Substation Engineer

Job Title: Substation Engineer - Power & Data Center ProjectsJob Description

This Substation Engineer role focuses on designing and delivering complex high-voltage power infrastructure projects that support both traditional power delivery systems and state-of-the-art data centers. You will contribute to reliable, resilient, and sustainable power systems by performing physical substation and protection and control engineering for projects ranging from 12 kV to 500 kV. This position offers the opportunity to work alongside industry-recognized engineers, help modernize transmission systems, and play a key role in shaping the future of energy and technology while supporting a collaborative, employee-focused culture.

Responsibilities

• Support the preparation of project scopes, schedules, and budgets, and ensure that project milestones and financial targets are met.
• Perform physical substation design, including yard layouts, plans, sections, and details for high-voltage substations.
• Design grounding systems and lightning protection schemes to ensure safety and reliability of substation facilities.
• Develop control building arrangements, including interior and exterior raceway layouts and auxiliary AC/DC power systems.
• Prepare and maintain associated bills of material for substation equipment and materials.
• Perform protection and control design, including panel arrangements, one-line and single-line diagrams, three-line diagrams, AC/DC schematics, equipment wiring, and relay panel wiring.
• Prepare engineering calculations and technical studies such as grounding analyses, lightning protection studies, and AC/DC load studies.
• Develop detailed equipment specifications for procurement and support factory acceptance testing activities.
• Coordinate design activities with multidisciplinary teams, including Civil/Structural, Networks, and Transmission Line groups, to ensure integrated and constructible solutions.
• Effectively communicate and coordinate project activities with project leadership, clients, and other stakeholders as needed.
• Work independently on assigned tasks and projects, taking ownership of deliverables and quality.
• Direct, mentor, train, and/or supervise the efforts of less-experienced engineers-in-training (EITs) and designers to support their professional development.
• Contribute to the successful execution of power market sector projects, including high-voltage utility and data center power delivery projects.
• Apply standard power sector design software and tools to produce accurate and efficient engineering deliverables.

Essential Skills

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in substation design or power delivery projects.
• Strong understanding of physical substation design, including yard layouts, grounding, lightning protection, control building arrangements, raceways, auxiliary AC/DC power systems, and bills of material.
• Proficiency in protection and control design, including panel arrangements, one-line/single-line diagrams, three-line diagrams, AC/DC schematics, equipment wiring, and relay panel wiring.
• Experience preparing engineering calculations and technical studies such as grounding, lightning protection, and AC/DC load studies.
• Ability to prepare detailed equipment specifications for procurement and support factory acceptance testing.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating with multidisciplinary engineering teams such as Civil/Structural, Networks, and Transmission Line disciplines.
• Strong communication skills to effectively coordinate with project leaders, clients, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently and manage tasks to meet schedule and budget requirements.
• Experience mentoring, training, or overseeing less-experienced engineers or designers.
• Bachelor"s degree in Engineering.
• Professional engineering license recognized by the relevant licensing board (for example, Professional Engineer (PE) or P.Eng).
• Previous experience with an engineering consulting firm.
• Prior experience in project execution within the Power Market Sector.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience with standard power market sector design software such as PLS CAD, AutoCAD, Plant 3D, AutoPipe, and Revit.
• Commitment to actively participating in an employee-owned, collaborative culture.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience working on power delivery projects that support large data centers.
• Exposure to high-voltage electric utility projects ranging from 12 kV through 500 kV, from small distribution upgrades to large transmission projects.
• Experience contributing to modernization of transmission systems and grid transformation initiatives.
• Interest in working on high-profile power delivery systems and advanced data center infrastructure.
• Motivation to help develop reliable, resilient, and sustainable power systems that support community and industrial growth.
• Desire to work side-by-side with industry-recognized engineers and scientists and to grow within a collaborative, employee-focused environment.

Work Environment

The role operates within a professional engineering consulting environment focused on power and data center projects, with a strong emphasis on collaboration, inclusion, and employee ownership. You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams using industry-standard design tools such as PLS CAD, AutoCAD, Plant 3D, AutoPipe, Revit, and Microsoft Office to deliver high-voltage substation and power delivery solutions. The work involves a mix of office-based engineering design and coordination activities, participation in project meetings, and engagement with clients and internal stakeholders. The culture encourages employees to bring their authentic ideas, contribute to innovative grid and infrastructure solutions, and take an active role in shaping reliable and sustainable power systems that support communities and industries.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Nashville, TN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $45.67 - $55.28/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Nashville,TN.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 12, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.