Principal Engineer Jobs in Houston, TX
Principal Engineer jobs in Houston, Texas are actively hiring across the Energy Corridor, Downtown, and the Greenway Plaza corridor, with strong demand in energy, petrochemicals, aerospace, and technology infrastructure. Employers posting right now include Axiom Space, KBR, and Kent. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Are you ready to be part of a company that's not just talking about the future, but actively shaping it? Join The AES Corporation, the largest US-based global power company with a team of 8,300 employees across 12 countries.
AES has been ranked #1 by BloombergNEF in renewable energy sales to corporations in the US and Americas for five consecutive years, providing electricity for millions of people worldwide.
We are proud to foster a strong workplace culture, earning prominent positions in Great Place to Work™ rankings across the markets where we operate. AES was also named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the 13th consecutive year in 2026, highlighting our dedication to integrity, transparency, and responsible business practices.
Our spirit of innovation continues to earn industry recognition. AES is the only seven-time winner of the Edison Electric Institute’s Edison Awards in the twenty-first century, a distinction honoring global leadership in advancing the electric power industry.
If you're ready to be part of a company that's not just adapting to change, but driving it, AES is the place for you. We're not just building a more sustainable future, we're powering it. Apply now and energize your career with a true leader in global energy.
AES US Renewables & Power is seeking a Substation / P&C Engineer to support substations, switchyards, generator interconnections, protection and control systems, and high-voltage commissioning for gas generation projects. The successful candidate will work across a matrixed organization and with external partners to deliver safe, reliable, on-schedule, cost-effective gas projects while maintaining clear accountability for the requirements implied by the role.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop, review, and support engineering for substation physical design, protection and control, metering, SCADA, grounding, auxiliary systems, relay settings, testing, commissioning, energization, and turnover.
- Prepare and review design criteria, calculations, drawings, specifications, data sheets, technical reports, NERC compliance, cost estimates, schedules, and scopes of work.
- Coordinate interfaces with civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, controls, permitting, NERC compliance environmental, operations, construction, and commissioning disciplines.
- Review EPC, consultant, OEM, and vendor work products for compliance with project requirements, codes, standards, contracts, and expected deliverables.
- Perform technical studies, equipment selection, design optimization, constructability, and value-engineering evaluations.
- Support procurement through technical bid evaluations, vendor-document review, inspections, factory testing, and issue resolution.
- Provide field engineering support and review installation for conformance with approved documents, quality requirements, and safe work practices.
- Investigate design, fabrication, construction, software, and commissioning issues and develop practical technical resolutions.
- Support project schedule, budget, risk, interface, and management-of-change activities.
- Support mechanical completion, testing, energization, commissioning, startup, performance verification, and turnover.
- Maintain technical baselines, redlines, approved changes, test records, and as-built documentation.
- Prepare training and operating information and transfer knowledge to project and plant personnel.
- Capture lessons learned and improve standards, templates, and reference designs.
- Travel to engineering offices, vendor facilities, and project sites (TX) as required.
Skills and Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
- 10 or more years of substation, switchyard, transmission, high-voltage construction, or protection and control engineering experience.
- Knowledge of protective relaying, SCADA, metering, power-system studies, and substation commissioning.
- Familiarity with ERCOT generator and large load interconnection requirements.
- Familiarity with Substation equipment specifically including Live Tank Circuit Breakers and Current Limiting reactors.
- Familiarity integrating multiple generation technologies including BESS, CCGT, RICE and Fuel Cell.
- Familiarity with microgrid design and operation.
- Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and resolve complex technical, commercial, or execution issues.
- Strong written, verbal, analytical, organizational, and stakeholder-management skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and relevant role-specific project systems.
- Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, integrity, and continuous improvement.
- Professional licensure or certification applicable to the discipline is preferred.
- Ability to travel to project, supplier, partner, or operating locations as required.
AES is an Equal Opportunity Employer who is committed to building strength and delivering long-term sustainability through diversity and inclusion. Respecting all backgrounds, differences and perspectives enables us to improve the lives of our people, customers, suppliers, contractors, and the communities in which we live and work. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and/or expression, race, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, marital status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law. E-Verify Notice: AES will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee's I-9 to confirm work authorization.
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Find Principal Engineer JobsPrincipal Engineer Job Market in Houston
Who's Hiring
- Axiom Space36

- KBR18

- Kent18

- Worley18

- Eli Lilly18

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
Principal Engineer Jobs in Houston: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a principal engineer job in Houston?
Focus your search on Houston's dominant sectors: oil and gas, petrochemical engineering, aerospace, and enterprise technology. The Energy Corridor, Westchase, and Greenspoint districts concentrate the heaviest hiring. Candidates who stand out typically bring deep domain expertise in one of these sectors, experience leading cross-functional technical programs, and familiarity with large-scale industrial or infrastructure projects specific to the Gulf Coast operating environment.
Which companies hire principal engineers in Houston?
Houston principal engineer roles are posted by Axiom Space, KBR, and Kent and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Houston's hiring mix reflects its industrial base, so expect a blend of major energy operators, EPC firms, defense contractors, and technology companies serving the broader Gulf Coast region.
Are there remote principal engineer jobs in Houston?
Yes, though availability depends heavily on the discipline. About 90% of principal engineer openings tied to Houston are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with most flexibility concentrated in software, data, and systems architecture roles. Principal engineers in process, mechanical, or facilities engineering typically work on-site given the hands-on requirements of Houston's industrial and energy projects.
How can I get a principal engineer job in Houston with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Houston is through a senior engineer role at a mid-size EPC firm or an energy operator's engineering development program, then building toward principal-level scope over time. Houston employers such as large refining companies and aerospace contractors run structured advancement tracks that value Gulf Coast project experience. Gaining exposure to capital project delivery, rotating equipment, or process safety gives candidates a concrete edge in this market.
Which industries hire the most principal engineers in Houston?
Houston principal engineer roles concentrate in Technology & Software, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Houston's position as the global capital of energy and a major hub for aerospace and petrochemical manufacturing drives consistent demand across these sectors well beyond what most U.S. cities see.
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