Substation Physical Designer

Nexus Engineering Group is employee-owned, full-service, and growing our Substation Department. As a Substation Physical Designer, you’ll develop the physical design of high-voltage substation projects — and grow from production support toward independent design.

You’ll produce the general arrangement layouts, elevation and section views, grounding, conduit routing, and equipment placement that bring substations to life — from new builds to upgrades and expansions. Working alongside a collaborative team of engineers and designers, you’ll take on more ownership as you develop, building toward independent design of substation physical packages.

Why Nexus

You’ll own a piece of what you build. Nexus is employee-owned through our ESOP, so the value you help create comes back to you — not just outside shareholders. We invest in our engineers and give them room to grow into greater ownership of the work.

What you can expect:

Employee ownership (ESOP) — build equity in the firm as it grows

Real ownership that grows with you — from production support toward independent design

Mentorship from senior engineers and designers on a collaborative team

Full-service EPCm exposure, from concept through startup, across a diverse client base

Career paths that grow with you — toward technical leadership, project management, or discipline leadership

Flexible work arrangements where business needs allow

What You’ll Do

Develop and revise physical layouts, elevation and section views, below-grade drawings, and supporting documentation in CAD, with growing independence as you develop.

Lay out grounding systems (IEEE Std 80), conduit and cable routing, bus arrangements, and equipment placement.

Build and maintain cable/conduit lists, nameplates, and client-specific documentation.

Assist the project lead in developing physical documentation, applying technical design standards.

Apply internal and external processes, procedures, and design standards (IEEE, ANSI, NEC, NESC).

Coordinate with drafters, designers, other disciplines, clients, and vendors to deliver complete, constructible packages.

What We’re Looking For

Required Qualifications

Associate Degree in a technical discipline or equivalente technical experience.

2+ years of experience in substation, power delivery, or electrical design.

Proficiency with CAD (AutoCAD and/or MicroStation).

Familiarity with substation physical design — layouts, grounding (IEEE Std 80), conduit and cable routing, and equipment placement.

Working knowledge of IEEE, ANSI, NEC, and NESC standards.

Ability to travel to project and substation sites, some of which are not accessible by public transportation.

Preferred Qualifications

Inventor or Substation Design Suite (SDS) experience.

Grounding or photometric analysis software (WinIGS, CDEGS, AGi32, Visual Lighting, or equivalent).

Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification, with progress toward Professional Engineer (PE) licensure.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

This role combines office-based design work with periodic visits to substation and construction sites. This role may require:

Periodic travel to substation and construction sites

Appropriate PPE on site, including arc-rated clothing

The ability to access outdoor substation yards and walk uneven terrain, with or without reasonable accommodation