Open Position · Engineering

Substation & Protection Engineer

Alpha Engineering provides consulting electrical engineering services to electric utilities, commercial and industrial entities, colleges and universities, and renewable-energy developers. The successful candidate develops the proper design and specifications of assigned substation projects.

LocationWest side of Indianapolis

TypeFull-time

Experience7+ years substation (4-161 kV)

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The role

Duties & responsibilities

Job requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:

Provide engineering services across substation design, coordination studies, specifications and compliance, equipment specification and purchase, cost estimating, budget preparation, permitting, public hearings, relay-protection schemes, and control/communications design.
Design, supervise, and/or review the design of substations, including preparing specifications, supervising the bidding and selection process, and handling construction inspection and project management.
Administer the flow of design information, requirements, and assistance among clients, interconnected utilities, manufacturers, field-construction representatives, survey contractors, and landowners.
Provide the appropriate detail and supporting documentation for the design of substation projects.
Ensure each assignment incorporates facilities and equipment designed and operable per required safety standards, NERC compliance, RUS-approved standards, and sound engineering practice.
Stay abreast of substation design techniques, technologies, and innovations, with emphasis on logistics, economy, and service.
Complete design calculations and studies as required.
May develop and review new departmental standards and specifications.
May supervise entry-level engineers on a per-project basis.
Other duties as assigned.

What it takes

Key competencies

Project management: you will carry several jobs at once, at different stages and on different clocks. That means holding a schedule, knowing what each one needs next, and adjusting when a client moves a date on you.
Problem solving: most of what we get called about looks like one event and turns out to be a pattern. You need to be the sort of person who asks what else this has happened to before deciding what caused it.
Writing and talking to people: our reports get read by boards, facility managers and crews, sometimes all three. You have to be able to write for those readers and hold your own on the phone.
Working through disagreement: vendors, contractors, and utility staff will not always agree on what is happening or whose problem it is. Getting to an answer without escalating is most of the job on a bad week.
Reliability: hit the dates you commit to. Our clients plan outages and order equipment around what we tell them, so a slipped milestone costs somebody real money.
Comfort in the field: settings developed on paper get verified in the yard. You will be present at commissioning, not handing off a document.
Precision under pressure: a transposed setting energizes just fine and fails at the worst possible moment. The discipline to check your own work matters more here than speed.

Background

Education & experience

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Electrical Engineering Technology from an ABET-accredited university preferred; background in Structural Engineering considered.
7+ years of practical substation experience (4 kV through 161 kV) required; other experience levels may be considered.
Good knowledge of the NEC and/or NESC.
PE, or the ability to obtain a professional license, a plus.
CAD experience preferred.
Maintain a valid driver’s license.
Must pass background and driving-history checks as well as drug and alcohol testing.
Able to travel 5-15% of the time, with occasional overnight travel.

What we offer. Along with a competitive salary, we offer major medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage; life insurance; short- and long-term disability; accidental death; 401(k); and profit sharing, plus PTO and genuine work-life flexibility.

To apply, email your resume to hr@alphaeng.us.