Power Engineer, Physical Electrical

Position Title: Power Engineer – Physical Electrical 

Position Location: Remote - work virtually from anywhere in the United States 

SALARY 

DLB recognizes salary ranges from job boards do not necessarily reflect our pay ranges.  In many instances we out-compete those ranges for well-qualified candidates. 

JOB SUMMARY 

DLB is expanding its physical electrical engineering services and is seeking a Power Engineer – Physical Electrical to support this practice.  This role is responsible for the physical electrical design of medium- and high-voltage substations, switching stations, and utility-scale grid integration facilities across utility, renewable, data center, and industrial markets, from concept through construction and commissioning. 

The Power Engineer – Physical Electrical will provide detailed design execution, technical quality, and client-facing support.  This position is hands-on, focused on physical substation design including equipment layouts, general arrangements, grounding systems, cable and ductbank design, and construction drawing production. 

The Power Engineer – Physical Electrical works with a high degree of independence on day-to-day work and receives general direction on new projects, tasks, or assignments.  Will execute projects, tasks, or assignments of complex scope.  May coordinate activities of other personnel. 

The Power Engineer – Physical Electrical will communicate and operate in line with organizational goals and values, as well as departmental objectives.  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS 

Physical Electrical Engineering (40%) 

• Serve as an engineering contributor for substation and grid integration physical design, performing advanced engineering work with general oversight. Perform detailed physical electrical design for AIS and GIS substations, switching stations, BESS facilities, and customer-owned substation projects, ensuring compliance with customer requirements, utility requirements, industry standards, codes, and regulations  

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (civil/structural, protection & control, project management) to integrate physical electrical designs into complete substation design packages  

• Support technical scoping and design for BESS, microgrid, and IBR interconnection physical facilities at the medium- and high-voltage level  

• Contribute to engineering approaches, design standards, and technical risk management.  

• Support project delivery as engineer of record (or in support of EOR), contributing to technical accuracy, constructability, and code compliance.  

• Apply and help maintain engineering standards, design criteria, and quality expectations for physical electrical work.  

Physical Electrical Design Activities (25%) 

Independently perform detailed physical electrical design for:  

• Substation general arrangement plans, plan views, elevations, and equipment layout drawings for AIS and GIS facilities.  

• Bus configurations, including ring bus, breaker-and-a-half, and double bus, and associated bus structure design.  

• Grounding grid design and grounding calculations in accordance with IEEE 80.  

• Lightning shielding design in accordance with IEEE 998.  

• Below-grade design, including cable routing, conduit and ductbank design, pull tension calculations, and cable schedules.  

• Above-grade design, including bus structures, equipment pads, equipment foundations, and structural steel coordination.  

• Control house and relay panel physical arrangements and interior layouts.  

• AC/DC auxiliary power distribution design within substations and control houses.  

• Material and equipment lists and bills of materials.  

• Site plans and BESS compound physical layouts for containerized and modular energy storage installations.  

• Develop and review equipment specifications for major substation components, including power transformers, circuit breakers (AIS/GIS), disconnect switches, instrument transformers, surge arresters, bus structures, and support structures.  

• Perform and/or support grounding, shielding, and illumination calculations and studies.  

• Perform engineering studies and calculations with appropriate guidance.  

• Ensure compliance with applicable standards, including NESC, IEEE 80, IEEE 998, IEEE 605, utility standards, and constructability requirements.  

• Utilize AutoCAD, MicroStation, and/or Revit to produce construction-quality drawings and visual aids.  

• Coordinate design information and deliverables with the project team to support timely project execution.  

• Identify potential project scope changes and communicate them to the project manager or appropriate team member to support cost and schedule control.  

Project Execution / Pre-Construction / Client Interface (25%) 

• Support execution of the firm’s client value system and help ensure that the project is executed in accordance with company policies and standards  

• Work with clients and project team members to understand their specific project requirements, provide technical insights, and ensure client satisfaction throughout the project lifecycle  

• Support resolution of design, construction, and field issues, escalating to leadership when business or contractual risk requires involvement.  

• Support construction, testing, commissioning, and energization through RFIs, field engineering, and technical troubleshooting.  

• Participate in technical reviews, design meetings, and client presentations.  

• Prepare project design and construction documents   

Reporting (10%) 

• Prepare project progress reports for internal and external stakeholders  

• Update and maintain shop drawing and RFI log 

• Manage personal hours using company tools 

Technology, Digital Tools & AI-Enabled Efficiency 

• Identify opportunities and lead the strategic use of technology, digital platforms, and AI-enabled tools to enhance efficiency through workflow automation, reduced manual effort, and improved accuracy in forecasting, documentation, reporting, and quality processes.