Power Engineering Director

DLB Associates is a premier engineering and consulting firm specializing in innovative, mission-critical solutions across hyperscale data centers, advanced infrastructure, and high-performance building systems. With over four decades of expertise, we partner with some of the world’s most influential companies to design and optimize environments that demand precision, scalability, and resilience.

About the role

DLB is establishing its Power Engineering practice and is seeking a Power Engineering Director to lead and grow this service line from the ground up. This is a practice-building hire — the person who executes the strategic direction, makes the hires, builds technical credibility, and positions DLB as a credible provider of utility-scale substation, BESS, microgrid, and grid integration engineering services across utility, renewable energy, data center, and industrial markets.

The Power Engineering Director will serve as the senior technical and operational leader for the practice, partnering with executive leadership to set strategy, develop engineering standards, drive business development, and build the team and capabilities necessary to scale. This role operates with a high degree of autonomy, receiving strategic direction from executive leadership, and is responsible for leading engineering teams, driving strategic initiatives, supporting organizational planning, and developing the people, processes, and technical capabilities necessary to scale the practice.

As the practice matures, the Director may also support executive leadership in evaluating strategic M&A or partnership opportunities that could accelerate Power Solutions growth, expand delivery capabilities, or add technical depth to the team.

Responsibilities

• Practice Leadership & Team Management (40%)
  • Lead, manage, and develop the power engineering team including Lead Engineers, Senior Engineers, and supporting staff across substation, BESS, and grid integration disciplines.
  • Lead strategic planning for the Power Engineering practice in partnership with executive leadership.
  • Provide technical direction, mentorship, and quality oversight across all power engineering projects and deliverables.
  • Serve as the senior technical authority for substation design, BESS/IBR interconnection, protection & control, and grid integration engineering.
  • Establish, implement, and maintain engineering standards, design criteria, QA/QC processes, and quality management systems for the power engineering practice.
  • Oversee engineering deliverables for technical accuracy, constructability, code compliance, and EOR accountability.
  • Partner with DLB executive leadership on practice growth strategy, service line development, and resource planning.
  • Build and maintain DLB's reputation as a qualified power engineering firm with clients, utilities, developers, and industry partners.
  • Develop and execute initiatives that support the long-term growth of the practice, including staffing strategy, technical capabilities, and new service offerings.
  • Identify and develop strategic industry partnerships with specialty engineering firms, electrical contractors, testing companies, and construction partners.
• Client Development & Technical Leadership (25%)
  • Serve as the senior technical authority and primary engineering point of contact for Power Solutions client engagements.
  • Lead technical proposal development, statements of qualification, and RFP responses for power engineering services.
  • Serve as primary client relationship manager for key Power Solutions accounts in the utility, renewable energy, and data center markets.
  • Activate and expand DLB’s existing client relationships within the Power Solutions scope.
  • Support ecosystem partners by providing technical input, scoping support, and engineering authority for joint pursuits and shared client opportunities.
  • Represent DLB at industry conferences, utility meetings, interconnection forums, and technical events.
  • Provide market intelligence to executive leadership on client needs, competitive dynamics, and emerging service opportunities.
• Technical Oversight & Project Delivery (25%)
  • Provide technical oversight and EOR review for power engineering projects across the team, ensuring quality, compliance, and liability management.
  • Review and approve major engineering deliverables, study reports, and stamped documents produced by the team.
  • Manage resource allocation, scheduling, and workload distribution across the power engineering team.
  • Oversee resource forecasting, staffing plans, workload balancing, and utilization across the practice.
  • Identify and resolve technical, contractual, and client issues escalated from the project team.
  • Ensure compliance with NESC, NEC, NFPA, ANSI, IEEE, and applicable utility standards across all project deliverables.
  • Support project financial performance including fee management, scope control, and practice profitability.
  • Represent DLB in negotiations and technical discussions with utilities, developers, and AHJs.
• Reporting (10%)
  • Report weekly to the Executive Directors and President on practice KPIs, revenue pipeline, headcount status, and financial performance.
  • Own practice P&L reporting and budget management; track and communicate variances, utilization rates, and margin performance.
  • Maintain and report on the business development pipeline for the Power Engineering practice.
  • Own the practice hiring roadmap; report regularly on recruiting progress, open requisitions, offer activity, and team capacity.
  • Monitor and communicate engineering quality, delivery performance, and client satisfaction metrics; escalate risks and issues with recommended corrective actions.
• Technology, Digital Tools & AI-Enabled Efficiency
  • Identify opportunities and leverage technology, digital platforms, and AI-enabled tools to enhance efficiency through workflow automation 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.
  • 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.
• Complete assigned tasks and deliverables on time and on budget.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Knowledge of organizational objectives and how they relate to company policies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead organizational initiatives, develop engineering standards, and influence strategic business decisions.
• Experience leading practice growth through hiring, mentoring, client development, and operational planning.
• Deep knowledge of utility-scale power engineering including substation design (AIS/GIS), BESS/IBR interconnection, protection & control, and grid integration across medium- and high-voltage systems.
• Demonstrated experience managing engineering teams and leading multi-disciplinary power systems projects from concept through commissioning.
• Strong business development skills including client relationship management, proposal leadership, and engineering services market development.
• Strong working knowledge of NESC, NEC, NFPA, ANSI, IEEE (1547, 2800, 80, 1584, 519), and utility interconnection standards.
• Knowledge of power systems analysis tools (ETAP, SKM, ASPEN) and working familiarity with EMT/transient simulation methodologies.
• Proven track record managing engineering practice P&L, team performance, and multi-project portfolios.
• 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 work successfully in a remote environment through effective communication and organizational skills, self-motivation, proactiveness, and resourcefulness.
• 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.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Electrical Engineering.
• 15+ years of progressive power engineering experience with demonstrated leadership of substation, BESS, or grid integration projects.
• Minimum 5 years in an engineering management, practice leadership, or department director role.
• Proven track record as engineer of record on medium- to high-voltage utility electrical projects (substation, generation interconnection, or equivalent).
• Experience leading, managing, and growing engineering teams of 5 or more engineers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering or Business Administration (MBA).
• Existing relationships with utility-scale developers, utilities, data center owners, or hyperscale clients in the power systems space.
• Direct experience establishing or formalizing a new engineering service line, including defining scope, building technical standards, and staffing from near-zero.
• Direct, hands-on project experience with substation, BESS, microgrid.

Physical Demands

The following physical demands must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Frequently required to remain in a stationary position.
• Frequently moving through office, facility, and other environments.
• On occasion, the employee may move equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.

Schedule

This is a remote position; work virtually from anywhere in the United States.

Travel

Up to 20% travel may be required, including travel to any or all 50 US states. Travel is defined as physically leaving home on behalf of business activities including client sites, meetings, business development, industry conferences, etc.