Substation Foreman

About the Role

The Substation Foreman supervises, assigns, and coordinates substation construction and maintenance activities to ensure a productive workforce that aligns with divisional, departmental, site, and corporate goals while adhering to company policies and local, state, and federal regulations. This role directs work and provides technical assistance to subordinates and craft employees under lump sum and fixed unit price contracts. The position requires 8-9 years of continuous experience, with 5 years as a Top Substation Technician A. Responsibilities include tracking and reporting completed job units, participating in job estimation, attending pre-bid and client pre-construction meetings, and ensuring crew safety and work quality. This is a working Foreman position with required travel to Florida and other states.

Responsibilities

• Oversees crew to ensure safe execution of new construction, maintenance, or repair, testing, adjusting, and troubleshooting of substation equipment/systems, including:
  • Concrete foundations, ground grids, and steel erection
  • Buswork (high and low voltage)
  • Airbreak/hookstick switches
  • Control cable and terminations (high/low voltage)
  • Control buildings, conduit, and duck banks
  • Capacitor bank installations (23kV-230kV)
  • Transformers, regulators, and circuit breakers
  • Circuit switchers, motor-operated, and manual switches
• Maintains company vehicles, test equipment, and tools in good working condition.
• Works frequently with energized high-voltage systems, requiring skill and care to protect lives.
• Interprets substation structural drawings (e.g., elevations, plan views, grounding details, foundation plans) and communicates with customers and subordinates.
• Accurately appraises technical situations and recommends resolutions to problems.
• Leads and coaches subordinates on the crew.
• Develops and interprets material lists.
• Traces phasing in a substation and verifies it against three-line diagrams.
• Determines proper phase shift and rotation in paralleling transformer banks.
• Directs daily crew work and motivates team members.
• Reads and works from drawings, specifications, procedures, and standards within project schedules.
• Establishes grade, elevations, and layout of foundations and cable troughs in new and existing stations.
• Works extended periods in various locations as requested.
• Works overtime, weekends, holidays, and outside normal schedules as required, especially during emergencies.

Requirements

• Able to perform rigorous physical labor and work at heights up to 125 feet above ground.
• Possesses a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
• Supplies own personal hand tools and safety-toed work boots as required by the company.
• Capable of lifting in excess of 50 lbs and working in confined spaces.
• Operational experience with heavy equipment, including:
  • Bucket, derrick, and boom trucks
  • Backhoes, excavators, and skid steer loaders
  • Articulating man-lifts
  • Pressure diggers and trenchers
  • Track crawler loader/backhoe
  • Rough terrain telescopic forklifts
• Extensive knowledge of construction standard practices, techniques, quality requirements, applicable codes, and standards.
• Capable of working in close proximity to energized substation equipment.
• Proficient in all aspects of substation systems.
• 90% travel required, with schedules subject to frequent and short-notice changes.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to talk or hear.
• Frequently required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and reach with hands and arms.
• Exposed to fumes, airborne particles, moving mechanical parts, and vibration.
• Occasionally exposed to extreme conditions at construction job sites.
• Works in outside weather conditions with loud noise levels.

Skills

• Self-motivated and team-oriented.
• Customer-focused with strong communication skills.
• Adheres to company safety rules and policies.
• Ability to work independently or collaboratively.

About Us

Founded in 1945, Pike is a leading provider of construction, repair, and engineering services for electric and gas utilities, as well as telecommunications companies, with a growing portfolio of turnkey renewable projects. We partner with hundreds of utility clients nationwide, continuously expanding our offerings to supply innovative ideas, technology, experience, manpower, and equipment for any job. "Essential" defines our work and our people, who play a critical role in ensuring infrastructure systems are operational when needed. Pike fosters a family-oriented workplace with a strong culture of safety, collaboration, innovation, and exceptional customer service.

About the Team

The Electric team works with utilities across the country to address energy infrastructure challenges. We design new transmission and distribution systems, upgrade and manage smart meter installations, and integrate renewable energy sources onto the grid.