What are the responsibilities and job description for the Principal Electrical Engineer position at Hays?
Principal Electrical Engineer (PE) – Design Lead
Location: NYC or Long Island
Sector: Transportation • Rail • Infrastructure • Design‑Build
Your New Company
A growing civil and infrastructure contractor is building an in‑house electrical engineering function and is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer with a Professional Engineer (PE) license. The company has secured a significant pipeline of transportation and rail‑oriented projects across the region and is expanding its technical capabilities to support this growth.
Historically, electrical design work was outsourced to large consulting firms. With multiple new project awards and steady expansion across estimating, engineering, project management, and field operations, the company is now bringing electrical design in‑house, creating a major opportunity for an experienced PE to take the lead.
Your New Role
You will serve as the lead electrical engineer responsible for overseeing, signing, and stamping electrical design work for major transportation and infrastructure projects.
This role gives you the chance to help establish and shape a new internal engineering group, with future support from drafting and design staff as the department grows.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leading electrical engineering design for transit, station, and infrastructure projects
- Signing and sealing drawings as the in‑house licensed PE
- Reviewing and finalizing electrical design packages
- Working closely with estimating, project management, and construction teams
- Coordinating with agencies, consultants, and internal stakeholders
- Ensuring compliance with electrical codes and transportation/rail standards
- Supporting design‑build bids and technical submissions
- Helping to build and mentor a future in‑house design/drafting team
This position will initially sit within the estimating and preconstruction division, reporting to senior leaders, with the intent to form a dedicated engineering group over time.
What You’ll Need to Succeed
- Active Professional Engineer (PE) license in Electrical Engineering
- Relevant electrical engineering experience
- Strong background in transportation, transit, rail, or public‑sector infrastructure
- Experience preparing, reviewing, or stamping electrical designs
- Familiarity with power distribution, lighting, communications, control systems, and similar scopes
- Ability to interpret and coordinate drawings across multiple disciplines
- Contractor, design‑build, or consulting engineering experience
- Ability to grow into a leadership role and support team development
What You’ll Get in Return
- Highly competitive salary (aligned with experience and responsibility)
- Stable long‑term project pipeline with extensive upcoming opportunities
- Ability to build a new in‑house engineering function from the ground up
- Direct access to senior decision‑makers
- Opportunity to influence design standards, quality, and efficiency
Salary : $160,000 - $250,000