Substation Physical Designer I
Location: Birmingham, AL
Travel: Approximately 25% (Some Overnight Travel Required)
Contract- 3 Years

Client- Southern Company Services.

Position Overview
The Substation Physical Designer I is responsible for creating 2D and 3D design drawings for Southern Company’s Transmission and Distribution electrical substations. This role supports substation design standardization efforts and produces detailed engineering drawing packages with a strong focus on safety, quality, schedule, and cost control.

The Designer will work closely with engineers, construction teams, vendors, and project stakeholders to deliver high-quality substation physical design packages.

Key Responsibilities
Design & Drafting
Create and modify scaled 2D drawings and 3D models for electrical substations

Develop layouts including:

Foundation layouts

Grounding layouts

Conduit layouts

Switchgear assembly layouts

Substation yard layouts

Switch house layouts

Electrical bus design

Develop material specifications and substation design packages

Software & Tools
Produce engineering drawings using:

AutoCAD

Autodesk 3D Inventor

Autodesk Map 3D (P4A)

Utilize document management and estimating systems

Support job transmittals using Transmission Engineering programs

Material & Equipment Coordination
Specify and order stock, non-stock, and shop-fabricated materials

Coordinate with manufacturers and vendors to resolve equipment and material issues

Support standardization and committee efforts

Project Support & Field Coordination
Coordinate with engineers and cross-functional departments

Support Substation Construction, Field Services, Project Management, and Maintenance teams

Participate in:

Pre-construction meetings

Construction site visits

Post-construction reviews

Provide field support during installation and commissioning

Education & Experience Requirements
Education (One of the Following):
Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or Engineering Technology

Associate Degree with 5+ years of related industry experience

High School Diploma with 8+ years of significant related industry experience

Experience & Technical Knowledge
Strong understanding of electrical substation equipment preferred

Experience in Transmission and/or Distribution Substation Operations preferred

Understanding of electric utility grid operations preferred

Knowledge of basic power system theory

Familiarity with:

National Electrical Safety Code (NESC)

National Electrical Code (NEC)

OSHA safety practices

Ability to develop substation physical drawings from single-line or three-line diagrams

Experience with 3D modeling software (SDS Inventor, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk 3D P4A)

AutoCAD proficiency required

Experience with Primavera (P6) and progress reporting tools preferred

Proficiency in Microsoft Office required

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Strong written and verbal communication skills

Ability to explain technical issues clearly

Strong problem-solving and analytical skills

Ability to manage multiple projects and competing deadlines

Customer-focused mindset

Ability to mentor and support junior team members

Strong spatial visualization skills for 3D equipment/material coordination

Ability to accurately manage timekeeping and business expense reporting

Ability to work independently in a remote/virtual environment

Travel Requirements
Approximately 25% travel

Some overnight travel required

Site visits for construction coordination and project support