Overhead Transmission Line Design Lead

About the role

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

The energy industry is undergoing rapid and dramatic changes, transforming the utility landscape to enhance safety, reliability and sustainability. In response, Jacobs is expanding its Transmission & Distribution (T&D) operations in North America and is looking for an Overhead Line Design Lead in its Energy & Power Group to tackle the complexities of decarbonization and utility modernization to deliver a cleaner and more secure energy future.

As an overhead transmission line design lead, you will be working closely with our regional and global Transmission & Distribution (T&D) delivery teams to support our utility/developer clients and operations teams as we expand our energy transition portfolio. This role also includes business development and proposal support with a variety of clients including renewable developers, transmission owner/developers as well as utilities.

In addition to serving as a technical lead, this role includes formal line management responsibilities for a team of engineers. The successful candidate will be responsible for employee development, performance management, resource planning, mentoring, recruitment, succession planning, and supporting career growth within the overhead transmission line team.

The successful candidate shall demonstrate relevant experience and technical knowledge in overhead transmission line design. You will be in a client interfacing position and will be responsible for understanding the client standards and design guidelines, providing feedback on the application and being able to develop design deliverables fully and independently as required for the projects on-time and within the budget.

Involvement with professional societies such as ASCE, ACI, IEEE, PES and similar interest in participating in industry conferences, seminars, trade shows, and networking events to promote company services and stay updated on industry innovations and advancements is a plus.

Responsibilities

• People Leadership & Mentoring
  • Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance reviews, and development discussions with direct reports.
  • Support employee career progression through mentoring, training, and succession planning.
  • Participate in workforce planning, resource allocation, and hiring activities to meet business needs.
  • Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team environment.
  • Support compensation, promotion, performance improvement, and recognition processes in partnership with leadership and HR.
  • Monitor team utilization, workload balancing, and professional development objectives.
  • Identify training needs and coordinate technical development programs.
  • Support succession planning and future leadership development within the organization.
• Technical Leadership
  • Serve as Technical Lead for overhead transmission line engineering projects.
  • Provide technical oversight for route selection, line design, structure loading, foundations, clearances, conductor selection, and construction support activities.
  • Ensure compliance with NESC, ASCE, IEEE, ANSI, utility standards, and company engineering procedures.
  • Review and approve engineering calculations, design reports, drawings, specifications, and construction packages.
  • Support constructability reviews, value engineering studies, and risk assessments throughout project execution.
  • Provide engineering support during construction and commissioning activities.
• Quality Management
  • Establish and maintain high standards for engineering quality and technical excellence.
  • Lead QA/QC programs for transmission line projects.
  • Conduct design reviews and independent technical reviews of engineering deliverables.
  • Ensure lessons learned and industry best practices are incorporated into project execution.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives to improve project delivery efficiency and quality performance.
  • Promote adherence to company Quality Management Systems (QMS) and client-specific quality requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Electrical Engineering, Structural Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of transmission line engineering experience with utility, EPC, or consulting organizations.
• Minimum 5 years of engineering leadership, project management, or supervisory experience.

Skills

• Software & Technical Tools
  • Advanced proficiency with PLS-CADD, PLS-POLE, PLS-TOWER, MFAD, LPile, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office Suite.
• Additional Qualifications
  • Strong understanding of utility client standards and engineering practices.
  • Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.
  • Strong leadership, organization, and problem-solving abilities.
  • Demonstrated capability to lead geographically distributed engineering teams.
  • Experience supporting business development and client account growth initiatives.
  • Ability to travel for client meetings, site visits, field assessments, and project reviews as required.
• Preferred Qualifications
  • PE Certification.
  • Experience serving as Engineer of Record (EOR).
  • Experience as Owner's Engineer or Owner's Representative.
  • Experience managing large transmission programs and strategic utility initiatives.
  • Active participation in industry committees and professional organizations.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance.
• 401(k) plan with company stock purchase option at a discount.
• Deferred compensation plan or Executive Deferral Plan for eligible employees.
• Unlimited U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full-time salaried/exempt employees.
• Seven paid holidays and caregiver leave.
• Additional rewards may include merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock for certain roles.

Pay

The base salary range for this position is $132,900.00 to $174,450.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.