Energy STEM OPT Jobs in Washington
F-1 STEM OPT energy jobs in Washington draw candidates to utilities like Puget Sound Energy and Seattle City Light, clean-tech firms in Seattle and Bellevue, and federal energy contractors near Richland supporting the Hanford site. Washington's hydroelectric grid, offshore wind pipeline, and growing hydrogen sector create consistent demand for engineers, analysts, and scientists who qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extensions.
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About us:
QISG leverages Quanta’s comprehensive resources to deliver collaborative solutions for our partners' energy infrastructure needs. We use in-house talent, expertise and resources to plan, design, engineer, manage, conduct maintenance on and construct projects.
Our turnkey service capabilities provide our customers with efficiency, consistency, attention to detail and safe execution. The QISG team brings together Engineering, Safety, Quality, Material Procurement, QA/QC, Right-of-Way Acquisition, Scheduling, Environmental Planning, Permitting, Title and Land Management expertise that ensure outstanding results for our clients.
ABOUT THIS ROLE:
Every moment of every day, people all over the world rely on electricity provided by Quanta Services and its customers. With its highly skilled and innovative workforce, Quanta is the largest specialty contractor in North America that powers modern life. Find your future with us by being a part of something bigger – leading the energy transition in building a better world for generations to come.
We encourage and inspire our people to embrace opportunities within our corporate office and 200 operating companies providing solutions for the utility, renewable energy, electric power, industrial, and communications industries worldwide.
Quanta’s culture is about creating an environment where all employees can be themselves, are valued, and have an equal opportunity to succeed. When you join our team, you join a dynamic culture in which career development is encouraged, excellence is rewarded, and diversity is valued.
WHAT YOU'LL DO:
The Design Engineer - Substation will perform substation design assignments including physical layout and protection & control systems while ensuring compliance with safety and construction standards. This role involves designing substation components, selecting materials, preparing design documents, and collaborating with engineers and field personnel to ensure project accuracy and efficiency. This position will report to a Supervising Engineer and be part of a substation design team with other engineers, designers, and drafters supporting substation projects across the QISG platform. There are four bands to this title; an employee moves up in band as they gain experience and demonstrate mastery of new skills.
- Design physical substation components, including yard layouts, grounding, lightning protection, control building arrangements, raceways, and auxiliary AC/DC power systems.
- Develop protection and control schematics, wiring diagrams, cable lists and panel layouts.
- Develop design drawings, calculations, and bills of material from engineering documents for planning, construction, operation, and maintenance.
- Conduct engineering calculations, including voltage drop, cable pulling, flicker analysis, and grounding analysis.
- Ensure project team applies engineering standards including NEC, NESC, NEMA, IEEE and ANSI.
- Perform quality reviews to check for inaccuracies, omissions, or compliance issues, and provide recommendations.
- Work collaboratively with engineers and project teams to develop solutions and modifications as needed.
- Maintain detailed project documentation and support engineering calculations.
- Bring potential project-related problems and possible solutions to the attention of the stakeholders.
- Travel out of town for short periods of time as required by projects and assignments.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
WHAT YOU'LL BRING:
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, or civil engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
- Passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is highly desirable; this is required for the Design Engineer 4 band.
- Curiosity for and willingness to learn about the major components of a substation is required. Basic knowledge of these components is a plus. Previous design or construction experience is highly desirable.
- No experience required in the electric utility industry for entry level positions. More experience performing detailed design for high voltage substation projects could result in a higher-level position.
- Word processing, spreadsheet, and e-mail software.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Working in a team environment.
- Communicating effectively with co-workers.
- Able to deal with ambiguity and ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks and determine priorities in a complex environment.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: Role will require travel as necessary to achieve job responsibilities, up to 10-25% of the time.
WHAT YOU'LL GET:
- Competitive salary – overtime is available.
- Comprehensive health and retirement benefits.
- Professional development opportunities.
COMPENSATION RANGE: The anticipated compensation for this position is - depending on experience and qualifications.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity), age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and/or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.
We prohibit all types of discrimination and are committed to providing access and equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities. For additional information or if reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application, interview, or hiring processes or to perform the essential functions of a position, please contact us the Company’s Human Resources department.
STEM OPT Energy Job Roles in Washington
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Search Energy Jobs in WashingtonEnergy STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Washington: Frequently Asked Questions
Which energy companies in Washington sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas?
Washington utilities and energy firms with documented STEM OPT hiring include Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light, Avista Corporation, and Pacific Power. Federal contractors operating near the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Richland, such as BWXT and Amentum, also regularly file for STEM OPT workers. Clean-energy developers active in the state's offshore wind and solar sectors have similarly expanded sponsorship activity in recent years.
Which cities in Washington have the most energy F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Seattle and Bellevue concentrate the largest share of clean-energy startups, grid-technology firms, and corporate sustainability teams, making the Puget Sound corridor the primary hiring hub. Richland and the Tri-Cities area in eastern Washington support a dense cluster of nuclear-energy and Department of Energy contractor roles. Spokane is a secondary market, anchored by Avista's operations and regional utility infrastructure projects.
How do I find energy F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in Washington?
Migrate Mate lets you filter job listings specifically by visa type and industry, so you can search for energy roles in Washington that have verified F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship history. Because STEM OPT requires the employer to be enrolled in E-Verify and the role to fall under a qualifying STEM-designated CIP code, filtering by confirmed sponsorship activity on Migrate Mate narrows results to employers already set up to hire STEM OPT candidates.
What types of energy roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in Washington?
Roles that qualify must appear on the STEM-designated CIP code list and involve a degree in a STEM field. In Washington's energy sector, qualifying positions commonly include electrical engineer, power systems analyst, environmental engineer, nuclear engineer, data scientist for grid operations, and software engineer working on energy management systems. O*NET occupation profiles can help confirm whether a specific job title aligns with a STEM-designated degree field recognized by SEVP.
Are there Washington-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in the energy sector?
Washington's energy mix is dominated by hydroelectric power, which means many employer roles involve grid integration and water-resource engineering, disciplines that map cleanly onto STEM-eligible degrees. Employers on federal Department of Energy sites near Richland may require security clearances, which can affect eligibility timelines for some international candidates. Washington also has active state-level clean-energy hiring incentives that encourage utilities and developers to expand technical workforces, supporting broader STEM OPT sponsorship activity.