Senior Substation Physical Designer

Nexus Engineering Group is employee-owned, full-service, and built by the people who do the work. As a Senior Substation Engineer – Physical Design, you’ll lead the physical design that turns high-voltage substation projects into constructible reality.

You’ll lead the physical design of high-voltage substation projects — developing and directing deliverables such as general arrangement drawings, elevations and section views, grounding systems, below-grade design, conduit and cable routing, bus arrangements, and equipment placement. As a technical leader, you’ll coordinate across disciplines, support project execution, mentor developing engineers, and make sure every design package that leaves your desk is complete, accurate, and constructible.

Why Nexus

You’ll own a piece of what you build. Nexus is employee-owned through our ESOP, so the value you help create comes back to you — not just outside shareholders. We give senior engineers real ownership of the work and a voice in how it’s done.

What you can expect:

Employee ownership (ESOP) — build equity in the firm as it grows

Ownership of high-voltage substation physical design, from general arrangement to constructible package

A senior seat — provide technical leadership, check others’ work, and mentor engineers and designers

Full-service EPCm exposure, from concept through startup, across a diverse client base

Career paths that grow with you — toward technical leadership, project management, or discipline leadership

Flexible work arrangements where business needs allow

What You’ll Do

• Lead the physical design and execution of high-voltage substation projects — new stations, upgrades, expansions, and modernization efforts.
• Develop and oversee physical design deliverables: general arrangement drawings, elevations, section views, grounding layouts, below-grade design, conduit and cable routing, and equipment placement.
• Direct grounding design, bus arrangements, conduit systems, and equipment layouts for your project scopes.
• Apply advanced engineering principles, client specifications, and industry standards to produce high-quality design packages.
• Coordinate with protection & controls, civil, and structural engineers, designers, drafters, project managers, clients, and vendors for cohesive execution.
• Review and check deliverables for technical accuracy, constructability, completeness, and compliance with project requirements.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance, and mentorship to junior engineers, designers, and technical staff.
• Support project planning, scheduling, budgeting, and progress reporting, and resolve technical challenges while protecting quality, safety, and schedule.
• Foster strong client relationships through responsive communication, sound engineering judgment, and reliable project execution.

What We’re Looking For

Required Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in substation engineering, power delivery, or electrical design.
• Advanced knowledge of substation physical design — layouts, grounding systems, conduit and cable routing, equipment placement, and constructible drawing development.
• Strong working knowledge of IEEE (including IEEE Std. 80 for grounding), ANSI, NEC, and NESC standards.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, MicroStation, or similar engineering design platforms.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering tasks or project scopes.
• Strong communication, coordination, and problem-solving skills.
• A valid driver’s license and the ability to travel between project and substation sites as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading physical design for utility, industrial, renewable energy, or EPC substation projects.
• Experience performing engineering reviews or formal checking of design packages.
• Familiarity with client-specific utility standards and documentation requirements.
• Experience with Substation Design Suite (SDS), Inventor, WinIGS, CDEGS, or similar engineering tools.
• Construction support and field engineering experience.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

This position is performed in a combination of office and active project-site environments. This role may require:

Frequent travel to project and substation sites, some not accessible by public transportation (a valid driver’s license is required)

Prolonged periods of sitting and working at a computer workstation, with or without reasonable accommodation

Field visits that may involve exposure to weather, energized electrical equipment, noise, and heavy equipment; required PPE must be worn on site

The abili