[Hiring] Design Engineer II @SOLV Energy

Role Description

The Design Engineer II, Substation owns the preliminary substation design and engineering lifecycle for assigned utility-scale solar, BESS, and related interconnection projects. This role serves as the primary technical owner from BD kickoff through Design-to-Preconstruction handoff, aligning preliminary design, scope, schedule, risk, and technical assumptions before execution begins.

This role is fully remote. Specific location details and expectations will be discussed during the interview process.

Position Responsibilities and Duties

• Preliminary Substation Design and Technical Ownership
  • Own the first-pass preliminary substation design approach for assigned pursuits and projects.
  • Review client provided documents, technical exhibits, PPAs, interconnection agreements, utility and ISO handbooks, owner standards, and related project information.
  • Serve as the primary substation design subject matter expert for assigned projects.
  • Lead development of the 10% substation design, including single-line diagrams, general arrangement drawings, equipment sizing, and related refinements.
• Estimate and Scope Alignment
  • Coordinate with estimating and scheduling to ensure alignment of preliminary design, quantities, scope narrative, schedule, and commercial assumptions.
  • Review estimates for technical completeness and identify gaps, exclusions, and scope items that require clarification or escalation.
  • Deliver the owner reviewed preliminary substation design to estimating and BD in accordance with the project stage-gate schedule.
• Client and Project Engagement
  • Participate in routine client meetings to review technical exhibits and clarify requirements.
  • Support contractual exhibit reviews, markups, and technical responses needed to facilitate LNTP.
  • Communicate design decisions, open items, risks, and required owner or utility inputs clearly to stakeholders.
• EOR and Engineering Consultant Coordination
  • Prepare and issue proposal requests to EORs and engineering subcontractors.
  • Review received proposals for technical scope, deliverables, exclusions, assumptions, and commercial alignment.
  • Align EOR and subcontractor proposals with project scope, estimate, schedule, and LNTP requirements.
• Handoff and Early Execution Readiness
  • Prepare the engineering scope, proposal information, schedule inputs, and assumptions needed for handoff to the Preconstruction Engineering team.
  • Support the handoff process by transferring RFIs, client comments, design risks, and unresolved technical items to the HV engineering team.
• Quality Assurance, Value Engineering, and Documentation
  • Review and approve preliminary substation design deliverables for assigned projects.
  • Propose cost-effective, reliable, and constructible alternatives.
  • Maintain accurate documentation of design iterations, technical decisions, and handoff materials.
  • Use established checklists and standards to recommend improvements for incorporation into department processes.
• Team Leadership and Development
  • Assign and coordinate work for substation designers, engineers, interns, and technical support staff.
  • Mentor junior team members and identify training or development needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from an accredited institution.
• Professional Engineer (PE) licensure or equivalent certification is a nice-to-have.
• Minimum of 3+ years of experience in electrical substation engineering.
• Demonstrated proficiency in electrical design software (AutoCAD, ETAP, or similar).
• Strong understanding of substation design principles, protection schemes, and industry standards (IEEE, NEC, NESC, etc).
• Thorough understanding of local, state, and federal regulations related to electrical engineering and solar development.
• Familiarity with utility interconnection requirements and contract language.
• In-depth knowledge of applicable building codes, engineering principles, and industry best practices.
• Effective communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and deliver results under tight deadlines.
• Ability to travel up to 10%.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without requiring employer sponsorship now or in the future.

Benefits

• Employees (and their families) are eligible for medical, dental, vision, basic life and disability insurance.
• Employees can enroll in our company’s 401(k) plan.
• Provided vacation, sick, and holiday pay.

Compensation Range

$90,853 - $113,566

Pay Rate Type: Salary

Company Description

SOLV Energy is a leading provider of infrastructure services to the power industry, designing, building and maintaining utility scale solar, battery storage and high voltage substation projects nationwide.