MEP - Electrical Department Lead

Electrical Department Lead

At Salas O'Brien we tell our clients that we're engineered for impact. This passion for making a difference applies just as much to our team as it does to our projects. That's why we're committed to living our values every day: inspiring, achieving, and connecting as shared owners of our success with a focus on a sustainable future.

Building for the long-term means that all of our team members can expect to work on amazing projects with a people-first approach to problem solving. It also means that each member of our team has truly limitless potential to build a unique, meaningful, and high-impact career-and they'll receive great total rewards along the way.

About Us:

Founded in 1975, Salas O'Brien is an employee-owned engineering and professional services firm focused on achieving impact for our clients, our team, and the world. We know that tomorrow's requirements are today's opportunities, and we are here to design lasting solutions for pressing challenges.

We work across a variety of industries providing integrated engineering and consulting services. Our specialized experience includes design for data centers, healthcare, science and technology, high-rise buildings, clean energy, education, and other building types as well as structural and building sciences, infrastructure asset management, advanced robotics, and more.

Our technical expertise is paired with an exceptional team of business development, human resources, finance and accounting, information technology, and marketing professionals, all of whom play a key role in bringing our commitments to life every day.

Job Summary: The Electrical Department Lead is responsible for the health, performance, and long-term success of the electrical department. The role manages the discipline specific group within the office and is accountable for its people, technical excellence, utilization, quality, and growth. Through mentorship, staffing decisions, quality oversight, and professional development, the Electrical Discipline Lead develops future technical leaders and Project Managers while ensuring the discipline maintains the capability and capacity required for successful project delivery and sustainable growth.

The Electrical Department Lead collaborates with the Office Manager, the Production Manager, other Discipline Leads, Project Managers, and project teams to support office goals and deliver trusted engineering solutions with excellence, energy, and enjoyment.

Responsibilities:

• Own the overall health, performance, and long-term success of the electrical department.
• Manage the electrical department including people, technical quality, utilization, capacity, and growth.
• Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain electrical discipline staff.
• Conduct performance reviews and career-development discussions, establish clear expectations, and support succession planning.
• Identify people who demonstrate interest and aptitude for project management and develop them through coaching, mentoring, and progressively responsible assignments.
• Develop future technical leaders, Project Managers, and Discipline Leads from within the discipline.
• Lead electrical staffing and workload planning; coordinate assignments with Production Manager, Project Managers, other Discipline Leads, and the Office Manager.
• Balance workloads to support project delivery, employee development, appropriate utilization, and sustainable performance.
• Monitor discipline utilization, productivity, and profitability; identify concerns and implement corrective actions with the Office Manager.
• Ensure technical consistency through conformance with discipline standards, specifications, best practices, mentoring, and continuous improvement.
• Lead and participate in electrical QA/QC reviews; address recurring quality issues and reduce rework.
• Coordinate with Mechanical and Plumbing/Fire Protection Discipline Leads to resolve staffing, coordination, and project-delivery challenges.
• Promote a people-first culture where team members feel integral, influential, supported, challenged, and accountable.
• Comply with company policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Participate in office leadership, workforce planning, recruiting, succession planning, and operational improvement initiatives.
• Support proposals, interviews, client relationships, and business development efforts requiring electrical leadership.
• Serve as a senior technical resource and escalation point for complex electrical design, coordination, constructability, or delivery challenges.
• Support significant projects, client meetings, and construction-phase activities when discipline leadership is needed.
• Remain current with applicable codes, standards, technology, and industry practices.
• Perform other responsibilities consistent with the role and as assigned by the Office Manager.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Four-year technical degree in engineering or a related technical field
• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in electrical engineering.
• Ten or more years of progressively responsible experience in the electrical engineering field.
• Demonstrated experience in technical leadership, staff development, project delivery, and client service.
• Ability to develop emerging technical leaders and Project Managers through coaching and progressive responsibility.
• Strong communication, organization, judgment, and cross-discipline collaboration skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and model accountability, integrity, respect, and resiliency.
• Familiarity with Deltek, Newforma, Smartsheet, and MS Office Suite preferred.

Location: Raleigh, NC

Travel: As required to support projects, clients, staff development, and office needs

#LI-Onsite

Benefits:

This role is also eligible for performance-based bonuses and a comprehensive U.S. based benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and company holidays
• Wellness programs and employee assistance resources
• Professional development support

For more information, visit our full benefits overview here.

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement

Salas O'Brien provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, or local laws. Salas O'Brien will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants as required by law.

Third-Party Agency Notice

Salas O'Brien does not accept unsolicited resumes from external recruiters or agencies. We only work with approved partners engaged directly by our Talent Acquisition team for specific searches. Unsolicited submissions will not be eligible for placement fees.