Senior Substation Engineer - Level 4

About the role

The Senior Substation Engineer – Level 4 is responsible for leading HV substation design, interconnection studies, and regulatory compliance for multiple utility-scale solar and BESS projects. This role requires deep expertise in power system analysis, transmission interconnection, and protection system coordination. The Senior Engineer will mentor junior engineers, engage with utilities, and drive technical excellence in HV integration strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and execution of high-voltage substations, ensuring optimal grid integration of PV and BESS assets.
• Perform complex interconnection studies, including load flow, contingency analysis, transient over-voltage, transient stability, and harmonic distortion evaluations.
• Oversee protection and control system development, ensuring relay settings and breaker coordination align with grid reliability requirements.
• Optimize substation land use, safety clearances, and grounding methodologies to enhance system efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with NEC, IEEE 1547, NERC, and FERC regulations for transmission-level interconnection.
• Engage with utilities, ISOs, and RTOs to accelerate interconnection approvals and optimize grid support strategies.
• Lead technical discussions with permitting agencies, resolving compliance issues and ensuring project viability.
• Support construction teams during substation commissioning, troubleshooting technical issues and validating system performance.
• Conduct QA/QC reviews of engineering deliverables, ensuring design accuracy and constructability.
• Lead SCADA system integration efforts, supporting remote monitoring, fault detection, and predictive maintenance strategies.

Requirements

• 6+ years of experience in HV substation design, interconnection planning, and regulatory compliance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Master’s preferred.
• Advanced expertise in HV equipment specification, protection settings, and transmission grid interconnection.
• Software Skills: AutoCAD (Advanced), ETAP, EasyPower, or similar (Proficient).
• Certifications: PE License or relevant advanced HV certifications (Preferred).

Qualifications

• Frequent communication with the ability to hear and talk on a regular basis with employees, coworkers, and all personnel matters.
• Frequent use of sight to detect images on computer, office documents, and office objects near and far.
• Occasional ascension/descension on stairways to get to office upper and lower floors.
• Up to 30% travel as needed.

Benefits

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Hanwha Qcells provides reasonable accommodations to all qualified individuals with disabilities to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodations at hr-usa@qcells.com.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $120,000 - $180,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to internal pay equity, skill set, education, licenses and certifications, geographic location, essential job duties and requirements, and the necessary experience relative to the job’s minimum qualifications.

Schedule

This position is based in Irvine, CA and is remote with a flexible schedule from Monday through Friday, from 8:00am to 5:00pm or 9:00am to 6:00pm local time. This position may be expected to travel up to 30%.