Physical Engineering Supervisor II

PDS 8 / Power Delivery Substation

This position is not eligible for recruiting or sourcing by outside parties.

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What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, or civil engineering (ABET Accredited).
• Active Professional Engineer (PE) license – Required. Multi-state licensure or willingness to obtain reciprocity is a plus.
• 6+ years in the substation/utility industry, with 4+ years in substation physical design across voltage ranges spanning 12kV to 230kV.
• Deep substation physical expertise – Foundations, structural steel, grounding, cable routing, equipment power ratings, clearances, and conductor sizing across utility standards (IEEE, NESC, ASCE).
• Experience with grounding, lightning, and lighting studies – both performing them and reviewing the team's calculations.
• Design software proficiency – Expert with AutoCAD and Bentley MicroStation; comfortable with Bluebeam Revu for markups; working knowledge of grounding analysis tools (WinIGS, CDEGS, or ETAP).
• Client-facing communicator – Able to lead design reviews, kickoffs, and scope discussions directly with utility clients and other consultants.
• A coach's mindset – you find it as rewarding to develop the engineers around you as to ship your own deliverables.
• Steady under pressure – comfortable balancing technical responsibilities with people responsibilities when project demand spikes.
• Previous management experience is a plus, not a must – strong technical contributors ready to grow into leadership are encouraged to apply.
• Knoxville-based or within commuting distance – this role is based in our Knoxville, TN office and works in-person with the team.
• Travel availability – Willing to travel to client sites for periodic site visits, typically 3–4 single-night trips per month.

What You’ll Lead

• A small, cross-experience team of substation physical engineers, designers, and drafters – coordinate their assignments, mentor and develop them, and set technical direction for the group.
• PE review and sign/seal – Review and sign/seal packages that require a PE seal as the licensed engineer on the team.
• Client relationships on technical scope – Serve as the substation physical point of contact for assigned clients; lead design reviews, present rationale, and negotiate change in scope.
• Standards and best practices – Shape Mesa's internal substation physical standards, calculation templates, QA checklists, and lessons-learned library.
• Quality and safety culture inside the group – set the expectations, model the behavior, and make sure both show up in every package.
• Hiring, onboarding, and development – Spot who's ready for the next stretch assignment; participate in interviews, review portfolios, and ramp new engineers onto active projects.
• Proposal and estimating support – Partner with proposal teams to scope substation physical effort, contribute technical narratives for RFP responses, and help shape win-themes for new pursuits.

What You’ll Do

• Partner with program managers, project managers, and the engineering manager to staff projects, and coordinate design tasks across the team so workloads stay balanced and predictable.
• Lead the design of equipment, structural, foundation, grounding, and cable routing plans and details for medium- to large-scale transmission substation projects.
• Direct grounding, lightning, and lighting studies; review and approve calculations produced by the team.
• Coordinate across Protection & Controls, Civil, Studies, Scoping, and other disciplines to keep multi-discipline packages aligned.
• Step in as a designer or checker when workload demands it – this is a working supervisor role, not a pure people-management one.
• Run technical oversight and final QA – own the checking and review process so packages leave the group right the first time, meeting code, client requirements, and Mesa's internal QA procedures.
• Own client communication on substation physical scope: kickoffs, design reviews, RFI responses, change orders, and closeout documentation.
• Hold regular team conversations, both 1:1 and group, to share company direction, surface blockers, and keep the team aligned.
• Identify process improvements and develop internal time-saving tools, templates, and standards that scale across the group.
• Approve timesheets, overtime, and vacation requests, and approve expense reports as appropriate.

What You’ll Earn

• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Pay – 10 Days Annually
• Group Medical/Dental Insurance
• Life Insurance (Company Paid)
• Disability Insurance (Company Paid)
• 401(K) Retirement Savings plan
• 401(K) Matching Contribution
• Section 125/Cafeteria Plan
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Fitness Center Reimbursement
• Annual Performance Bonus
• 9/80 Work Schedule Option

Notice to External Search Firms: Mesa Associates, Inc. and its subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited resumes and will not be obligated to pay a placement fee for unsolicited resumes. Mesa Associates, Inc. Talent Acquisition engages with approved search firms directly for specific hiring needs.

Experience

Required

• 4 year(s): Physical design
• 6 year(s): Utility/Substation/Power experience

Education

Required

• Bachelors or better in Engineering

Licenses & Certifications

Required

• Prof Engineering (PE)

Behaviors

Required

• Leader: Inspires teammates to follow them
• Detail Oriented: Capable of carrying out a given task with all details necessary to get the task done well
• Team Player: Works well as a member of a group

Motivations

Preferred

• Self-Starter: Inspired to perform without outside help
• Goal Completion: Inspired to perform well by the completion of tasks
• Work-Life Balance: Inspired to perform well by having ample time to pursue work and interests outside of work
• Flexibility: Inspired to perform well when granted the ability to set your own schedule and goals

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
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