Substation Senior Associate Lead Electrical Engineer

WSP • Buffalo, NY

1d • Onsite

About The Position

WSP is currently initiating a search for a Substation Senior Associate Lead Electrical Engineer for their Buffalo, NY office. This role provides senior-level technical leadership and subject matter expertise for utility transmission and distribution substation projects, encompassing planning, detailed engineering design, design reviews, procurement support, construction support, and commissioning coordination. The position involves leading and overseeing substation physical design and/or protection and control (P&C) design activities across multi-site and multi-phase projects, tailored to project needs and individual expertise. It supports the research, design, concept development, and delivery of medium- and high-voltage substations, including equipment layouts, grounding and lightning protection systems, AC/DC systems, SCADA and communications interfaces, control systems, and associated substation infrastructure. The engineer will provide technical direction to project teams, project managers, and discipline leads to ensure design quality, constructability, and consistency with applicable utility standards, IEEE, NESC, ANSI, and NERC requirements, ensuring work adheres to industry best practices and WSP’s quality, safety, and performance expectations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent experience).
• 10+ years of relevant post‑education experience as an electrical engineer providing design deliverables for capital transmission and distribution substation projects in utility or industrial environments.
• Professional Engineer License (multi-state preferred).
• Demonstrated expertise in substation physical design and/or protection and control (P&C) design, with the ability to provide technical leadership across both disciplines based on project needs.
• Extensive knowledge of transmission and distribution substation systems, including equipment selection, layouts, grounding, lightning protection, AC/DC systems, control systems, and SCADA/communications interfaces.
• Strong working knowledge of applicable electrical codes, industry standards, and utility design requirements (e.g., IEEE, NESC, ANSI, NERC).
• Proficiency with discipline‑specific engineering and design tools used for substation design and review (e.g., AutoCAD, AutoCAD Electrical, MicroStation), along with common power system analysis software.
• Ability to work independently while providing technical leadership, mentorship, and QA/QC oversight to engineers and designers.
• Highly effective communication skills with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to engineering teams, clients, and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
• Must be flexible to a variety of schedules to meet business needs and able to prioritize responsibilities and quickly adapt to change in a pressure work environment.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s Degree in Engineering.
• Prior experience serving as a senior technical lead or discipline lead on multi‑discipline substation projects.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior technical oversight for collecting, compiling, and analyzing data related to substation site conditions, engineering drawings, GIS data, equipment specifications, procurement package development, and IFR/IFC design and review processes, in accordance with applicable utility and industry standards.
• Serve as a technical authority for the review and approval of complex substation electrical design packages, ensuring technical accuracy, constructability, and compliance with applicable codes, standards, and client requirements.
• Apply advanced electrical engineering principles to guide substation design solutions throughout the project lifecycle, including concept development, detailed design, procurement support, construction support, and commissioning coordination.
• Lead and oversee professional electrical engineering work associated with substation physical and/or protection and control (P&C) design, including one‑line and three‑line diagrams, control schematics, wiring and interconnection diagrams, general arrangements, bus configurations, grounding grid design, lightning protection, and AC/DC systems.
• Provide technical leadership in developing equipment sizing, cabling strategies, control panel layouts, raceway systems (conduit and cable tray), and trenching designs that account for safety, reliability, maintainability, and operational performance.
• Review and approve complex electrical calculations including load flow, short circuit, grounding (touch and step potential), insulation coordination, auxiliary power systems, and related substation analyses.
• Provide senior‑level constructability input and technical support during field visits and site walkdowns for new‑build, expansion, and retrofit substation projects, assisting with resolution of RFIs and technical issues during construction.
• Serve as a technical escalation point for interpretation and application of utility client design standards and specifications across complex substation projects.
• Provide technical review and oversight of permit‑related engineering content, including drawings, calculations, and design criteria, to ensure substation designs comply with applicable codes, standards, and sound engineering practice.
• Oversee and mentor engineers and designers, providing technical guidance, QA/QC oversight, and support for professional development.
• Provide senior technical leadership across large and complex substation projects, supporting technical scope definition, design schedules, and coordination of internal and external engineering resources in collaboration with project managers.
• Engage with utility clients, project stakeholders, and internal teams to address complex substation engineering challenges, design decisions, and technical risks.
• Collaborate with project managers, discipline leads, vendors, and internal stakeholders to support successful execution of substation projects.
• Collaborate with engineers and planners across disciplines on utility substation projects, including technical support for proposal development and business development efforts.
• Prepare and review technical reports, calculations, design narratives, and presentations communicating engineering decisions, risks, and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Remain current with evolving substation technologies, utility standards, and industry best practices.
• 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

• coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life
• retirement savings
• paid sick leave
• paid vacation (or other personal time)
• paid parental leave
• paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees