Substation Project Manager

About the role

The Substation Project Manager (Substation PM) position is within CDM Smith’s Industrial Division, serving electric utility and substation clients across the United States. The role involves leading multi-discipline engineering teams delivering critical substation programs and projects, including brownfield and greenfield substations up to 345 kV.

Responsibilities

• Manage small to large complex substation engineering projects from early concept development through detailed design and construction support.
• Lead proposal development by defining scope, schedule, staffing, and cost, partnering with the Sales Leader and marketing team to produce compliant, competitive submissions.
• Direct multi-discipline substation engineering teams (e.g., physical, P&C, civil/structural) and coordinate compliance deliverables to meet quality, schedule, and budget objectives.
• Manage quality, risk, schedule, and change management.
• Serve as a mentor and leader of multi-discipline project teams.
• Perform guidance and review at the project level while assuring discipline and quality standards are adhered to.
• Serve as the main client contact and liaison during project execution to deliver a legendary client experience to grow the account.
• Apply experience and innovation to solve problems of high complexity in area of expertise with support from the engineering team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree.
• 10 years of related experience.
• PMP (PMI), CCM or DBIA certification is required (within 12 months of hire or promotion onto the Approved Project Manager list).
• Domestic and/or international travel may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, or a related field.
• Design-build and/or EPC project delivery experience, including procurement coordination, construction oversight, and commissioning/turnover support.
• Experience with portfolio-level substation program planning and execution (e.g., multi-site capital programs), including managing and coordinating substation engineering teams (physical, P&C, civil/structural) to deliver consistent, on-time design packages.
• Data center / mission-critical substation experience delivering under accelerated schedules (fast-track design cycles, parallel engineering/procurement, multi-vendor coordination) with a focus on energization readiness, turnover, and schedule certainty.
• Registered Professional Engineer (PE) preferred (discipline aligned to project needs, e.g., electrical or mechanical).
• Additional relevant credentials (e.g., CCM, DBIA) and/or mission-critical commissioning training/certifications are a plus.

Skills

• Strong leadership and mentoring skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and client relationship management skills.
• Experience with project management methodologies and tools.
• Knowledge of substation design, protection, and control systems.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment.

Benefits

CDM Smith offers a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and professional development opportunities.

Pay

Min USD $120,973.00
Max USD $211,723.00

Schedule

Full-time position with occasional travel required.