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