Electrical Systems Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL
Electrical Systems Engineer jobs in Chicago are in strong demand, concentrated in the Loop, Goose Island industrial corridor, and the North Shore suburbs, across energy utilities, transportation infrastructure, manufacturing, and defense. Employers hiring right now include Sargent & Lundy, Burns & McDonnell, and Clayco. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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As an S&C Electric team member, you’ll work on projects that have real-world impact. You’ll help transform the grid for resilient and reliable power worldwide. S&C has more than a 100-year history of innovation and has been 100% employee-owned since 2012. We continue this legacy as a trusted, forward-thinking leader in the electrical industry. You will advance a safer, more reliable, and more resilient electrical grid. Our products help the grid adapt to severe weather and transition to clean energy. We’re big enough to be a respected industry leader but small enough for you to impact our company directly. Our commitment gives you opportunities to impact on and off the job positively.
Join S&C to make an impact on tomorrow’s energy challenges and become an employee-owner
Hours
- 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (Mon-Fri) Hybrid
Compensation
At S&C, we are dedicated to providing competitive and equitable compensation for all our team members, and we are committed to transparency in our pay practices. The estimated annual base salary range for this position is $103,510 - $137,121.6. Individual pay within this salary range is determined by several compensable factors, including performance, knowledge, job-related skills and experience, and relevant education or training. This role is also eligible for S&C’s annual incentive plan (AIP), subject to eligibility criteria.
Join Our Team as an Electrical Engineer III (Power Systems)!
Are you passionate about System Design and Innovation? S&C Electric Company is seeking a dynamic individual to join our Technology Breakthrough and Innovation team. As a Electrical Engineer III (Power Systems), you’ll be crucial in ensuring continued innovation and supporting our diverse team.
The Technology & Breakthrough Innovation department drives the creation of new opportunities for S&C Electric by exploiting new technologies and enabling breakthrough product development for the fast-evolving intelligent grid. Technically sophisticated on the inside, S&C’s future systems must deliver unparalleled user experience, outstanding long-term value, and profitable revenue streams. Switching and protection actions at the distribution network has traditionally been in response to SCADA commands or to local measurements. The distribution network, however, is evolving. Increased demand for reliability. Less tolerance to power quality issues. Bidirectional flow of power with reduced fault current as penetration of distributed inverted-based generation increases. Concern from electricity-caused wildfires. The need to serve larger load with limited existing assets. All these require making quick autonomous decisions at the grid edge in response to information collected not just locally but also from neighboring devices. We are looking for an agile, creative and determined individual to envision, develop, test and promote novel protection and control schemes to meet these needs. This position reports to the Senior Manager-Protection Systems & Engineering.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop power system logic and algorithms that include gathering requirements, setting performance target, brainstorming solutions and implementing functioning prototypes.
- Represent the engineering customer when developing solutions, providing requirements and guidance to software developers.
- Test the software embodiments of protection and control schemes to ensure they meet the needs and expectations of the customer, including the use of real-time hardware-in-the-loop simulators.
- Contribute to planning tools so customers can better place and configure S&C products
- Build support for novel product solutions by promoting them to stakeholders within S&C and to potential customers of S&C.
- Author technical papers and present at technical conferences.
- Research future customer needs through literature review, conferences, discussions with colleagues and external customers and participation in industry activities.
What you’ll Need to Succeed:
- Bachelor’s or Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering (Master's or PhD is highly preferred)
- Minimum of 3 years of industry experience in an R&D setting contributing to cyber-physical systems-computer systems that make decisions based on measurements of their physical environment and take actions to influence it.
- Proficient in at least one programming language such as MATLAB, Python or C++
- Success in influencing others other than direct reports
- Experience in executing power system studies, including power flow, short circuit studies and dynamic simulation.
- Proven ability to work independently, take initiative and collaborate with colleagues.
Any of the following will be viewed favorably, but is not a requirement:
- Designing, executing and analyzing real-time hardware-in-the-loop simulations.
- Knowledge of overcurrent protection and coordination and symmetrical components.
- Using or implementing graph-theory and optimization algorithm.
- Good understanding of communication protocols utilized in the power system such as DNP3, IEC 61850 or IEC 60870-5-104 (IEC 104)
- Developing and testing configurable logic.
Job requirements:
- The job requires working in the Chicago office in person between 3 to 5 days a week 10% travel domestically and internationally
No fixed deadline
#LI-KD1
In 1909, S&C Electric Company transformed the delivery of safe, reliable electricity with the invention of the Liquid Power Fuse. Today, as the world faces extreme weather events and the demand for electricity grows, S&C continues to innovate and advance the electrical grid, ensuring reliable and resilient power for homes, communities, and critical infrastructure around the world.
With a diverse, global workforce and core values around integrity, safety, and quality, S&C is a trusted industry leader and top workplace that offers meaningful careers to more than 3,500 team members. As a people-first organization, S&C is committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative workplace where team members advance their careers through robust talent-development programs and involved leadership.
S&C’s deeply rooted belief diversity fosters greater creativity, innovation, and success guides the company to advance and sustain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace culture.
S&C provides a comprehensive and competitive benefit package that includes the following (eligibility requirements apply):
- Health and Welfare Benefits: Medical & Prescription, Dental, Vision, Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, , Health Savings Account (HSA), Group Life Insurance, optional Supplemental Life and AD&D Insurance, Wellbeing Resources including Employee Assistance Program and Family Forming Benefits (i.e., Adoption and Fertility support)
- Leave Benefits: Vacation Time, Sick Time, Paid Holidays and Company Shutdown days, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Other Leaves, Paid Parental Time and Military Leave
Retirement Benefits: 401(k) Retirement Savings and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (KSOP) offering traditional and Roth 401(k) options and an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) component; KSOP participants can receive annual ESOP company contributions of over 11% of eligible earnings (3% Core, up to 3.5% Match, Variable Periodic).
See All 57 Electrical Systems Engineer Jobs in Chicago
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Find JobsElectrical Systems Engineer Job Market in Chicago
Who's Hiring
- Sargent & Lundy5

- Burns & McDonnell5

- Clayco3

- Arcadis3

- Stantec3

Top Industries Hiring
- Consulting & Professional Services29
- Construction & Real Estate17
- Energy7
- Technology & Software3
- Retail1
Electrical Systems Engineer Jobs in Chicago: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a electrical systems engineer job in Chicago?
Focus your search on Chicago's strongest hiring sectors: energy and utilities along the lakefront corridor, rail and transit infrastructure tied to Metra and the CTA, heavy manufacturing in the Goose Island and Pilsen industrial zones, and defense contractors in the northwest suburbs. Candidates who combine power systems or controls experience with familiarity with Chicago's aging infrastructure projects tend to stand out. Networking through IEEE's Chicago section also opens doors that job postings alone do not.
Which companies hire electrical systems engineers in Chicago?
Companies currently hiring electrical systems engineers in Chicago include Sargent & Lundy, Burns & McDonnell, and Clayco, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. Chicago's hiring mix leans toward large utilities, rail and transit authorities, industrial manufacturers, and engineering consultancies serving the Midwest's dense infrastructure and commercial building sectors.
Are there remote electrical systems engineer jobs in Chicago?
Yes, though with limits: electrical systems engineering is largely hands-on, so fully remote roles are uncommon, but hybrid arrangements exist for design, analysis, and project coordination work. About 33% of electrical systems engineer openings tied to Chicago are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, with those roles concentrated in systems design, simulation, and technical program management rather than field or commissioning work.
How can I get a electrical systems engineer job in Chicago with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Chicago is through co-op and internship pipelines at the city's large utilities and transit authorities, which regularly convert early-career engineers to full-time roles. Entry-level titles like junior electrical engineer, systems integration technician, or CAD design engineer are the common first step. Candidates with hands-on lab or project experience from Illinois Tech, Northwestern, or UIC signal practical readiness that Chicago employers value over GPA alone.
Which industries hire the most electrical systems engineers in Chicago?
Chicago electrical systems engineer roles concentrate in Consulting & Professional Services, Construction & Real Estate, and Energy, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. Chicago's position as the Midwest's rail hub, its large Commonwealth Edison utility footprint, and its concentration of industrial manufacturers create sustained demand that goes well beyond what most U.S. cities outside the coasts can offer.
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