Structural Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in North Carolina
North Carolina's structural engineering market spans major infrastructure projects, university campus expansions, and a growing construction sector across Charlotte, Raleigh, and the Research Triangle. Firms like Kimley-Horn, Terracon, and HNTB regularly hire structural engineers, and international candidates with the right qualifications can find visa sponsorship opportunities across both private consultancies and public agency contractors.
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Get Access To All JobsSubstation Structural Engineer
- (194681)
At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?
Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.
We believe electricity powers modern life. As part of our Power sector, you’ll help shape how electricity is generated, transmitted and delivered as global energy demands grow. From massive data centers to modernizing transmission systems, our industry-recognized engineers and scientists have been at the forefront of grid transformation for more than a century. You’ll work side-by-side with these experts and contribute to reliable, resilient and sustainable power systems, helping communities thrive and industries expand. This isn’t just a job, it’s a chance to drive infrastructure forward, power innovation and leave your mark on our energy future.
HDR is looking for a Substation Structural Engineer to join our Power Delivery Team. This position may be based out of our Charlotte, Raleigh, or Fort Mill (SC) office. At HDR, the Substation Structural Engineer is a key contributor within the Power Delivery team, providing engineering design and technical support for high-voltage substation projects. This role supports HDR’s mission to deliver safe, resilient, and high-quality infrastructure solutions for utility and energy clients. The engineer will work in a collaborative, multi-discipline environment and contribute to projects across their full lifecycle from conceptual design through construction and commissioning support.
Primary Responsibilities
- Lead, oversee, review, and/or execute structural engineering tasks for a variety of substation structural members such as rolled steel shapes, lattice steel framing, and folded plate tubular steel shapes. Engineering duties include detailed design, calculations, and detailing for fabrication or development of loading and concept drawings for submittal to a steel fabricator to design and fabricate.
- Lead, oversee, review, and/or execute foundation design tasks for substation structures, including drilled piers, spread footings, driven piles, and potentially other types, using industry standard software.
- Work with physical substation layout designs, plans, elevations/sections, details, and associated bills of materials.
- Prepare and/or review specifications for construction & materials.
- Coordinates and/or performs quality checks and reviews for project deliverables per the HDR Quality Management Systems (QMS) requirements, processes, and procedures to deliver a world class quality product to the client. Performs quality checks and/or reviews of projects from other teams on an as needed basis.
- Collaborate with transmission line civil/structural engineers to cross-train and share resources.
- Collaborate with other engineers to develop and maintain standards.
- Work independently and direct, mentor, train, and/or supervise one or more EIT's or CADD/Designers.
- Ability to support multiple projects concurrently, utilizing teams in different locations.
- May also assist with developing technical papers and/or presentations that showcase HDR's technical capabilities at industry conferences or other events.
- Participate in project reviews as needed.
- Some travel may be required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Technical design experience with physical/outdoor design of high voltage electrical switchyard and substation projects of varying complexity.
- Familiarity with the latest NESC, NEC, IEEE, ANSI, ASCE-113 and other industry standards.
- Experience using industry standard design software, including Risa 3D, RisaFoundation, L-Pile, MFAD, Mathcad Prime, AutoCAD or MicroStation.
- Minimum 5 years of technical design experience with high voltage electrical switchyard and substation projects, including foundation and steel structural design.
- Working knowledge of the latest AISC-360, ASCE-7, ACI-318, and other industry standards.
- Self-starter with strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong conceptual, organizational, problem solving, and collaboration skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team, local candidates are preferred.
- LI-SM1
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Civil or Structural Engineering.
- Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered. Example: Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license.
- Previous structural engineer experience.
- Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, RISA, Staad, SAP, Tedds, RAM, ETABS, SAFE or similar.
- Previous experience with an architectural/engineering or engineering consulting firm.
- An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must.
What We Believe
HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.
Our Commitment
As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.
Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.
We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement. The expected compensation range for this position depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full-time regular positions. Temporary and part-time roles eligible for limited benefits.) Roanoke, VA: $77,539.00 - $110,770.00
Primary Location:
United States-North Carolina-Charlotte
Other Locations:
United States-North Carolina-Raleigh, United States-Virginia-Roanoke, United States-South Carolina-Fort Mill
Industry:
Power
Schedule:
Full-time
Employee Status:
Regular
Business Class:
Substation Engineering
Job Posting:
Jul 22, 2026
Substation Structural Engineer
- (194681)
At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?
Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.
We believe electricity powers modern life. As part of our Power sector, you’ll help shape how electricity is generated, transmitted and delivered as global energy demands grow. From massive data centers to modernizing transmission systems, our industry-recognized engineers and scientists have been at the forefront of grid transformation for more than a century. You’ll work side-by-side with these experts and contribute to reliable, resilient and sustainable power systems, helping communities thrive and industries expand. This isn’t just a job, it’s a chance to drive infrastructure forward, power innovation and leave your mark on our energy future.
HDR is looking for a Substation Structural Engineer to join our Power Delivery Team. This position may be based out of our Charlotte, Raleigh, or Fort Mill (SC) office. At HDR, the Substation Structural Engineer is a key contributor within the Power Delivery team, providing engineering design and technical support for high-voltage substation projects. This role supports HDR’s mission to deliver safe, resilient, and high-quality infrastructure solutions for utility and energy clients. The engineer will work in a collaborative, multi-discipline environment and contribute to projects across their full lifecycle from conceptual design through construction and commissioning support.
Primary Responsibilities
- Lead, oversee, review, and/or execute structural engineering tasks for a variety of substation structural members such as rolled steel shapes, lattice steel framing, and folded plate tubular steel shapes. Engineering duties include detailed design, calculations, and detailing for fabrication or development of loading and concept drawings for submittal to a steel fabricator to design and fabricate.
- Lead, oversee, review, and/or execute foundation design tasks for substation structures, including drilled piers, spread footings, driven piles, and potentially other types, using industry standard software.
- Work with physical substation layout designs, plans, elevations/sections, details, and associated bills of materials.
- Prepare and/or review specifications for construction & materials.
- Coordinates and/or performs quality checks and reviews for project deliverables per the HDR Quality Management Systems (QMS) requirements, processes, and procedures to deliver a world class quality product to the client. Performs quality checks and/or reviews of projects from other teams on an as needed basis.
- Collaborate with transmission line civil/structural engineers to cross-train and share resources.
- Collaborate with other engineers to develop and maintain standards.
- Work independently and direct, mentor, train, and/or supervise one or more EIT's or CADD/Designers.
- Ability to support multiple projects concurrently, utilizing teams in different locations.
- May also assist with developing technical papers and/or presentations that showcase HDR's technical capabilities at industry conferences or other events.
- Participate in project reviews as needed.
- Some travel may be required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Technical design experience with physical/outdoor design of high voltage electrical switchyard and substation projects of varying complexity.
- Familiarity with the latest NESC, NEC, IEEE, ANSI, ASCE-113 and other industry standards.
- Experience using industry standard design software, including Risa 3D, RisaFoundation, L-Pile, MFAD, Mathcad Prime, AutoCAD or MicroStation.
- Minimum 5 years of technical design experience with high voltage electrical switchyard and substation projects, including foundation and steel structural design.
- Working knowledge of the latest AISC-360, ASCE-7, ACI-318, and other industry standards.
- Self-starter with strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong conceptual, organizational, problem solving, and collaboration skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team, local candidates are preferred.
- LI-SM1
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Civil or Structural Engineering.
- Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered. Example: Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license.
- Previous structural engineer experience.
- Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, RISA, Staad, SAP, Tedds, RAM, ETABS, SAFE or similar.
- Previous experience with an architectural/engineering or engineering consulting firm.
- An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must.
What We Believe
HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.
Our Commitment
As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.
Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.
We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement. The expected compensation range for this position depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full-time regular positions. Temporary and part-time roles eligible for limited benefits.) Roanoke, VA: $77,539.00 - $110,770.00
Primary Location:
United States-North Carolina-Charlotte
Other Locations:
United States-North Carolina-Raleigh, United States-Virginia-Roanoke, United States-South Carolina-Fort Mill
Industry:
Power
Schedule:
Full-time
Employee Status:
Regular
Business Class:
Substation Engineering
Job Posting:
Jul 22, 2026
Structural Engineer Job Roles in North Carolina
See all 213+ Structural Engineer Jobs in North Carolina
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Search Structural Engineer Jobs in North CarolinaStructural Engineer Jobs in North Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for structural engineers in North Carolina?
Engineering consultancies with a strong North Carolina presence, including Kimley-Horn (headquartered in Raleigh), HNTB, Terracon, and Skanska, have filed H-1B visa Labor Condition Applications for structural engineering roles. Larger firms with multiple NC offices tend to have established immigration processes, while smaller boutique structural firms may sponsor selectively. Checking Department of Labor LCA disclosure data gives a verifiable starting point for identifying active sponsors.
Which visa types are most common for structural engineer roles in North Carolina?
The H-1B is the most common visa category for structural engineers in North Carolina, as the role generally qualifies as a specialty occupation requiring at minimum a bachelor's degree in civil or structural engineering. Canadian and Mexican nationals may pursue TN visa status under the engineer category. Candidates with extraordinary achievement in the field may explore the O-1A, though that standard is considerably more demanding to meet.
Which cities in North Carolina have the most structural engineer sponsorship jobs?
Charlotte and Raleigh account for the largest share of structural engineering activity in the state. Charlotte's ongoing commercial construction boom and major infrastructure projects drive consistent demand, while Raleigh and the Research Triangle attract engineering talent tied to university expansions, transit development, and tech campus construction. Durham and Greensboro also see steady demand, particularly on public infrastructure and institutional projects.
How to find structural engineer visa sponsorship jobs in North Carolina?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically by visa sponsorship availability, making it easier to identify structural engineer roles in North Carolina where employers are open to sponsoring international candidates. Rather than sorting through unfiltered postings, you can search directly for structural engineer positions in NC and see which employers have a documented history of sponsoring. This saves time and focuses your applications on employers most likely to support a visa petition.
Are there state-specific factors that affect visa sponsorship for structural engineers in North Carolina?
North Carolina's engineering workforce draws from NC State University's strong civil and structural engineering programs, creating a pipeline of both domestic and international graduates who may seek OPT and then H-1B sponsorship. Employers on large state-funded infrastructure contracts occasionally face additional compliance considerations. Licensed Professional Engineer credentials in NC are handled separately from immigration status, so candidates should factor PE licensure timelines into their career planning alongside any visa pathway.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored structural engineer jobs in North Carolina?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.