Substation Senior Associate Project Lead, Department Manager

WSP

About The Position

The Substation Senior Associate Project Lead, Department Manager manages the day-to-day activities of WSP’s Substation Foxborough Department to meet department business-plan goals, maintain quality standards, foster teamwork, and support client needs. The role manages a team of drafters, designers, and engineers and works with the Northeast Vice President, Region Manager, and other Department Managers to advance regional strategy, balance alliance-client backlog, and pursue competitive local work. The position also assists in developing and strengthening client relationships and supports corporate initiatives. The Department Manager oversees departmental financial, technical, and staffing performance, including resource planning, financial reporting, timecards and expenses, employee appraisals and recommendations, training, proposals, design audits, mentoring, and quality assurance and quality control. The role applies substation engineering practices across infrastructure project phases, develops construction documents and estimates, and incorporates advanced technologies and design methods. It oversees cross-functional project teams and project budgets, schedules, resources, technical work, permitting, construction, compliance, and regulatory analysis. The manager prepares technical reports and presentations, collaborates on business development, stays current with substation engineering practices, and follows WSP’s conduct and safety policies. Project needs may require occasional travel and schedules extending beyond the typical workweek.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a closely related discipline, or equivalent experience.
10 or more years of relevant post-education engineering experience and prior design experience.
Demonstrable experience leading project and/or client teams.
Demonstrated competence developing client teams and growing or maintaining client relationships.
Proficiency in electrical engineering principles, practices, processes, design/build, and applying them to project-related work.
Specific knowledge of relevant electrical codes, regulations, compliance practices, and record-keeping requirements.
Ability to perform technical computations and calculations, understand plans and specifications, and compare facts with applicable regulations.
Effective interpersonal and communication skills with engineering and non-engineering audiences.
Self-leadership, attention to detail, multitasking, and prioritization in a dynamic work environment.
Ability to work independently with minimal oversight and provide guidance and leadership to junior team or project members while adhering to QA/QC requirements.
Proficiency in technical writing, office automation, discipline-specific design software, technology, mathematics, spreadsheets, and tools; examples include MicroStation, AutoCAD, and MS Office.
Critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to apply technical knowledge to test results, data, computations, and statistical analysis and identify effective, economical, and logical solutions.
Track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to comply with WSP health, safety, drug/alcohol, and harassment policies.
Ability to work schedules that meet project-specific requirements and may extend beyond the typical workweek.
Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Nice To Haves

One or more years of experience as a people leader in an Area Lead or Department Manager capacity.
Professional Engineer license.
Demonstrated competence working with other WSP Departments.

Responsibilities

Advise and support the Northeast Vice President, Region Manager through regular touchpoints, teleconferences, reporting, meetings, plan audits, and Department Manager meetings.
Manage the department’s financial, technical, and staffing performance, including timecard and expense approvals, reporting, resource planning, business plans, appraisals, compensation recommendations, training, proposals, design audits, mentoring, and QA/QC.
Manage a team of drafters, designers, and engineers and coordinate with regional leadership and other Department Managers to advance regional strategy and client work.
Develop, maintain, and strengthen client relationships and support corporate initiatives and department business-plan goals.
Apply substation engineering techniques to identify improvements throughout concept development, preliminary and final design, procurement, construction, and operation.
Develop construction plans, specifications, cost estimates, safety and phasing plans, and infrastructure layout plans in coordination with owners, disciplines, sub-consultants, and clients.
Develop and incorporate advanced technologies, monitoring devices, building materials, modeling techniques, and design requirements.
Oversee cross-functional teams on mid-level and/or multiple concurrent projects, including budgets, hours and expenses, task completion, material, equipment and labor quantities, calculations, permits, construction, compliance documentation, and regulatory and technical analyses.
Prepare technical reports and presentations explaining research, concepts, and recommendations addressing structural, environmental, design, or construction issues and opportunities.
Collaborate with engineers, professionals, and leaders on proposals and business development.
Remain current in substation engineering techniques and practices.
Make responsible and ethical decisions concerning company funds, resources, and conduct; follow WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.