Company is an infrastructure contractor serving the power industry and a wholly owned subsidiary of Quanta Services. The company describes its culture as safety-focused, people-first, inclusive, family-oriented, and centered on teamwork, performance, and career growth.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Construction Science, or a related field, or equivalent directly relevant utility construction experience.
At least five years of progressively responsible construction project management or project execution experience, including substantial high-voltage substation construction experience.
Demonstrated experience delivering greenfield or brownfield utility substation projects, including management of budgets, schedules, field personnel, subcontractors, and customer requirements.
Working knowledge of substation civil works, foundations, structural steel, transformers, breakers, switchgear, buswork, grounding, conduit, cable, protection and control interfaces, and commissioning coordination.
Ability to read and interpret electrical and civil drawings, single-line diagrams, specifications, contracts, and technical submittals.
Experience with job cost accounting, forecasting, change management, billing, cost-to-complete analysis, and project financial reporting.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and scheduling or project management software; strong written communication and documentation skills.
Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, manage concurrent priorities, solve field issues, and maintain strong customer relationships.
Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record.
Willingness to travel extensively to assigned project sites as required.
Ability to safely navigate uneven terrain, outdoor weather conditions, and active substation construction areas while using required personal protective equipment.

Nice To Haves

Experience working directly with investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, or municipal utility customers and their construction standards.
Experience managing outage-sensitive brownfield expansions, energized-yard work coordination, and complex commissioning or energization interfaces.
Familiarity with Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, Bluebeam, JD Edwards, EcoSys, or comparable construction and financial systems.
Experience managing multiple substation projects or leading project teams across a regional portfolio.

Responsibilities

Lead assigned substation projects from preconstruction handoff through commissioning, energization, closeout, and turnover, ensuring compliance with scope, safety, quality, schedule, and budget requirements.
Review contracts, bid assumptions, drawings, specifications, one-line diagrams, equipment schedules, and bills of material; identify scope gaps, risks, and execution requirements.
Develop and manage project execution plans, schedules, milestones, labor forecasts, equipment plans, subcontractor scopes, and site logistics.
Coordinate with Superintendents and General Foremen to sequence civil, structural, electrical, protection and control, and testing activities, and monitor productivity and crew resources.
Manage project budgets, job cost coding, commitments, revenue and margin forecasts, cost-to-complete projections, cash flow, billings, and monthly financial reporting; track costs and implement corrective actions for variances.
Coordinate procurement, delivery, storage, inspection, and installation of major equipment and materials, including transformers, breakers, switchgear, steel, buswork, grounding, conduit, and control cable.
Maintain RFI, submittal, drawing revision, change order, correspondence, and action-item logs; ensure timely approvals and complete project records.
Identify and document changed conditions, scope modifications, delays, and additional work; prepare pricing and negotiate change orders under contract requirements.
Coordinate with utility customers, engineering teams, subcontractors, vendors, and field leadership to resolve technical and construction issues.
Plan work around outages, switching, clearance, grounding, energization, and access constraints with qualified utility and field personnel.
Enforce company and customer safety requirements; work with Safety leadership to address hazards, investigate incidents, and implement preventive actions.
Oversee inspection and quality-control activities, punch lists, redlines, as-built documentation, testing coordination, and commissioning readiness.
Lead project kickoff, progress, client, subcontractor, safety, and closeout meetings; provide status reports and promptly escalate material risks.
Monitor subcontractor performance, contract compliance, manpower, deliverables, and payment applications; resolve issues affecting safety, quality, or schedule.
Support estimating and business development through constructability input, historical cost feedback, site assessments, and lessons learned.
Mentor project engineers, assistant project managers, and project support staff; establish accountability and promote effective field-office communication.
Perform other related project management duties as required to support successful project execution.

Benefits

Multiple BCBS medical plan options, with in-network preventive care covered at no cost and access to virtual care for primary care, dermatology, general medical needs, and mental health support.
Prescription drug coverage with medical plans, plus tools and advocacy support to help manage healthcare costs.
Dental coverage, including preventive care and orthodontia options for adults and children.
Vision coverage with annual exams and frame allowances.
Health Savings Account options, Healthcare FSA, Limited Purpose FSA, and Dependent Care FSA.
401(k) retirement plan with immediate eligibility and vesting; company match of 100% on the first 3% and 50% on the next 3%, up to a 4.5% total match.
Company-paid basic life and AD&D coverage, with optional supplemental life insurance for employees and dependents.
Short-term and long-term disability coverage.
Employee Assistance Program providing confidential mental health, financial, family, and wellbeing support at no cost to employees and their households.
Optional accident, hospital indemnity, critical illness, identity theft protection, pet insurance, home and auto insurance, and long-term care coverage.
Access to exclusive employee discounts and participation in Quanta Cares, a disaster relief fund supporting employees and families.