Electrical Lead Engineer

Overview

Lead Electrical Engineer

Westwood Professional Services, Inc. is seeking a Lead Electrical Engineer to join our renewables team. The position is for a lead electrical engineer to design solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, which includes: plant layout, selecting appropriate system hardware, system optimization, determining power generation and interconnection requirements, and being the client and internal leader for the electrical engineering of projects. As Lead Electrical Engineer the individual will coordinate with the Westwood Service Leaders and Director of Electrical Engineering to maintain firm standards and consistency as well as oversee other electrical designers. This position may also include supervision responsibilities of direct reports for timesheet/expense/PTO approval, annual growth planning, disciplinary actions, and compensation annual adjustments. This position is open in Minneapolis, Denver, Plano, Madison, and Charlotte. Westwood has a highly experienced and dynamic team of individuals dedicated to providing high-level professional services to our clients.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the electrical engineering of commercial and utility scale solar projects and be responsible for managing the electrical design budget for the project to ensure budgets are met.
• Responsible for contractual electrical engineering scope, verify incorporation into design, and coordination of change orders with project manager.
• Responsible for ensuring project deliverable schedules for electrical engineering scope are met.
• Assist project managers in responding to RFPs by preparing proposal scope and fees for the electrical engineering.
• Coordinate with other project disciplines including civil engineers, geotechnical/structural engineers, and surveyors.
• Schedule and plan necessary resources needed to support projects weekly.
• Perform and lead electrical engineering design and creation of construction documents for projects as well as be the primary electrical contact for the client.
• Oversee project electrical team resources and be responsible for staff performing electrical calculations and studies such as short circuit, load flow calculations, and voltage drop.
• Coordinate with clients, utilities, and code enforcement officers.
• QA/QC of design work performed on projects for which you are the lead electrical engineer responsible for the project.
• Maintain awareness of currently available equipment and industry best practices.
• Collaborate with and support electrical engineering teams in other offices as projects and workload sharing between offices dictates.
• Support construction of the projects by responding to contractor and owner requests including RFIs and submittal review.
• Assist Market Directors as needed for marketing efforts and creation of marketing materials surrounding electrical engineering work.
• Supervise, train, and/or mentor graduate engineers, staff engineers, and design technicians.

Required Experience

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering or Renewable Engineering Program.
• Knowledge of NEC and NESC.
• Knowledge and proficiency in the use of an electrical power system modeling program(s).
• Approximately 4-10 years of experience in the design of electrical distribution, generation, and/or general electrical construction.
• Working knowledge and ability to read and create construction drawings and specifications.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products.
• Professional appearance with excellent written and verbal communications skills, including the ability to write detailed technical reports with minimal oversight.
• Experience with writing proposals, managing project budgets, invoices and change order processes, progress reports, managing project data, and communicating project requirements to clients and internal stakeholders.
• Must have a strong work ethic along with a positive attitude.
• Must be a supportive team member, able to work in a collaborative environment.
• Must be self-motivated with an ability to balance multiple projects under tight deadlines without supervision.
• Ability to use AutoCAD in a limited capacity.

Preferred Experience

• Experience and knowledge of overall design and construction of utility scale PV and/or wind plants.
• NABCEP Certification.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD Civil 3D.
• Electrical PE License or ability to be licensed in multiple states.
• Experience with energy storage systems (battery, flywheel, or capacitor).
• Proficiency with ETAP, CYMCAP, WinIGS, and/or DigSilent PowerFactory to model electrical power systems and perform load flow, short circuit, voltage drop, grounding, thermal, and protective device coordination studies and analysis.
• Experience with PVsyst, Helioscope, SAM, or other PV production modeling software.
• Experience with Helios 3D, PVcase, RatedPower, SolarFarmer, or other PV site layout software.
• Experience with PSS/E, PSCAD, EMTP, or similar software and performing transient/dynamic modeling and studies of power systems.

Salary Range:

• $95,000 - $135,000

About Westwood Professional Services, Inc. (Westwood)

At Westwood, our purpose is to create a better world for people through our work. We transform the energy grid, design resilient infrastructure, and develop communities that will flourish today and for future generations. With over 50 years of experience and a legacy of innovation, we stand at the forefront of our industry, dedicated to understanding the unique needs of the markets we serve.

Our approach revolves around people. We are committed to building a culture that attracts, retains, and develops high performers. Our team values relationships, innovation, dedication, initiative, and growth. We believe fostering a collaborative “One Team” mentality yields superior outcomes in everything we do.

We customize our technical capabilities and geographic reach to meet our clients where they are and help them realize their vision. We are partners in our clients’ success, driving to provide solutions that make a lasting difference. Safety, sustainability, and operational excellence are not just facets of our work; they are intrinsic to our identity, guiding every decision we make.

We are deeply invested in the communities we serve. Through our projects and giving-back initiatives, we enrich the lives of those we serve, engage others within our industry, and create a lasting impact on communities around the world. To us, success transcends the completion of projects; it is reflected in the lives we have positively impacted by our work.

Join us in creating a better world.

In 2024, Zweig Group ranked Westwood nationally at #13 and #40, respectively, on its Hot Firms and Best Firms to Work for lists. Zweig also awarded Westwood one national 1st place award for Marketing Excellence. Westwood was recently recognized as #83 in the ENR Top 500 Firms in 2024. The firm consistently ranks on the industry's top 25 lists and receives recognition for its involvement in award-winning projects nationwide.

Westwood provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We believe that diverse backgrounds strengthen our business. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

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