Transmission/Substation Project Manager

Location: Akron, OH
Employment Type: Contract-to-Hire
Industry: Power Delivery / Utility Infrastructure

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Transmission/Substation Project Manager for a contract-to-hire opportunity with our client in Akron, OH. This position will support a long-term program of transmission line, substation, and communications infrastructure projects across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Maryland.

The Project Manager will oversee multiple projects from initial planning through construction and closeout, ensuring successful execution within established budgets, schedules, and safety requirements. Projects primarily involve brownfield construction, including substation rebuilds, transmission line upgrades, equipment replacements, and system modernization.

This position is approximately 80% office-based and 20% field-based, with travel to project sites as needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage approximately 10–20 transmission, substation, and communications projects simultaneously from inception through completion.

• Develop project scopes, execution plans, budgets, schedules, and construction strategies in coordination with engineering teams and client stakeholders.

• Oversee substation projects ranging from 34.5kV to 500kV and transmission line projects ranging from 46kV to 138kV.

• Coordinate outage planning, construction sequencing, equipment procurement, and permitting activities.

• Prepare construction RFP packages, evaluate contractor proposals, and support contractor selection.

• Lead pre-construction meetings, project progress reviews, and coordination with contractors and stakeholders.

• Monitor construction activities to ensure compliance with project schedules, budgets, quality standards, and safety requirements.

• Work with project schedulers to develop and maintain detailed Primavera P6 schedules.

• Manage project budgets, monthly financial forecasts, cost tracking, and accrual reporting.

• Identify and resolve construction challenges, procurement delays, engineering issues, and potential project risks.

• Coordinate pre-energization activities, project turnover, and final closeout documentation.

• Maintain strong working relationships with clients, engineering teams, contractors, and project stakeholders.

• Provide regular updates to project leadership regarding construction progress, financial performance, schedules, and potential risks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.

• Minimum of 5 years of project management experience in high-voltage transmission line or substation construction.

• Demonstrated experience managing project budgets, schedules, contractors, and construction activities.

• Strong technical understanding of electrical substations, transmission lines, or utility communications infrastructure.

• Experience with brownfield construction, substation rebuilds, transmission upgrades, or utility modernization projects.

• Proficiency with Primavera P6 scheduling and project financial management preferred.

• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and coordinate multidisciplinary teams.

• Strong communication, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

• Experience working directly with utility owners, engineering teams, and construction contractors.

• PMP certification is preferred but not required.

Preferred Project Experience

• Substation rebuilds, ring bus, breaker-and-a-half, and double-breaker configurations.

• Transmission line rebuilds, rehabilitation, and capacity upgrades.

• Relay replacements, breaker upgrades, and substation equipment modernization.

• Utility communications projects involving RTUs, microwave systems, MPLS, ADSS, and OPGW fiber.

• Transmission customer connections and renewable energy generator interconnections.