Lead Electrical Engineer

Overview

Optimized Process Designs (OPD), a Koch Engineered Solutions company, is seeking a Lead Electrical Engineer to provide technical leadership for HV/MV power infrastructure and substation projects delivered under lump‑sum EPC contracts. The role serves as the technical owner from project concept through energization, balancing safety, reliability, constructability, cost, and schedule while supporting OPD’s commitment to execution excellence.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical leader for electrical engineering scope on EPC projects from concept through startup, providing guidance and mentorship to multidisciplinary engineers and designers.
• Lead engineering decisions that balance safety, reliability, constructability, operability, cost, and schedule objectives.
• Collaborate with clients, utilities, vendors, construction teams, and internal stakeholders throughout project development and execution.
• Support development, standardization, and continuous improvement of engineering practices, tools, specifications, and work processes.
• Design and review electrical power systems for industrial facilities, utility interconnections, renewable energy projects, power generation facilities, transmission systems, and high‑voltage substations, including load flow, short‑circuit, arc‑flash, grounding, protection coordination, harmonic, insulation coordination, transient over‑voltage, and reliability studies.
• Develop and review deliverables such as one‑line diagrams, three‑line diagrams, AC/DC schematics, wiring diagrams, relay logic diagrams, control schematics, and equipment layouts.
• Specify, select, and apply electrical equipment (transformers, switchgear, motor control centers, breakers, protective relays, power distribution equipment, etc.) and support utility interconnection and grid compliance activities.
• Lead or support engineering and design of medium‑ and high‑voltage substations, creating physical design concepts, equipment arrangements, site layouts, grounding systems, and construction details.
• Design and review protection and control schemes for transmission lines, transformers, buses, breakers, feeders, and generators, applying relay protection principles and configuring settings on platforms such as SEL, GE, ABB, and Siemens.
• Coordinate physical and protection & control engineering activities to produce complete, integrated, construction‑ready designs and engineering packages from conceptual design through Issued for Construction (IFC) deliverables.
• Collaborate with project managers, construction, and commissioning teams to support integrated EPC execution, including equipment strategy definition, interconnection approvals, permitting, and compliance.
• Provide ongoing engineering support during construction, testing, and energization phases, traveling to project sites up to 15% of the time.
• Ensure compliance with IEEE, NESC, NEC, client standards, and utility‑specific requirements; lead quality‑control reviews, design audits, and serve as Engineer of Record where applicable.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Utility and/or EPC substation engineering experience.
• Experience in substation physical design and protection & control engineering.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Professional Engineering (PE) license or ability to obtain within six months.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering execution on EPC or LSTK projects.
• Hands‑on involvement with construction, testing, and commissioning support.
• Proficiency with power system analysis and modeling tools such as ETAP, PSCAD, or SKM.
• Experience supporting renewable energy interconnections.
• Proven mentoring and technical leadership capabilities.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision coverage with flexible spending and health savings accounts.
• Life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (ADD), disability coverage.
• Retirement plans.
• Paid vacation and time off.
• Educational assistance.
• Potential infertility assistance, paid parental leave, and adoption assistance (eligibility varies by region).
• Resources and programs supporting physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing.