Description
WSP is seeking a Technical Director, Electrical Engineering – FACTS and EHV Substation SME for our Overland Park, KS office, Lake Oswego, OR office, or Remote.
This leadership position will provide technical expertise and strategic direction for complex transmission, interconnection, and grid modernisation projects across North America. The successful candidate will serve as a subject matter expert in grid enhancing technologies, reactive compensation systems, and EHV substation engineering.
The role focuses on the application, specification, procurement, design review, testing, and commissioning of:
- FACTS systems, i.e. STATCOM, E-STATCOM, SVC
- Fixed Series Capacitor (FSC) systems
- Shunt reactive power compensation, i.e. reactor banks, shunt capacitors
- Major EHV substation equipment (through 765 kV)
The candidate will support projects from front-end engineering and technology selection through detailed design, procurement, tests witnessing, while serving as a trusted technical advisor to utilities, developers, OEMs, and project teams.
Responsibilities
- Serve as a technical leader and subject matter expert for FACTS, reactive power compensation, and EHV substation systems.
- Provide technical leadership for transmission system applications involving dynamic reactive power control, voltage regulation, and grid modernisation.
- Lead development of technical specifications, functional requirements, procurement packages, and RFP documents.
- Support Owner’s Engineer assignments, technology evaluations, equipment application reviews, and technical advisory services.
- Lead technical bid evaluations, vendor clarification processes, and equipment procurement support activities.
- Review technical compliance statements, equipment guarantees, design calculations, drawings, studies, and vendor submittals.
- Provide technical oversight for major equipment applications, including STATCOM, FSC, shunt reactors, PSTs, transformers, and associated EHV substation equipment.
- Lead multidisciplinary design reviews and technical QA/QC activities throughout project execution.
- Support factory acceptance testing (FAT), site acceptance testing (SAT), commissioning, energisation planning, and field implementation activities.
- Collaborate with utilities, OEMs, contractors, and internal engineering teams to develop technically sound and practical solutions.
- Mentor engineers and support technical excellence initiatives across the organisation.
- Support business development efforts, proposal preparation, and client engagements.
- Lead or contribute to technical publications, conference presentations, industry committees, and professional organisations.
- Remain current with industry standards, utility practices, emerging technologies, and evolving transmission system requirements.
- Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources, and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
- Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license, or ability to obtain licensure.
- 12+ years of experience in electric utility transmission, substation, or power system engineering.
- Demonstrated expertise in advanced transmission technologies, including:
- FACTS systems (STATCOM, SVC)
- Fixed Series Capacitor (FSC) systems
- Shunt reactor applications
- Phase-Shifting Transformers (PSTs)
- Major EHV substation equipment
- Experience with EHV substations through 500 kV and above.
- Experience developing technical specifications, procurement packages, bid evaluations, and technical requirements for major utility projects.
- Experience supporting projects from planning and FEED through detailed design, procurement, construction, testing, and commissioning.
- Strong understanding of power system operation, reactive power management, and voltage control technologies.
- Experience leading technical reviews, design reviews, and QA/QC processes.
- Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership within multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
- Strong ability to quickly adapt to change and demonstrate flexibility to a variety of schedules and hours to meet business needs.
- Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering.
- Experience with Phase Shifting Transformer (PST or PAR) and/or Synchronous Condenser.
- Experience with EHV substations through 765 kV.
- Professional Engineering license (PE) is preferred but candidate with equivalent combination of education and experience with the ability to obtain a PE license will be considered.
Benefits
WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.