Senior Substation Project Engineer

About the role

This Opportunity WSP is seeking a Senior Substation Project Engineer for our Data Center Initiation Team in San Diego, CA. The following locations will also be considered: Kansas City, KS, Seattle, WA, New York, NY, Portland, OR, Houston, TX and St. Louis, MO. This role provides technical leadership for early-stage substation development and supports strategic decision-making for large-scale data center infrastructure projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of innovative substation designs at the earliest stages of high-profile data center projects.
• Support and contribute to proposal strategy, scope, and technical approach.
• Execute and coordinate technical work during early project phases (initiation through design).
• Lead multidisciplinary coordination for site evaluation, infrastructure planning, and integration.
• Act as a key interface with clients, utilities, and stakeholders.
• Conduct site visits to validate designs and address constructability challenges.
• Develop and track project scope, schedules, and technical deliverables.
• Perform and oversee substation design, including physical design and/or protection & control systems, layouts, grounding, lightning protection, and SCADA integration.
• Review and produce design deliverables (plans, elevations, wiring diagrams, etc.).
• Provide oversight and review of engineering studies and calculations.
• Support equipment specification, procurement, and vendor evaluation.
• Ensure QA/QC compliance across assigned deliverables.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior engineers and designers.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of design practices and standards.
• Communicate technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering
• 10+ years of substation design experience
• Professional Engineer (PE) License
• Strong knowledge of substation systems, equipment, and design standards
• Experience leading design packages or acting as technical lead
• Strong communication, leadership, and coordination skills
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and support junior staff
• Prioritized ability to manage competing priorities
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies
• Must be flexible to a variety of schedules to meet business needs and able to prioritize responsibilities and quickly adapt to change in a pressure work environment
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Engineering
• Experience serving as technical lead on multi-discipline projects
• Data center or large infrastructure project experience