Lead Electrical Engineer

Your Job

Optimized Process Designs (OPD), a Koch Engineered Solutions company, is seeking a Lead Electrical Engineer. This is a technical leader responsible for the engineering execution of HV/EHV substation projects delivered under lump-sum EPC contracts. This role serves as the technical owner from project concept through energization, driving design decisions that balance safety, reliability, constructability, cost, and schedule while supporting OPD's commitment to execution excellence.

Our Team

Optimized Process Designs is an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm executing on complex energy and infrastructure projects across North America. Their focus and expertise is in the natural gas, natural gas liquids, and petrochemical industries. OPD is part of the larger Koch organization which provides a variety of capabilities across many industries. OPD is known for technical excellence, disciplined project execution, and a culture that empowers engineers to take ownership and create long-term value.

What You Will Do

Technical Leadership & Ownership

• Serve as the technical authority for substation scope on EPC projects
• Lead engineering decision-making informed by power system studies, grid conditions, and project constraints to balance safety, reliability, constructability, cost, and schedule
• Make sound engineering decisions that align with OPD's project delivery, risk management, and cost control objectives
• Mentor and technically guide engineers and designers across disciplines
• Lead power system studies including load flow, short circuit, arc flash, and interconnection analyses to ensure system reliability and grid compliance
• Engage directly with clients, utilities, and internal stakeholders to influence technical decisions, manage risk, and align project outcomes

Substation Engineering Execution

• Lead Substation Physical Engineering, including equipment arrangements, elevations, grounding, and constructible layouts
• Lead Protection & Control engineering, including relay design, coordination, and settings development aligned with system study results
• Ensure designs are complete, coordinated, and suitable for construction and commissioning
• Develop and review relay settings, protection coordination, and equipment specifications for transformers, breakers, and HV apparatus

EPC Integration & Project Delivery

• Collaborate closely with Project Managers, construction, and commissioning teams
• Lead technical evaluations and define equipment strategies aligned with utility requirements, interconnection constraints, and project execution needs
• Provide ongoing engineering support during construction, testing, and energization phases
• Interface with utilities, ISOs/RTOs, and clients to support interconnection approvals, permitting, and compliance requirements
• Travel to sites up to 15%

Standards, Quality, & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with IEEE, NESC, NEC, and client standards, incorporating utility-specific requirements and interconnection criteria
• Lead quality control reviews and design audits
• Support development and continuous improvement of OPD substation standards, tools, and processes
• Serve as Engineer of Record (EOR) where applicable, ensuring design compliance, documentation integrity, and stamped deliverables

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience
• Utility and/or EPC substation engineering experience
• Active PE license
• Strong expertise in both Substation Physical and Protection & Control engineering
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering execution on complex EPC projects

What Will Put You Ahead

• EPC or LSTK project experience
• Hands-on involvement with construction, testing, and commissioning support
• Demonstrated application of power system analysis and modeling tools (e.g., ETAP, PSCAD, SKM) for system design and validation
• Experience supporting renewable energy interconnections
• Proven mentoring and technical leadership capabilities

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here.

Who We Are

As a Koch Engineered Solutions company, Optimized Process Designs (OPD) provides clients with detailed engineering packages in all disciplines, single-point procurement for all equipment and materials, fabrication and direct-hired construction services throughout the United States. We leverage in-house capabilities and provide services with faster speed to market to help deliver increased cost savings while minimizing risk.

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Our Benefits

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.

Equal Opportunities

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click here for additional information. (For Illinois E-Verify information click here, aqui, or tu).