Physical Substation Designer

Overview

Lead design of high-voltage substation physical layouts and deliver construction packages

Key Responsibilities

• physical design
• drawing sets
• qa/qc
• cost estimates
• site visits
• mentoring

Tasks

Coordinate with Project Engineers, Project Managers, utility personnel, vendors, manufacturers’ representatives, and field construction teams. Ensure design intent is appropriately communicated to field personnel. Oversee preparation of drawing review sets and final construction packages. Produce general arrangement drawings, elevation views, grounding, conduit plans, cable schedules, and bill of materials. Perform QA/QC checks on design packages to ensure accuracy and compliance with standards. 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. Participate in development of scope, cost estimates, and project schedules. Participate in project meetings and design reviews to resolve issues. 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. Design for projects including bus additions, equipment upgrades, breaker/transformer installations, relay upgrades, RTU installations, and new substations. Stay current with industry codes, client standards, drawings, and best practices. Conduct site visits to gather field data, support construction, and assist with close-out documentation. Recommend and implement improvements to substation design processes and tools. Develop complete physical substation design packages with limited supervision. Support engineering with one-line diagrams, three-line diagrams, equipment layouts, and connection details. Deliver high-quality, constructible design drawings and documents through all project phases (concept, preliminary, IFC, and as-built). Serve as lead physical designer on assigned projects. Provide technical guidance, mentoring, and training to junior designers, design engineers, and CAD technicians.

Requirements

• 3d modeling
• cad proficiency
• associate degree
• 7+ years
• substation design
• utility experience

What You Bring

Familiarity with 3D modeling tools (Inventor, Revit, Civil 3D, etc.). 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) Experience working in utility, EPC, or consulting engineering environments. 7+ years of physical substation design experience (transmission and/or distribution). Demonstrated ability to independently produce complete substation physical design packages. Proficiency with CAD platforms (AutoCAD, MicroStation, or similar). Working knowledge of substation components, equipment clearances, grounding, conduit design, and cable routing. Physical Substation Design

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About Spencer Ogden

-Rapid growth led to first U.S. office in Houston in 2011, followed by expansion across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas. -Serves full project lifecycles—from oil & gas and nuclear to power generation and renewable energy staffing. -Operates with over a dozen offices globally, including major hubs like New York, Singapore, Dubai, and Perth. -Recognized for unique office spaces, such as the Houston HQ repurposed from a nightclub with retro-British flair and open layouts. -Delivers talent to niche sectors such as nuclear, smart energy, mining, marine, rail, and built environment.

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