Sr. Project Engineer - High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Transmission Line Infrastructure

Position: Sr. Project Engineer, high-voltage transmission infrastructure
Location: Greater Chicago OR Sacramento area
Reports to: Managing Director of Engineering & Construction
Company: Private equity-backed operator of high-voltage transmission infrastructure

Chamberlain Advisors is conducting an executive search for a Senior Project Engineer on behalf of our direct client, a scaling private equity-backed operator of high-voltage transmission infrastructure. As an integral member of the Engineering & Construction team, this individual will lead and manage the design of assigned high-voltage transmission line and/or substation projects from conception through construction and energization. This role is vital for winning competitive FERC Order 1000 bids and ensuring efficient project construction. They are seeking an individual with a balance of Project Management skills and technical competency in either transmission line or substation engineering disciplines, or ideally both, demonstrating experience in full life cycle management of high voltage (>100kV) transmission facility projects. The ideal candidate will have a bias for action, proven analytical and problem-solving skills, while ensuring project commercial and technical targets are met or exceeded. The ideal candidate must be technically astute, collaborative, and possess a strong entrepreneurial spirit, willing to adapt and lead in a fast-paced, highly interactive team setting to deliver successful outcomes. This is an extraordinary opportunity for an engineering leader to provide strategic technical and project leadership in a dynamic, high-growth environment.

Core Selection Criteria: alignment with some or all of the following criteria is highly desired:

Entrepreneurial Spirit: The ideal candidate thrives in building and growing a business, taking full ownership of its success. With a strong continuous improvement mindset and a hands-on approach, they excel at driving rapid, effective results. A self-starter, the candidate is comfortable transitioning from high-level strategy to day-to-day operations, digging into the details when necessary. Motivated by the opportunity to be autonomous, lead transformative change, they are energized by solving visible, impactful problems and working in a lean, private equity-backed environment. This individual is gritty, willing to get their hands dirty, and committed to building and growing the company’s success, without relying heavily on extensive support layers.

High-voltage Technical Design & Engineering Expertise: This encompasses deep knowledge and hands-on experience in either transmission line or substation design, specifically at high-voltages (100 kV as a floor, ideally 230 kV or 345 kV and above). The candidate must demonstrate proficiency in utilizing industry-standard design tools prevalent within the high-voltage transmission sector, including but not limited to PLS-CADD, SAG10, AutoCAD, or other similar tools. The ideal candidate will have been accountable for the entire design lifecycle, leading the project and bringing all elements together, beyond siloed tasks such as electrical studies. You will have navigated the complexities of greenfield transmission line projects including routing through diverse terrains, securing environmental permits, and optimizing cost-efficiency. Experience with complex elements like underground transmission, mountainous terrain, or HVDC (LCC or VSC) is a strong plus.

FERC Order 1000 Proposals: You will lead the technical engineering effort for competitive FERC Order 1000 RFPs, strategically developing and evaluating solutions for cost-effectiveness across various ISO requirements. This includes creating comprehensive engineering deliverables and advocating for your proposed solutions to stakeholders. Your strong understanding and application of quality review processes for all engineering documentation are essential. Given the fast-paced and iterative nature of these proposals, you must be comfortable with constant team interaction, frequent meetings, and adapting quickly to changes and rework. While direct FERC Order 1000 experience is beneficial, a proven track record in any complex proposal or bid response is sufficient.

Strategic Third-Party Management & Diverse Project Leadership: You are adept at effectively managing, influencing, and driving accountability through external consulting firms, guiding and partnering with them to achieve project success by fostering truly collaborative relationships. Your technical expertise must be at least equivalent to that of the consultants you manage, enabling you to ask informed questions and keep project processes on track. We seek a technical project engineer who can also perform holistic project management, taking accountability for schedule, cost aspects/budgets, and assembling/reviewing inputs for estimates, as well as the oversight/technical management of schedules, timelines, and work of your consultants/teams.

Multi-Stakeholder Management & Collaborative Leadership: You excel at managing and influencing diverse internal and external stakeholders, including third-party engineering consultants, construction partners, OEMs, and regulatory bodies. Your approach fosters strong, productive partnerships, ensuring all parties are aligned with project goals and deliverables. You are adept at guiding and empowering external partners, leveraging your technical insight to ensure work aligns with scope, budget, and quality standards. This includes the ability to convey complex technical details to non-technical stakeholders and management, facilitating clear communication and decision-making throughout the project lifecycle..

What you will be accountable for:

Proposal Phase (Winning Projects):

• Work within the Engineering team to ensure designs are aligned with the overall proposal strategy of their Development Group. Projects generally begin as FERC 1,000 competitive transmission project proposals but may also involve acquisitions of existing utility assets
• Lead the technical engineering effort to support competitive proposal teams, specifically focusing on responses to FERC Order 1000 RFPs. This includes navigating the unique requirements of various ISOs (e.g., CAISO, NYISO, MISO, PJM).
• Competitively bid and secure engineering and third-party consulting resources required to adequately support the development team’s proposal efforts and RFP specific requirements.
• Manage and guide third-party engineering consultants, ensuring their work aligns with project scope, budget, and quality standards, and strategically determining necessary reports (e.g., desk study & preliminary geotechnical assessments) to optimize proposal development.
• Directly supervise the selected consultant in developing conceptual designs (design criteria and related design documentation) that will form the basis of the development team’s proposal and project estimate, providing guidance and feedback on designs within a competitive transmission framework.
• Lead the coordination with OEM (HVDC systems, HVAC equipment, conductors, cables, etc.) and ensure the technical and commercial requirements are in line with project requirements and internal strategy expectations.
• Rapidly screen and evaluate diverse technical solutions for cost-effectiveness, applying strong engineering judgment to identify the most viable and competitive options.
• Develop comprehensive engineering deliverables for proposals, such as preliminary structural drawings, detailed electrical studies, and foundation designs.
• Prepare robust estimating packages to facilitate collaboration with external construction partners, ensuring alignment between design and cost projections.
• Manage all contracted resources to meet deliverable dates and complete tasks within budget.
• Adapt quickly to iterative changes and tight deadlines inherent in competitive bidding processes, which often compress traditional engineering phases into shorter, parallel workflows.
• Act as a technical advocate during proposal phase, articulating the value and superiority of their proposed solutions to regulatory bodies and stakeholders.

Execution Phase (Completing Construction Projects):

• Following award of a project, develop RFP and technical scope documents for all procurement related to engineering and constructing the awarded project (e.g., engineering consulting services, 3rd party services, high voltage equipment, transmission line structures and materials, construction contracts, etc.).
• Lead the bid evaluation process for both technical and commercial aspects of supplier’s proposal.
• Take full accountability for both the project management and technical aspects of projects, including managing scope, schedule, and budget. This includes the ability to convey complex technical details to non-technical stakeholders and management.
• Provide ongoing management and guidance to external engineering consultants throughout the project lifecycle, serving as the primary technical interface and ensuring their deliverables meet specifications and timelines.
• The candidate will be responsible for directing consultant’s activities, conducting design reviews/optimizing designs, developing the project specific design requirements document, interpreting and applying code requirements, and managing all work to the prescribed deadlines.
• Develop, review, and approve engineering deliverables (drawings, specifications, BOMs, design reports), ensuring all work complies with applicable codes, standards, safety, and operating requirements.
• Implement and champion robust quality review processes for all engineering documentation and drawings, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and adherence to industry standards and best practices.
• Perform technical risk assessments and actively resolve design challenges in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
• Closely coordinate with other project stakeholders to identify and develop a transmission line route and/or substation site and provide technical inputs to obtain permits necessary to design and develop the project.
• Oversee the engineering and technical integrity of awarded projects, ensuring designs are accurately translated into constructible plans.
• Manage project progress comprehensively, from initial design through construction oversight, commissioning, and ultimately, hand-off to operations and maintenance.
• Coordinate with other groups inside and outside of the company to ensure the projects are successful and aligned with their strategic business objectives.
• Generally responsible for providing a single E&C project point of contact and owner’s engineer for both internal and external personnel and groups on assigned projects, including presentations/briefing on current progress (e.g. technical, cost, schedule), issues, procurement concerns/strategy, construction planning, and risk mitigation in meetings with other company personnel.
• Foster a highly collaborative working environment, actively participating in frequent team meetings and maintaining continuous communication with internal and external project stakeholders.

What qualifications you need:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Engineering Technology required; Master's preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license highly preferred. PMP or Six Sigma Certification is beneficial.
• Proven career progression, preferably with 5-10 years at prior companies, showcasing diverse experience across utilities, consulting, or manufactures of HVDC components.
• Minimum 7 years direct experience in high-voltage (>100kV) transmission line (>5 Miles) or substation project development, design, engineering, and construction.
• Ideally 2+ years' experience developing designs for FERC Order 1000 proposals, or broader experience in competitive bid/proposal work.
• Proficient using an industry-standard transmission design software such as (PLS-CADD, SAG10), and/or electric substation design tools such as (AutoCAD Electrical, Bentley’s Open Utilities Substation).
• Proficient using a project management tool such as (MS Project, Primavera).
• Understanding of procurement, construction planning, Critical Path Scheduling, and Cost Estimating for HV transmission projects.
• Knowledge of HVDC technology (LCC or VSC) is a plus.
• Adaptability to dynamic, fast-paced environments with evolving solutions and tight deadlines. Strong communication and collaborative skills for constant internal and external interaction.

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