Principal Substation Physical Engineer 

About the Position 

As a Principal Substation Engineer, you will serve as a technical consultant for multi-disciplinary substation projects, providing expert-level design oversight, analysis, and QA/QC. You will mentor staff, guide complex project execution, uphold NEI’s engineering standards, and act as a trusted advisor to clients and internal teams.  

Salary Range: $130,000 - $200,000 / year 

The salary range above is based upon the Denver, Colorado labor market.  

This opportunity is available to both local / in-office (Lakewood, CO) and full-time remote candidates.  

Technical Responsibilities 

You will provide expert-level direction, oversight, and review across substation design, including: 

• Performing final quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) reviews of physical substation design packages, including, but not limited to general arrangement, elevations, conduit plan and details, trench plan and details, illumination plan and details, bus and connection details, lightning protection design, bill of materials, and fence plan. 

• Maintains a strong understanding of codes and ensures all designs meet NESC, IEEE, ANSI and client standards. 

• Reviewing engineering calculations including bus and conductor sizing. 

• Reviewing equipment specifications and overseeing vendor and client compliance.  

• Evaluates constructability, operability, and maintainability of complex substation designs. 

• Serves as SME; understanding and anticipating client needs to provide tailored solutions in substation engineering design. 

Project & Leadership Responsibilities 

• Serve as a substation SME on the most complex and technically challenging projects. 

• Perform final QA/QC review prior to project release. 

• Mentor engineers and designers; elevating their technical capabilities. 

• Participate in after action reviews to identify opportunities for process improvement. 

• Partner with group Directors and Vice Presidents on project strategy. 

• Provide technical guidance to project teams and clients. 

• Assists with the creation and enforcement of technical standards across departments. 

• Identify and implement improvements to processes, tools, and engineering practices. 

• Attends training, conferences, and workshops to maintain professional development. 

Must Have 

• Education: Bachelors in civil, electrical or mechanical engineering or similar field from an accredited institution. 

• Experience: 7 years of direct substation engineering experience 

• Licensure: Professional Engineering License (PE) or ability to obtain one within one year. 

• Knowledge of National Electric Code (NEC), National Electric Safety Code (NESC), IEEE codes and standards, and relevant county, city, and state regulations.  

• Possesses effective written and oral communications skills 

• Good interpersonal and people skills 

• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis 

Working Conditions 

About NEI Electric Power Engineering 

Serving Others. Enriching Environment. Improving Continually. Quality Results. Voted as a top workplace by the Denver Post for seven straight years (2020 - 2026), our values have been woven into the fabric of who we are since 1982, guiding our decision making throughout the years. As an engineering services firm, NEI’s mission is to create a great organization that serves people and solves problems. 

Since NEI’s founding, we have developed a culture of collaboration and accountability, both across our teams and departments, and externally with our clients across the United States. We believe in two core ideas: hiring great people and celebrating our team members’ diverse backgrounds and unique experiences; bringing in new, unique, and exciting perspectives that can only strengthen NEI as we chart our path into the future. 

We are a proud equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or genetic information.  

Team Member Benefits 

We believe that taking care of our team members is of the utmost importance. We strive to foster a community of belonging, professional development, and industry involvement; providing our team with the benefits, tools, and support systems to excel in their roles. Out comprehensive benefits package includes: