Senior Substation Staff Engineer

Overview

Join us as we Rise to the Challenge

 

At KCI, we’re building an enduring community that provides unparalleled value to our employee-owners. We make our mark designing and delivering our world-class solutions, so we invest deeply in supporting and developing our team. We reward integrity and commitment, and when we do well, you do well. Our employees have the freedom to innovate, unlimited growth, a voice that matters, a lifestyle that works, and skin in the game. Achievements are shared and celebrated. As a team, we are motivated to better ourselves, each other, and the world around us. 

 

THE COMPANY

KCI Technologies, Inc. is a 100% employee-owned engineering, consulting and construction firm serving clients throughout the United States. KCI is recognized as an industry leader, employing cutting-edge technologies, management practices and strategic growth initiatives. Employee ownership fosters an entrepreneurial spirit, encourages technical expertise, and shapes strategic planning.

KCI is currently ranked #50 on Engineering News-Record’s list of the Top 500 design firms in the nation.

 

KCI BENEFITS INFORMATION

We offer a competitive compensation package, family friendly benefits, a collaborative working environment, and the training, mentoring and resources you need to advance in your career.

 

We understand that you have choices, and we know that together we will make a great team!

 

KCI is committed to building a diverse and inclusive staff, and we encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and individuals with disabilities to apply.

 

KCI Technologies, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

Duties, Responsibilities & Other

Essential Duties and Responsibilities*:

 

As KCI Energy’s Senior Staff Engineer – Substation, you perform progressively complex engineering assignments supporting transmission and distribution substation projects. The role may be filled by an engineer whose primary technical experience is in Substation Physical and/or Protection & Control and/or Substation Studies and/or Settings/SCADA. Working with Project Engineers, responsible Professional Engineers, Project Managers, Design Leaders, clients, and multidisciplinary teams, you independently execute assigned engineering work and support project delivery from conceptual engineering through construction and commissioning support.

 

You are expected to demonstrate growing technical depth in at least one specialty—not necessarily all four—while developing sufficient working knowledge to coordinate with the other specialties. You are accountable for the accuracy, coordination, constructability, and technical quality of your assigned work. You collaborate with Engineers, Designers, and CAD Technicians; resolve engineering issues within your level of responsibility; seek guidance when appropriate; and contribute to standards, workflows, and the development of less-experienced staff.

 

Key Technical Skills Required:

• Demonstrate working technical competence in Substation Physical and/or Protection & Control and/or Substation Studies and/or Settings/SCADA. Experience across multiple specialties is preferred but is not required.
• Substation Physical: Develop and review equipment selection and application, one-line diagrams, general arrangements, equipment layouts, bus and conductor design, electrical clearances, grounding, lightning protection, raceways, cable routing, control building arrangements, auxiliary AC/DC systems, equipment specifications, bills of material, and physical design calculations.
• Protection & Control: Develop and review protection philosophies, one-line and three-line diagrams, AC/DC schematics, relay and control panels, wiring and interconnection diagrams, CT/VT application, tripping and interlocking schemes, control logic, telecom and SCADA interfaces, cutover plans, testing requirements, and commissioning support.
• Substation Studies: Perform power-system modeling and analysis applicable to the assignment, including load flow, short circuit, grounding, arc-flash, protection coordination, insulation coordination, temporary and switching overvoltage, transient recovery voltage, electromagnetic transient, dynamic stability, EMF, induced voltage, and other specialty studies.
• Settings/SCADA: Develop and review protective relay settings and coordination, relay logic and configuration, RTU/IED/gateway integration, SCADA architecture, HMI and alarm configuration, point lists, I/O mapping, databases, communications networks and protocols, IEC 61850 integration, FAT/SAT, field testing, energization, and commissioning support.
• Apply IEEE, ANSI, NESC, NEC, NFPA, utility standards, client specifications, and industry best practices to substation engineering.
• Support and coordinate technical interfaces among Substation Physical, Protection & Control, Substation Studies, Settings/SCADA, Civil, Structural, Geotechnical, Transmission Line, Project Management, vendors, contractors, and clients.
• Develop and apply sound technical judgment in constructability, brownfield execution, outage and cutover planning, system performance, field support, commissioning, quality assurance, and risk management.
• Use Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and engineering, design, modeling, settings, automation, and document-control tools applicable to the assigned technical specialty. Experience may include AutoCAD, MicroStation, Bluebeam, ProjectWise, ETAP, SKM, CDEGS, ASPEN OneLiner, CAPE, PSS®E, PSCAD, PowerWorld, relay configuration software, SCADA platforms, and IEC 61850 engineering tools.

 

The key responsibilities of this role include:

 

Project Engineering and Collaboration

• Execute assigned engineering work packages under the direction of a Project Engineer or responsible Professional Engineer while supporting successful project delivery.
• Contribute to engineering execution plans, design criteria, technical approaches, deliverable requirements, review strategies, and multidisciplinary workflows.
• Develop calculations, models, settings, databases, specifications, reports, drawings, equipment requirements, procurement documents, technical bid evaluations, testing documentation, and bills of material applicable to the assigned technical specialty.
• Coordinate assigned technical activities with Engineers, Designers, CAD Technicians, specialty disciplines, vendors, and subcontracted engineering resources.
• Support technical coordination with clients, utilities, vendors, contractors, and internal project leadership.
• Participate in and, when assigned, facilitate technical, design, constructability, client, vendor, and interdisciplinary review meetings.
• Support scope development, estimating, resource planning, technical approaches, proposals, presentations, and negotiations.

• Share technical knowledge with less-experienced Engineers, Designers, and CAD Technicians through collaboration, review feedback, and project support.
• Plans, schedules, conducts and coordinates detailed phases of the engineering work in part of a major project or in total project.

• Ensure assigned deliverables meet KCI quality standards, client specifications, applicable codes, regulatory requirements, and professional engineering obligations.

 

Ownership and Accountability:

• Take ownership of assigned engineering tasks and work packages from planning through final delivery and project closeout.
• Maintain accountability for the technical accuracy, completeness, coordination, constructability, quality, and compliance of assigned work.
• Identify technical risks, design conflicts, scope gaps, schedule impacts, quality concerns, and constructability issues early and communicate them to project leadership.
• Make and document sound engineering decisions within assigned responsibility, seek guidance when needed, and escalate material technical, commercial, contractual, safety, or project risks appropriately.
• Resolve review comments and confirm that assigned deliverables receive the required technical review and approval before issuance.
• Perform engineering work under the responsible charge of an appropriately licensed Professional Engineer and prepare assigned work for review and approval.
• Within delegated authority, lead defined engineering work packages, coordinate technical activities and interfaces, make routine decisions within established criteria, and mentor less-experienced staff. Final engineering decisions and professional responsibility remain with the appropriately licensed Professional Engineer in responsible charge.
• Accurately represent education, certification, and licensure status in all internal and external communications. Do not use the PE designation or represent yourself as a Professional Engineer unless actively licensed and permitted by the applicable jurisdiction.
• Do not independently offer professional engineering services, make final engineering decisions, assume responsible charge, serve as Engineer of Record, or sign or seal engineering documents.

Training, Development, and Compliance:

• Support the development of less-experienced Engineers, Designers, and CAD Technicians through collaboration, project guidance, and meaningful review feedback.
• Participate in onboarding, technical development, knowledge transfer, and professional licensure activities.
• Promote technical excellence, sound engineering judgment, accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Contribute to the development of engineering standards, design guides, calculation tools, workflows, lessons learned, and quality practices.
• Comply with KCI policies, ISO requirements, Quality Management Systems, client standards, professional practice requirements, and industry best practices.

 

Financial Management:

• Support the Project Manager and Project Engineer in developing and managing engineering scope, budget, schedule, staffing, and delivery requirements.
• Plan and track assigned work against project requirements and communicate progress, resource needs, and variances early.
• Identify potential scope changes, additional services, schedule impacts, technical risks, and opportunities affecting assigned work.
• Support change management by documenting technical impacts, required effort, assumptions, exclusions, and revised deliverable requirements.
• Promote efficient execution through proactive planning, standardization, constructability, and effective use of engineering and design resources.

* Essential Duties and Responsibilities are the basic job functions that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation.

 

Qualifications

Education and/or Skills Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an ABET-Accredited Program and a minimum of three years of relevant work experience. 
• Strong Proficiency in MicroStation, AutoCAD, or Revit.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Good communication and technical writing skills.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to think critically.

Education and/or Work Experience Preferred:

• Previous experience within the engineering field.

Certificates, licenses, and/or Registrations Required:

• Valid Driver’s License
• Ability to maintain required certifications.

Certificates, licenses, and/or Registrations Preferred: 

• Professional Engineer (PE) eligibility

Pre-employment drug screening and background check are conditions of employment. Motor vehicle checks may be required based upon position.