Job Title: Electrical Engineer – Substation Designer Status: Full-time, Exempt
Location: Caldwell, ID/ Boise, ID (potential for hybrid) Salary Range: $120,000 - $185,000
Job Site: 522 Dauntless Pl./ 802 W Bannock St.
About us: Since 1993, Industrial Builders has upheld an unwavering commitment to top-tier construction standards. As a premier industrial firm, we cater to a diverse array of sectors, including Power Generation, Baggage Handling, Renewable Energy, Water and Wastewater Treatment, Mining, and Pipelines. Our dedication extends across both private and public domains, ensuring excellence in every project we undertake.
Summary
Industrial Builders is hiring a Substation Design Engineer to support the growing demand for power generation and grid infrastructure. You will develop design packages for new and expanded substations ranging from 12.47 kV to 500 kV, helping connect new sources of power to the industries and communities that depend on them.
Working closely with our civil, structural, controls, construction, and procurement teams, you will take assigned designs from concept through construction and energization, with technical guidance and review from engineering leadership. This role offers meaningful responsibility, direct collaboration with the people building your designs, and the opportunity to see your work become operating infrastructure.
Responsibilities:
- Lead physical design for air-insulated substations: general arrangements, plans, sections, elevations, bus and structure layouts, conduit and cable trench routing.
- Perform and check design calculations: ground grid, lightning protection, rigid and strain bus, insulator and arrester selection, AC/DC station service, battery and charger sizing, cable sizing.
- Develop one-line and three-line diagrams. Review and coordinate protection and control (P&C) deliverables (AC/DC schematics, wiring diagrams, relay panel layouts, SCADA/RTU interfaces) so the physical and P&C designs stay consistent.
- Design generation-side medium-voltage systems (4.16–34.5 kV): generator step-up and auxiliary transformers, medium voltage switchgear, station service and plant auxiliary power, and the tie between plant and switchyard.
- Write equipment specifications for power transformers, breakers, switches, instrument transformers and control buildings. Evaluate bids and review vendor drawings.
- Prepare bills of material and support procurement of long-lead equipment.
- Coordinate with civil and structural engineers on foundations, steel structures, grading and site design.
- Apply NESC, IEEE, ANSI and client utility standards. Meet interconnection requirements, including NERC-related ones where applicable.
- Support construction: answer RFIs, review submittals, make site visits, incorporate redlines into as-builts, and support commissioning.
- Check the work of junior engineers and designers.
- Track scope, schedule and budget for your design packages. Report progress to project managers.
Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from an ABET-accredited program. Consideration given to outstanding candidates with extensive experience in lieu of academic requirements.
- 5+ years of high-voltage substation design experience at a utility, EPC or consulting firm, including transmission-class (115 kV and above) stations.
- Working knowledge of IEEE 80, NESC and utility substation standards.
- Working familiarity with protection & control: reading and checking AC/DC schematics, wiring diagrams and relay panel layouts, and coordinating with P&C engineers.
- Proficiency in AutoCAD.
- Ability to produce construction-ready drawing packages and calculations with minimal supervision.
- Strong written communication for specifications, calculation reports and client correspondence.
- Valid driver’s license and ability to travel up to 20% to project sites.
Preferred Experience
- Professional Engineer (PE) license, or ability to obtain Idaho PE by comity within 12 months.
- Geothermal power plant experience (strongly preferred), or other generation interconnection work such as hydro, wind, solar or battery storage.
- EPC experience, including design-build coordination with construction and procurement.
- Hands-on P&C design, such as relay panel design, AC/DC schematics, SEL and GE relay schemes, or generator and transformer protection.
- Familiarity with SCADA/RTU and substation communications.
- Grounding and lightning study software: CDEGS, WinIGS or similar.
- Power system study tools: ETAP or SKM.
- 3D substation design tools such as Substation Design Suite, Bentley Substation or Revit.
- Experience with 230 kV and above, or with gas-insulated switchgear.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The work environment is often busy, and the noise level can be loud. The employee will need excellent organizational and time and stress management skills to complete the required tasks.
Physical Abilities
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to use hand to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, climb, or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.
Please note this job description is designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Pay: $120,000.00 - $185,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Boise, ID 83702
