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Southern Company

Substation Designer/Engineer (Birmingham, AL)

Company: 
Southern Company
City: 
Birmingham
State: 
Alabama
Occupational fields: 
Architecture and Engineering
Employment type: 
Full time
Remote Position: 
No
Required degree level: 
Other

Substation Designer/Engineer
Southern Company Services Technical Shared Services - Substation Engineering
Opening located in Birmingham, AL

This posting is to fill a full time Physical Designer/Engineer position within our Substation Physical Design group. The Designer/Engineer can be filled as an exempt level 3-6, based on background experience and education of the successful candidate.

JOB DESCRIPTION

This position is responsible for the design of Southern Company's Transmission and Distribution Substations. The Designer/Engineer will produce engineering drawings, specifications, and material requirements for substation projects with emphasis on safety, quality, scheduling, and costs. The successful candidate will be required to travel (approximately 25%) and the ability to work successfully in a remote/virtual environment with access to internet service. This position will be located in Birmingham, AL at the Energy Center. Relocation assistance may be provided if the successful candidate does not currently live within a reasonable commute distance.

MAJOR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

  • Prepare high quality design packages needed to construct (new or modify existing) substations using CAD-based tools, based on Southern Company design standards.
  • Design the physical aspects of substations, including but not limited to, Foundation Layouts, Grounding Layouts, Conduit Layouts, Control House Layouts, Section Drawings, Electrical Bus Design, etc. Specify, order, and provide approval drawings for non-stock materials, as well as inventorying stock materials and shop fabricated materials for substation design packages. Transmit drawing packages and supporting specifications into SCST Vault using the Physical Substation Transmittal Packages Manual.
  • Make SAFETY our number one priority using a "Safety First" mentality and leading by example.
  • Coordinate and communicate with other design disciplines associated with the Substation Physical Design project.
  • Provide Quality Assurance reviews as required, technical trainings and provide developmental feedback to internal designer/engineers
  • Interact with manufacturers, vendors, and Southern Company committee members to resolve equipment and material issues.
  • Provide support to Substation Construction, Field Services, Project Management and Substation Maintenance.
  • Perform site visits for projects, including pre-construction meetings, during construction and post-construction. Some overnight travel will be required.
  • Participate in substation design review meetings.
  • Support Southern Company's design criteria and standardization effort.
  • Handling multiple tasks simultaneously, setting priorities, and using effective time management and organizational skills to achieve project team goals.
  • Serve as part of a storm restoration team when requested after storm events, predominately, but not limited to the Southern Company service territory.


JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Education

  • Bachelor's Degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering (Engineer)
  • Bachelor's Degree in Engineering Technology (Designer)
  • Associate Degree with minimum 5 years relevant industry experience (Designer)
  • No Degree with minimum 8 years relevant industry experience (Designer)


Experience

  • Strong understanding of substation equipment is preferred.
  • Ability to create Substation Physical Design drawings from a single line diagram is preferred.
  • Strong understanding of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards, National Electric Safety Code, National Electric Code, and OSHA safe operating practices is preferred.
  • AutoCAD training, experience, or certification is required.
  • Experience using 3D modeling software (SDS Inventor, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk 3D or P4A) is preferred.
  • Experience in Transmission &/or Distribution Substation Operations for an electric power utility company is preferred.
  • Experience in the field of Substation Engineering, Field Services, Switchboard Wiring, Power Delivery, Substation Maintenance, or Substation Construction is preferred.
  • Experience working with document management & estimating systems such as Transmission Estimating and Management System (TEAMS), STOMP, MAXIMO, SCST Vault is preferred.
  • Experience providing Quality Assurance reviews for design packages is a plus.
  • Proficiency using Microsoft Office products is required.
  • Ability to be an effective mentor to others and teach job-related skills.
  • Good understanding of utility electric grid operations is preferred.
  • Knowledge of basic electrical power system theory is preferred.
  • Southern Company design experience preferred.


Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

  • Must demonstrate excellent communication skills (oral & written) and the ability to communicate technical issues simply.
  • Must be a self-starter and exhibit strong problem-solving skills.
  • Must work well in a team environment and have the ability to develop and build relationships at all levels.
  • Must possess effective time management and organizational skills sufficient to manage multiple projects with various priorities and competing deadlines.
  • Must demonstrate a customer focus with a willingness to meet the needs of our customers and solicit feedback.


BEHAVIORAL ATTRIBUTES

  • Model Our Values: Safety First, Intentional Inclusion, Act with Integrity, and Superior Performance.
  • Conduct all activities with a focus on providing value to our customers.
  • Take personal responsibility for their projects and customer issues.
  • Follow through on all aspects of assignments to ensure a quality product and increased value is delivered to our customers.
  • Exhibit and promote a positive, \"can do\" attitude.
  • Commitment as a team member to building and maintaining an Inclusive work environment.
  • Must place strong emphasis on Operational Excellence (mistake free designs).
  • Must understand and practice Human Performance Concepts.


BENEFITS

  • Competitive Pay
  • Flex Schedule
  • Excellent benefits packages which includes:
    • Medical and dental coverage
    • Defined Pension/Cash Balance Benefit Plan
    • Performance-sharing plan
    • 401(k) plan with a generous company match
    • Bonus opportunities
    • Tuition Reimbursement


***Please submit an updated resume with your application***

Together with our subsidiaries, we deliver clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to our 9 million customers. Our focus is doing so with service excellence.

That means we are leaders who take action to meet our customers’ and communities’ needs while advancing our commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. We create community value through energy, social, economic, and environmental progress.

We do this through electric operating companies in three states and natural gas distribution companies in four. Our family of companies draw on diverse energy sources to create the best mix for our service areas, including electricity, natural gas, solar power, carbon-free nuclear, and other sustainable sources.

We leverage our leading distributed energy infrastructure company and other innovative technology to better serve every customer. Our competitive, national generation company serves wholesale customers, and our family includes a fiber optics network, and telecommunications services.

We have positioned diversity and inclusion as critical to our success enabling us to put the needs and well-being of the people we serve at the center of all that we do.

Southern Company believes all employees should feel welcome, valued, respected and heard. Our goal is a workplace in which all employees contribute to their fullest and a workforce that reflects our customers and communities. We accomplish this by valuing and leveraging the full range of differences and similarities we bring to our teams, customers and communities.

Workplace Awards

  • 2023 100% Corporate Equality Index Score - Human Rights Campaign (7th consecutive year)
  • 2023 America's Best-In-State Employers – Forbes
    • Southern Company (No. 1 in Alabama, No. 5 in Georgia)
  • 2023 Best Employers for Women (No. 9) - Forbes
  • 2023 America’s Greatest Workplaces – Newsweek
  • 2023 Best Companies for Multicultural Women – Seramount
  • 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity - DiversityInc (8th consecutive year)
    • No. 1 Top Company for Black executives
    • No. 3 Top Company for Veterans
    • No. 5 Top Company for Supplier Diversity
    • No. 14 - Top Company for Executive Diversity Councils
  • 2022 Global 200 – Forbes
  • 2022 Best Employers for Women - Forbes
  • 2023 America’s Best Employers for Diversity - Forbes
  • 2023 America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity - Newsweek
  • 2023 America’s Best Large Employers – Forbes
    • No. 15 overall, top utility
  • 2023 Top 100 Military-Friendly Employer (No. 2) - GI Jobs magazine
Accommodations:
Vision Accommodations, Hearing Accommodations, Mobility