H-1B Visa Substation Electrical Engineer Jobs
Substation Electrical Engineer roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations under the electrical engineering SOC code, requiring at least a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a closely related field. Utilities, EPC firms, and grid infrastructure companies sponsor H-1B transfers and cap-subject petitions for engineers who design, commission, and maintain high-voltage substation systems.
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Ulteig is seeking an experienced Lead Substation Electrical Owner’s Engineer to serve as an extension of the owner’s project team for major EPC transmission and substation projects. This role provides independent technical review, procurement support, field assurance, and documented recommendations while preserving the Owner’s decision-making authority and the EPC Contractor’s design and construction responsibilities.
What You’ll Do
Project Engineering Support
- Provide owner-side electrical engineering support across project development, design, construction, commissioning, and energization; identify technical risks early and support stage-gate readiness.
- Develop, review, or refine Owner’s Project Specifications and owner-side technical input to the Basis of Design; verify use of current Company standards and project requirements.
- Review EPC design QA/QC processes and preliminary through final deliverables for completeness, consistency, quality, constructability, and compliance. Manage comment logs, deviations, recurring issues, root-cause trends, and closure status.
- Review detailed substation electrical design, including one-lines, three-lines, AC/DC schematics, wiring, control buildings, power transformers, breakers, disconnects, bus, CTs/PTs, batteries/DC systems, protection and control, SCADA/communications, grounding, and lightning protection.
- Review short-circuit, coordination, arc-flash, AC/DC, grounding, and related equipment studies/specifications; provide risk-informed and value-engineering recommendations to the Owner.
- Coordinate electrical interfaces with civil, structural, transmission line, communications, operations, outage planning, permitting, and construction teams; participate in field layout and constructability reviews.
Material Specification Development & Procurement Support
- Review and validate EPC material lists, specification codes, item numbers, quantities, bid descriptions, and technical requirements for standard and non-standard materials; document exceptions and recommendations.
- Support procurement packaging, technical bid evaluations, vendor proposal reviews, long-lead equipment planning, logistics, expediting, storage, preservation, traceability, and alignment with design maturity and construction sequencing.
- Review supplier drawings, certified test documentation, material test reports, inspection records, and procurement submittals; track discrepancies, non-conformances, manufacturing status, release status, and material readiness.
- Provide qualified support for factory acceptance testing of major substation equipment; document observations, test results, deficiencies, and follow-up actions for Owner review.
- Advise on project-specific spare parts and strategic spare equipment based on standardization, operational needs, lifecycle maintenance, and portfolio considerations.
Construction Oversight & Quality Assurance
- Provide owner-side field oversight of EPC and subcontractor electrical work; evaluate conformance with approved drawings, specifications, procedures, acceptance criteria, and project requirements without directing the Contractor unless expressly authorized.
- Attend construction progress and site coordination meetings; assess work packaging, site readiness, sequencing, access, quality, safety, schedule, and constructability. Escalate field issues and potential non-conformances promptly.
- Review field QC testing, inspection results, construction quality records, and corrective actions. Maintain clear field reports, issue logs, quality-surveillance records, NCR tracking, and closure documentation.
- Review commissioning plans, energization procedures, functional/performance test requirements, completion certificates, and turnover checklists. Witness testing and energization activities when requested; document exceptions and readiness concerns.
- Track punch-list items, test exceptions, deficiencies, required records, and milestone readiness through closure; support as-built, O&M, warranty, and final turnover documentation review.
What We Expect from You
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program or equivalent; active Professional Engineer license required.
- 7+ years of electric utility substation engineering, design review, commissioning, or construction support experience; experience with 138 kV and 345 kV facilities strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated Owner’s Engineer or EPC oversight experience and strong knowledge of substation primary systems, protection and control, SCADA, studies, grounding, and applicable utility/industry standards.
- Experience reviewing specifications, material lists, vendor submittals, FAT documentation, field quality records, commissioning plans, and energization readiness evidence.
- Ability to communicate concise, defensible recommendations; maintain traceable review records; lead multidisciplinary interfaces; and distinguish review/monitoring responsibilities from Owner approval authority.
- Ability to work within the Owner’s operational footprint and travel to project sites, supplier facilities, and EPC offices as needed. Remote work must be performed within the United States unless otherwise authorized and compliant with security requirements.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and familiarity with utility design/project systems such as GIS, SAP, Primavera P6, Bentley MicroStation, and ProjectWise is preferred. Permanent authorization to work in the U.S. required.
- Demonstrates openness to innovation by embracing and applying evolving technology and AI tools to enhance workflows, solve problems, and drive continuous improvement.
- Must have authorization to work permanently in the U.S.
What You Can Expect from Ulteig
Ulteig is a purpose driven organization that has built a culture focused on people – both our clients and our employees – for over 80 years. Working at Ulteig is more than a job, opening opportunities to make an impact by creating and solving for a sustainable future. We recognize our success relies heavily on the dedication and focus of our workforce; this is why we make investing in our employees a top priority. We prioritize flexibility and staying connected to meet your needs and help you achieve your goals. We value your unique perspective, respect your individuality and celebrate your contributions. At Ulteig, we take our own success and the success of our clients personally.
We offer our team members:
- Flexible Workplace
- Employee Ownership
- Competitive Pay
- Comprehensive Benefits Package
- Collaborative Environment
- Innovative Culture
Our vision is to be the most trusted partners transforming our world’s critical infrastructure. Ulteig connects people and resources to develop compelling, integrated solutions across multiple Lifeline Sectors®, including Power, Renewables, Transportation and Water. Ulteig is a trusted partner in engineering North America’s essential infrastructure and leverages its expertise with a wide range of public and private clients.
At Ulteig, we care deeply about our team, listening to their needs and ensuring they have the tools necessary to be productive whether they choose to work remotely, hybrid or in office. Regardless of where you work, you are empowered to build a workday that best suits your strengths. We strive to ensure a balance and separation between home and work life. We support a flexible working schedule so employees are able to focus on what's important to them.
If you would like to be a part of a company that empowers their employees, apply today!
Ulteig is a Drug Free Workplace
ACHIEVE | GROW | COLLABORATE
Target Base Compensation Range for this role is $123,200 - $159,650
Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary include your job specific skills, education, training, job location, number of years of experience related to this role and comparison to other employees already in this role.
This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will continue to be posted for an average of 60 days until a qualified applicant is selected or the position has been cancelled.
Notice to Recruiters and Staffing Agencies: to protect the interests of all parties, Ulteig Engineers, Inc., will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate or an approved vendor that has a written and signed agreement in place with Ulteig. Please do not contact or forward resumes to our company employees or locations. Any unsolicited resumes will be considered Ulteig property. Ulteig is not responsible for any charges or fees related to unsolicited resumes.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
The Opportunity
Ulteig is seeking an experienced Lead Substation Electrical Owner’s Engineer to serve as an extension of the owner’s project team for major EPC transmission and substation projects. This role provides independent technical review, procurement support, field assurance, and documented recommendations while preserving the Owner’s decision-making authority and the EPC Contractor’s design and construction responsibilities.
What You’ll Do
Project Engineering Support
- Provide owner-side electrical engineering support across project development, design, construction, commissioning, and energization; identify technical risks early and support stage-gate readiness.
- Develop, review, or refine Owner’s Project Specifications and owner-side technical input to the Basis of Design; verify use of current Company standards and project requirements.
- Review EPC design QA/QC processes and preliminary through final deliverables for completeness, consistency, quality, constructability, and compliance. Manage comment logs, deviations, recurring issues, root-cause trends, and closure status.
- Review detailed substation electrical design, including one-lines, three-lines, AC/DC schematics, wiring, control buildings, power transformers, breakers, disconnects, bus, CTs/PTs, batteries/DC systems, protection and control, SCADA/communications, grounding, and lightning protection.
- Review short-circuit, coordination, arc-flash, AC/DC, grounding, and related equipment studies/specifications; provide risk-informed and value-engineering recommendations to the Owner.
- Coordinate electrical interfaces with civil, structural, transmission line, communications, operations, outage planning, permitting, and construction teams; participate in field layout and constructability reviews.
Material Specification Development & Procurement Support
- Review and validate EPC material lists, specification codes, item numbers, quantities, bid descriptions, and technical requirements for standard and non-standard materials; document exceptions and recommendations.
- Support procurement packaging, technical bid evaluations, vendor proposal reviews, long-lead equipment planning, logistics, expediting, storage, preservation, traceability, and alignment with design maturity and construction sequencing.
- Review supplier drawings, certified test documentation, material test reports, inspection records, and procurement submittals; track discrepancies, non-conformances, manufacturing status, release status, and material readiness.
- Provide qualified support for factory acceptance testing of major substation equipment; document observations, test results, deficiencies, and follow-up actions for Owner review.
- Advise on project-specific spare parts and strategic spare equipment based on standardization, operational needs, lifecycle maintenance, and portfolio considerations.
Construction Oversight & Quality Assurance
- Provide owner-side field oversight of EPC and subcontractor electrical work; evaluate conformance with approved drawings, specifications, procedures, acceptance criteria, and project requirements without directing the Contractor unless expressly authorized.
- Attend construction progress and site coordination meetings; assess work packaging, site readiness, sequencing, access, quality, safety, schedule, and constructability. Escalate field issues and potential non-conformances promptly.
- Review field QC testing, inspection results, construction quality records, and corrective actions. Maintain clear field reports, issue logs, quality-surveillance records, NCR tracking, and closure documentation.
- Review commissioning plans, energization procedures, functional/performance test requirements, completion certificates, and turnover checklists. Witness testing and energization activities when requested; document exceptions and readiness concerns.
- Track punch-list items, test exceptions, deficiencies, required records, and milestone readiness through closure; support as-built, O&M, warranty, and final turnover documentation review.
What We Expect from You
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program or equivalent; active Professional Engineer license required.
- 7+ years of electric utility substation engineering, design review, commissioning, or construction support experience; experience with 138 kV and 345 kV facilities strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated Owner’s Engineer or EPC oversight experience and strong knowledge of substation primary systems, protection and control, SCADA, studies, grounding, and applicable utility/industry standards.
- Experience reviewing specifications, material lists, vendor submittals, FAT documentation, field quality records, commissioning plans, and energization readiness evidence.
- Ability to communicate concise, defensible recommendations; maintain traceable review records; lead multidisciplinary interfaces; and distinguish review/monitoring responsibilities from Owner approval authority.
- Ability to work within the Owner’s operational footprint and travel to project sites, supplier facilities, and EPC offices as needed. Remote work must be performed within the United States unless otherwise authorized and compliant with security requirements.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and familiarity with utility design/project systems such as GIS, SAP, Primavera P6, Bentley MicroStation, and ProjectWise is preferred. Permanent authorization to work in the U.S. required.
- Demonstrates openness to innovation by embracing and applying evolving technology and AI tools to enhance workflows, solve problems, and drive continuous improvement.
- Must have authorization to work permanently in the U.S.
What You Can Expect from Ulteig
Ulteig is a purpose driven organization that has built a culture focused on people – both our clients and our employees – for over 80 years. Working at Ulteig is more than a job, opening opportunities to make an impact by creating and solving for a sustainable future. We recognize our success relies heavily on the dedication and focus of our workforce; this is why we make investing in our employees a top priority. We prioritize flexibility and staying connected to meet your needs and help you achieve your goals. We value your unique perspective, respect your individuality and celebrate your contributions. At Ulteig, we take our own success and the success of our clients personally.
We offer our team members:
- Flexible Workplace
- Employee Ownership
- Competitive Pay
- Comprehensive Benefits Package
- Collaborative Environment
- Innovative Culture
Our vision is to be the most trusted partners transforming our world’s critical infrastructure. Ulteig connects people and resources to develop compelling, integrated solutions across multiple Lifeline Sectors®, including Power, Renewables, Transportation and Water. Ulteig is a trusted partner in engineering North America’s essential infrastructure and leverages its expertise with a wide range of public and private clients.
At Ulteig, we care deeply about our team, listening to their needs and ensuring they have the tools necessary to be productive whether they choose to work remotely, hybrid or in office. Regardless of where you work, you are empowered to build a workday that best suits your strengths. We strive to ensure a balance and separation between home and work life. We support a flexible working schedule so employees are able to focus on what's important to them.
If you would like to be a part of a company that empowers their employees, apply today!
Ulteig is a Drug Free Workplace
ACHIEVE | GROW | COLLABORATE
Target Base Compensation Range for this role is $123,200 - $159,650
Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary include your job specific skills, education, training, job location, number of years of experience related to this role and comparison to other employees already in this role.
This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will continue to be posted for an average of 60 days until a qualified applicant is selected or the position has been cancelled.
Notice to Recruiters and Staffing Agencies: to protect the interests of all parties, Ulteig Engineers, Inc., will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate or an approved vendor that has a written and signed agreement in place with Ulteig. Please do not contact or forward resumes to our company employees or locations. Any unsolicited resumes will be considered Ulteig property. Ulteig is not responsible for any charges or fees related to unsolicited resumes.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
See all 57+ H-1B Visa Substation Electrical Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new H-1B Visa Substation Electrical Engineer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship as a Substation Electrical Engineer
Verify your degree maps to the role
USCIS evaluates whether your degree field directly relates to substation engineering work. A degree in electrical power systems strengthens your case more than a general EE degree. Get a credential evaluation from NACES if your degree is from outside the U.S.
Search LCA filings by occupation code
Use the OFLC Wage Search to filter Labor Condition Applications under SOC code 17-2071 for electrical engineers. This surfaces employers who've already certified wages for substation roles, so you're targeting companies with active sponsorship history rather than guessing.
Target utilities and EPC contractors specifically
Use Migrate Mate to filter for substation engineering roles at employers with verified H-1B LCA filing history. Utilities operating transmission infrastructure and engineering-procurement-construction firms handling grid projects file the most petitions in this occupation.
Document project-level technical experience early
Before accepting an offer, compile project records showing substation voltage levels, protection relay work, or commissioning scope. Your employer's H-1B petition must establish specialty occupation, and specific technical evidence reduces the risk of a Request for Evidence from USCIS.
Confirm the employer's E-Verify enrollment before accepting
H-1B employers must complete Form I-9 employment verification. If you're transitioning from OPT or another status, ask the HR team directly whether the company is enrolled in E-Verify and who handles I-129 petition filings internally or through outside counsel.
Understand the cap-exempt employer pathway
Some substation engineering roles at universities, nonprofit research institutions, or government entities are cap-exempt, meaning your petition bypasses the annual H-1B lottery. If you're not selected in a cap-subject year, cap-exempt employers offer a direct path to status without waiting for the next registration cycle.
H-1B Visa Substation Electrical Engineer: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Substation Electrical Engineer role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. Substation electrical engineering meets the H-1B specialty occupation standard because the work requires at least a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or electrical power systems. USCIS expects a direct relationship between your degree field and the job duties. If your role involves protection relay design, substation automation, or high-voltage commissioning, the specialty occupation argument is straightforward for most petitions.
Which employers sponsor H-1B visas for substation engineers?
Utilities with transmission and distribution operations, EPC contractors managing grid infrastructure projects, and engineering consulting firms are the primary sponsors for this role. You can search Migrate Mate to browse substation engineering positions at employers with documented H-1B LCA filing history, which filters out companies unlikely to sponsor before you invest time in the application process.
How does the H-1B prevailing wage requirement affect substation engineering offers?
Your employer must pay at least the DOL prevailing wage for your SOC code and work location before USCIS approves the petition. The wage is set at the higher of the actual wage paid to similar employees or the prevailing wage from the OFLC Wage Search database. For substation engineers in high-cost utility markets, Level III and Level IV wages apply to engineers with specialized protection or substation automation experience.
Can I transfer my H-1B to a new substation engineering employer mid-project?
Yes. Under H-1B portability rules, you can start working for a new employer as soon as the new I-129 petition is filed, as long as your current H-1B is valid and you've maintained lawful status. Your new employer files the transfer petition with USCIS, and you don't need to wait for approval to begin the new role. Keep copies of both your receipt notice and your current approval.
Does project-site travel affect my H-1B status as a substation engineer?
It can. H-1B workers must be performing work covered by the certified LCA at each job site. If your role requires extended on-site commissioning work at a substation in a different metropolitan area, your employer may need to file an amended petition or post a new LCA for that location. Short-term assignments under 60 days in a rolling year have more flexibility under DOL rules, but longer deployments require documentation.