Job Title: Senior Physical Substation Designer
Department: Electrical Engineering / Substation Design
Location: Lewisville, TX - Hybrid
Job Overview
The Senior Physical Substation Designer is responsible for leading and producing physical design packages for high-voltage utility substations (distribution and transmission). This role focuses on the development of detailed physical layouts, one-line and three-line diagrams, plan & section drawings, wiring diagrams, material lists, and associated construction deliverables.
The Senior Designer works with minimal supervision and serves as a mentor to designers, junior engineers, and CAD technicians. This position collaborates with engineering and project management to ensure substation projects are executed on schedule, within budget, and according to applicable standards and client specifications.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
The Senior Physical Substation Designer may perform any/all of the following:
Physical Substation Design
Develop complete physical substation design packages with limited supervision.
Produce general arrangement drawings, elevation views, grounding, conduit plans, cable schedules, and bill of materials.
Support engineering with one-line diagrams, three-line diagrams, equipment layouts, and connection details.
Design for projects including bus additions, equipment upgrades, breaker/transformer installations, relay upgrades, RTU installations, and new substations.
Project Execution & Deliverables
Participate in development of scope, cost estimates, and project schedules.
Deliver high-quality, constructible design drawings and documents through all project phases (concept, preliminary, IFC, and as-built).
Oversee preparation of drawing review sets and final construction packages.
Collaboration & Communication
Coordinate with Project Engineers, Project Managers, utility personnel, vendors, manufacturers’ representatives, and field construction teams.
Participate in project meetings and design reviews to resolve issues.
Leadership & Mentorship
Serve as lead physical designer on assigned projects.
Provide technical guidance, mentoring, and training to junior designers, design engineers, and CAD technicians.
Perform QA/QC checks on design packages to ensure accuracy and compliance with standards.
Field Support
Conduct site visits to gather field data, support construction, and assist with close-out documentation.
Ensure design intent is appropriately communicated to field personnel.
Continuous Improvement
Stay current with industry codes, client standards, drawings, and best practices.
Recommend and implement improvements to substation design processes and tools.
Minimum Qualifications & Experience
Education
Associate degree in Drafting/Design, Engineering Technology, or equivalent experience in utility substation design
(Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering preferred but not required for this Senior Designer role)
Required Experience
7+ years of physical substation design experience (transmission and/or distribution).
Demonstrated ability to independently produce complete substation physical design packages.
Working knowledge of substation components, equipment clearances, grounding, conduit design, and cable routing.
Proficiency with CAD platforms (AutoCAD, MicroStation, or similar).
Preferred
Experience working in utility, EPC, or consulting engineering environments.
Familiarity with 3D modeling tools (Inventor, Revit, Civil 3D, etc.).
Please complete the form for this job application.
At Spencer Ogden, we are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion throughout our recruitment process. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to making any necessary adjustments to ensure you can present your best self. If you require additional time for assessments, alternative application methods, or access to interview questions in advance, please let us know. We are open to any requests or suggestions and continually seek innovative ways to assess talent. As global recruitment experts in sustainability, natural resources and infrastructure we are working with our clients and candidates to create careers to power a sustainable future. Our priority is to ensure you feel supported, respected, and secure throughout your experience with us. #LifeAtSO