Substation Lead

KDM Engineering was founded in 2012 on a promise to alter the face of the engineering field. Today, we’re a growing, award-winning, minority- and woman-owned engineering firm that welcomes the perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds of our diverse team members. 

We have built a reputation of excellence over the last 10 years by providing outstanding technical experience and maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality assurance for both public and private sector clients. We have earned the designation of Engineer of Choice (EOC) from several utility companies, and we are continuously recognized for our work and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Our talented group of individuals helps us deliver results in our specialty areas of power and energy engineering design, distribution engineering, substation engineering, civil engineering, fiber engineering, utility coordination, AutoCAD/drafting, program/project management, and permitting.

What We Value in Our Employees:

Our diversity is what distinguishes us from any other company in the industry. Our employees come from a wide array of backgrounds, beliefs, and life experiences. These differences are the foundation of our uniformity because that which sets us apart is also what brings us together.

We value our employees’ commitment to quality in their work and customer service as they help us deliver the outstanding project results that our clients have come to expect from us.

Our employees share our core values of safety, quality, integrity, teamwork, and dedication, and they believe in the positive impact our work has on the communities we serve. 

What Our Employees Value in KDM:

Having an exceptional office culture is no longer an option, but a necessity. As part of our company culture, employees enjoy a flexible, relaxed work environment where they are recognized for their performance, rewarded for their hard work, and supported in their professional endeavors.

At KDM, we emphasize personal growth, and we’ve created an environment where each employee is empowered to create their own path to success, with the company’s full support.

Thank you for choosing KDM and helping us re-engineer the future of engineering, together!

Job Summary:

KDM has an amazing opportunity to get in at the ground floor of our growing Substation business line. We are looking for an energetic and driven self-starter to take our business to the next level.   If you want to build a career, a team and a business, we are looking for the next leader in our substation team today. Candidates applying to this position should be highly self-motivated and ready to work in a fast paced, team environment. The ability to think outside the box and use critical thinking and problem-solving skills is essential.

Responsibilities:

• Supervision and coordination of engineering teams.
• Train and develop junior engineers, designers and drafters.
• Perform substation protection and control design including panel arrangements, one lines/single lines, three lines, AC schematics, DC schematics, equipment wiring and relay panel wiring.
• Perform substation physical design including yard layout plans, sections and details; grounding, lightning protection, control building arrangements, interior and exterior raceways, auxiliary AC/DC power systems, and associated bills of material.
• Performing or overseeing quality review of above facets of substation design
• Preparing equipment specifications.  
• Providing support for our clients during construction.  
• Perform field inspections and compliance documentation.
• Responsible for overall project, project planning, scheduling, resource management, budgeting, as well as establishing and meeting critical project objectives.
• Coordination with Transmission and Distribution clients, subcontractors, and other external stakeholders.
• Assist with internal project financials, staffing, risk management, change management, and human resource issues.
• Identify opportunities and manage team efforts for submittals, proposals, presentations, contract negotiations, and related activities.
• Work closely with the Project Team to ensure deliverables and services are being provided to client’s satisfaction and that projects are following internal QA/QC guidelines.
• Manage all aspects of project communication.
• Other duties as assigned. May include some engineering tasks.

Requirements:

• Bachelor of Science in Civil, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering or related degree from an ABET accredited program.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in T&D engineering/design, including at least 1 year leading or managing engineering/design teams; however, 7 years T&D experience with 2 or more years managing teams is preferred.
• Must have ability to deal effectively with a wide variety of project-related matters.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills. Must have the ability to clearly and effectively present complex information to all levels of employees, management, and clients.
• Must demonstrate creativity, foresight, and mature judgment in anticipating and solving problems.
• The ability to thoughtfully and positively influence, lead, and manage change.
• Proficient in the use of basic computer software required for project management (i.e., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project).
• Professional Engineer (PE) or Project Management Professional (PMP) preferred.

Skills:

Skilled in Program Management, Electric Utility, and Project Engineering. Strong background in the development of an engineering department and mentoring teams to the successful execution of client projects, creating and ensuring adherence of quality control standards, and maintaining excellent client relationships by providing innovative solutions that address and understand their unique needs.

Additional Requirements: 

• Must be willing to comply with all pre-employment screening, including but not limited to, drug testing, reference verification, education and employment verification, and background screening 
• Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. 
• Possess a valid Driver’s License

Top Reasons to Work for Us:   

• Competitive Base Salary  
• Comprehensive Benefits Package   
• Company Paid Holidays 
• Great Work-Life Balance  
• Fun and Flexible Work Environment  
• Organization with People-First Mentality  
• Dynamic Leadership Team   

Full List of Benefits & Perks:  

• Positive team environment
• Competitive salaries
• Flexible schedules
• Growth opportunities
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Life, long-term disability, and short-term disability insurances
• Paid time-off
• Paid holidays
• Volunteer leave
• Year-end performance bonuses
• HRA and HSA
• Transit program
• Gym reimbursement
• Career coach on-staff
• Parental and maternity leave
• Supportive management
• Culture engagement group
• Professional development assistance
• Employee discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Quarterly team-building outings
• Laidback office culture, including pool table, arcade games, and happy hour
• Meditation space, nap room, and nursing mothers’ room

Training:

KDM Engineering provides its new employees with a one-of-a-kind, client-recognized training and mentorship program. We give our new recruits the opportunity to become effective and knowledgeable engineers at a much faster pace than our competitors. New recruits will be exposed to multiple departments and projects through our hands-on learning approach.

Equal Employment Opportunity:   

KDM Engineering strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.  

About KDM Engineering:   

KDM Engineering is a minority- and woman-owned professional engineering firm focusing on power delivery, gas distribution, and telecommunications designs. Established in 2012, KDM is headquartered in Chicago with branch offices on the East Coast.

KDM specializes in power and energy engineering design, distribution engineering, substation engineering, civil engineering, fiber engineering, utility coordination, AutoCAD/drafting, program/project management, and permitting. Following our core values of safety, quality, integrity, teamwork, and dedication, we’ve built a proven track record of success in responding to our clients’ needs, budgets, and schedules. We are nationally certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women Business Enterprise (WBE).

Our talented, diverse team brings an abundance of design and project management experience to their projects. We will continue to prove that when organizations are committed to diversity and inclusion, they are more successful because they bring together different backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking, offering unique and varied perspectives when solving problems.

At KDM we take pride in our professionalism, and there’s no denying we have a distinct edge over our competition in providing outstanding technical expertise, resulting in consistent recognition by our clients as a top engineering firm.