Power Engineer, Physical Electrical

DLB Associates is an engineering and consulting firm specializing in mission-critical solutions for data centers, infrastructure, and high-performance building systems. The Power Engineer – Physical Electrical will perform physical electrical design for medium- and high-voltage substations, switching stations, and grid integration facilities, supporting projects from concept through construction and commissioning. The role includes detailed design execution, technical quality assurance, client-facing support, and coordination with multidisciplinary project teams.

Responsibilities:

• 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
• 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
• 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
• Prepare project progress reports for internal and external stakeholders
• Update and maintain shop drawing and RFI log
• Manage personal hours using company tools
• 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
• Support adoption of emerging technologies - including advanced analytics, data visualization tools, and digital construction management platforms - to strengthen readiness, quality assurance, and project controls
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure technology solutions align with DLB standards for data security, privacy, and operational integrity
• Support a culture that embraces innovation, continuous improvement, and the strategic use of technology to optimize performance and scalability
• Completion of Assigned Tasks and Deliverables on Time and on Budget
• Performs Other Related Duties as Assigned

Requirements:

• Knowledge of medium- and high-voltage physical electrical systems including AIS and GIS substation equipment, bus configurations, equipment foundations, and utility-scale site layout design
• Strong working knowledge of physical substation design including below-grade (grounding, ductbank, cable routing) and above-grade (bus, equipment structures, general arrangement) scope
• Knowledge of applicable electrical codes and standards including NESC, NEC, ANSI, IEEE 80 (grounding), IEEE 998 (shielding), IEEE 605 (bus design), and utility design standards, with ability to apply requirements through code analysis and system design
• Proficiency in AutoCAD and/or MicroStation for substation physical design
• Knowledge of substation equipment including power transformers, circuit breakers (AIS/GIS), disconnect switches, instrument transformers, surge arresters, and bus structures
• Knowledge of grounding, shielding, illumination, cable ampacity, conduit fill, and pull tension calculations for utility-scale electrical facilities
• Knowledge of various electrical topologies and distribution systems
• Skilled at using MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams), along with exceptional organizational skills for file management
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail, able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and meet tight deadlines under pressure
• Ability to leverage AI and emerging technologies to streamline workflows, optimize operational processes, and contribute to company-wide innovation
• Ability to work successfully in a remote environment through effective communication and organizational skills, self-motivation, proactiveness and resourcefulness in a distraction free workspace
• Ability to follow company and site safety requirements
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical audiences and serve as a client-facing point of contact
• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Electrical Engineering (or actively pursuing)
• 5+ years of progressive substation physical electrical design experience
• Experience with AIS and/or GIS substation physical design at the medium- to high-voltage level
• Hands-on experience producing construction-quality substation drawing packages including general arrangements, grounding designs, and cable/conduit systems
• Experience working directly with utilities and/or owner engineering teams on utility, renewable energy (solar PV, wind), data center, or industrial substation projects
• Revit experience a plus
• 8+ years preferred
• Experience with BESS, microgrid, or IBR facility physical electrical design including containerized/modular energy storage layouts
• Experience with GIS (gas-insulated switchgear) substation physical design
• MicroStation proficiency for substation design
• Experience with high-voltage substations (138kV and above)
• Familiarity with IEEE 80 grounding grid calculation methods and software (WinIGS or equivalent)
• Civil/site design coordination experience including stormwater, grading, and access road design for utility-scale electrical facilities