HDR

Substation EPC Program Lead

HDR • $120K — $150K *
Portland, OR 97229In-Person
Energy & Utilities
8 - 10 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in related field
  • 10 years of relevant experience
  • Minimum 5 years in project management
  • Strong communication and organizational skills
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office and project management software
  • Experience in substation design and EPC delivery preferred
  • US citizenship required due to government contracts

Responsibilities

  • Lead the substation scope for large EPC infrastructure programs
  • Advise clients on all aspects of substation development
  • Oversee execution of site selection, engineering, compliance, and permitting
  • Coordinate outage planning and equipment strategies
  • Interface between owners, engineering teams, and contractors
  • Identify and mitigate risks specific to substation projects
  • Develop execution plans to improve efficiency and transparency
  • Monitor scope, budget, and schedule adherence for substation projects

Benefits

  • Employee-owned culture
  • Opportunities for professional development and staff mentoring
  • Collaborative work environment with multidisciplinary teams
  • Engagement with clients, utilities, and stakeholders
  • Focus on career longevity in a growing field
Full Job Description
In the role of Substation EPC Program Lead, we'll count on you to:

  • Assume leadership responsibility for the substation scope within large, multidisciplinary EPC infrastructure programs, with a focus on technical delivery, coordination, and execution alongside contractor partners.
  • Advise clients on the technical, regulatory, and execution aspects of substation development, including site development, physical and electrical design, permitting, constructability, outage planning, protection and control integration, and equipment strategy.
  • Plan, direct, and monitor all aspects of substation scope execution, working in partnership with the EPC contractor responsible for construction. Responsibilities include oversight and coordination of:

    • Site selection and layout development
    • Engineering (physical design, electrical systems, protection & controls, grounding, SCADA/communications)
    • Environmental planning and compliance
    • Permitting and land use coordination
    • Procurement support and long-lead equipment strategy (e.g., transformers, breakers, major electrical equipment)
    • Construction support and field coordination
  • Outage coordination, energization, and commissioning support
  • Serve as the primary substation interface between the owner, engineering teams, and the EPC contractor to ensure alignment on design intent, execution strategy, system integration, and constructability.
  • Coordinate closely with transmission line, system planning, real estate and environmental teams to ensure seamless integration across the broader program.
  • Anticipate and identify risks and issues specific to substation delivery, including equipment lead times, design coordination challenges, outage constraints, system integration risks, and contractor execution challenges. Support the client in issue resolution, risk mitigation, and timely decision-making.
  • Develop and implement execution plans, work processes, and tools specific to the substation scope to improve efficiency, enhance coordination with the contractor, and maintain transparency.
  • Provide oversight of design and construction activities performed by others, ensuring compliance with client requirements, industry standards, and program QA/QC expectations.
  • Direct and coordinate a multidisciplinary team of HDR staff and subconsultants. Promote alignment through effective communication and ensure resources are in place to meet scope and contract requirements.
  • Monitor scope, schedule, and budget performance for the substation portion of the program, while ensuring conformance with contract documents. Support change management processes and ensure alignment with overall program goals.
  • Engage with clients, utilities, agencies, and stakeholders to support permitting, approvals, communication, and resolution of technical and execution challenges.
  • Mentor and develop staff working on substation projects and programs.
  • Perform other duties as needed.


Preferred Qualifications

  • Professional Engineering (PE) License
  • Significant experience in substation design and/or EPC delivery
  • Experience delivering or overseeing high-voltage substation projects (e.g., 69kV-500kV+)
  • Due to applicable government contract requirements, this position requires U.S. citizenship.
  • Strong understanding of substation design standards, protection and control systems, permitting processes, and construction methods
  • Experience working collaboratively with EPC contractors or construction partners
  • Familiarity with alternative delivery models (EPC, P3, DBFOM)
  • Experience working within a Program Management Office (PMO) environment
  • PMP certification
  • Willingness to travel and support project and field coordination activities


Qualifications

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in related field
  • 10 years related experience
  • A minimum of 5 years of project management experience
  • Familiar with Microsoft Office, estimating and scheduling software, project management software
  • Must have the ability to interact with various design teams, have excellent organizational, project management and communication (both written and verbal) skills
  • An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

About HDR

HDR is an architecture, engineering, and consulting firm based in Omaha, Nebraska. The company was founded in 1917 as Henningson Engineering Company and has since grown to become one of the largest engineering firms in the United States. HDR provides a wide range of services, including architecture, engineering, environmental consulting, and construction management. The company has worked on a number of high-profile projects, including the Hoover Dam Bypass and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. HDR is committed to sustainability and has been recognized for its efforts in this area by organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council.
Learn more about HDR
Size
10,000 employees
Industry
Real Estate & Construction
Founded
1917
* Ladders Estimates

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