Substation Design Engineer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Substation design engineers are strong H-1B candidates. The role qualifies as a specialty occupation requiring an electrical engineering degree, and large utilities and EPC firms sponsor regularly. Competition for visas is lower than in software, and cap-exempt employers exist in this sector. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
With over 70 years of operating experience, Primoris Power Delivery services include engineering and design, installation and maintenance, material and equipment procurement, repair of electrical transmission, distribution, substation, wireless communication, and storm restoration. Our experience ranges from small engineering and consulting projects to multi-million dollar turn-key distribution, substation, and transmission line programs. We are currently looking for a Substation Design Engineer to join the Lewisville, TX team!
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Employees may perform any or all of the following:
- Create design documents and drawings: Work within a project team to develop all project deliverables, including wiring diagrams from schematics, bills of materials, and applying field mark-ups to as-built drawings with minimal supervision.
- Perform engineering support tasks: Conduct calculations such as relay burden, lighting, load flow, and short circuit with minimal supervision.
- Apply engineering software: Use tools for tasks like ground grid design, relay coordination, transformer sizing, load flow, and short circuit studies with minimal supervision.
- Review schedules: Monitor project timelines and collaborate with project engineers to keep projects on track.
- Apply standards: Adhere to NEC, NESC, NEMA, IEEE, and ANSI standards.
- Use document management: Properly utilize systems for project documentation.
- Apply corporate practices: Follow Primoris standard engineering procedures.
- Communicate and coordinate: Coordinate with project engineers, customer representatives, and others.
- Gain hands-on experience: Spend time at job sites for training in substation construction and design.
- Ensure quality: Take ownership of work accuracy and quality.
- Identify issues: Report potential problems and solutions to supervisors.
- Travel: Occasional short-term out-of-town travel for projects.
- Other duties: As assigned by management.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent) from an accredited university.
Required Experience
- Senior applicants must be a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) with ability to obtain licensure in multiple states or gain it within one year of hire.
Technical Skills & Knowledge
- Relays and Metering: Familiarity with electrical relays in the electric power utility industry; experience applying relays and metering in substations at 138kV and above.
- P&C Design Experience: Designing electrical schematics for relay applications and control systems; designing connection drawings and cabling.
- Physical Design Experience: Performing physical design for stations of varying voltage classes. Apply industry standards to produce and a safe and functional substation while value engineering for efficient and cost-effective construction.
- Studies: Interpret and apply the results of studies including grounding, lighting, lightning, short circuit, reactive power, TOV, harmonics and relay coordination. Ability to perform these studies is a plus.
- Fundamentals: Strong knowledge of AC/DC principles; three-phase power systems; per-unit mathematics and symmetrical components.
- Substation Knowledge: Understanding of substation components and functions; design documents and drawings needed for projects.
- Standards: Knowledge of NEC, NESC, NEMA, IEEE, and ANSI.
- Software: Proficiency in common word processing, spreadsheets, and email tools.
Soft Skills
- Effective communication with co-workers, vendors, and clients.
- Ability to work in a team environment.
Will be located in Lewisville on a Hybrid Schedule
EEO Statement:
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Third Party Agency Notice:
Primoris will not accept any unsolicited resumes from any third-party recruiting agencies either domestic or international. Primoris nor its subsidiaries will be responsible for any fees from the use of any unsolicited resumes either through our ATS or via electronic mail systems from any agency representative or agency consultant unless your firm is an approved vendor partner with a current executed agreement.
INTRODUCTION
With over 70 years of operating experience, Primoris Power Delivery services include engineering and design, installation and maintenance, material and equipment procurement, repair of electrical transmission, distribution, substation, wireless communication, and storm restoration. Our experience ranges from small engineering and consulting projects to multi-million dollar turn-key distribution, substation, and transmission line programs. We are currently looking for a Substation Design Engineer to join the Lewisville, TX team!
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Employees may perform any or all of the following:
- Create design documents and drawings: Work within a project team to develop all project deliverables, including wiring diagrams from schematics, bills of materials, and applying field mark-ups to as-built drawings with minimal supervision.
- Perform engineering support tasks: Conduct calculations such as relay burden, lighting, load flow, and short circuit with minimal supervision.
- Apply engineering software: Use tools for tasks like ground grid design, relay coordination, transformer sizing, load flow, and short circuit studies with minimal supervision.
- Review schedules: Monitor project timelines and collaborate with project engineers to keep projects on track.
- Apply standards: Adhere to NEC, NESC, NEMA, IEEE, and ANSI standards.
- Use document management: Properly utilize systems for project documentation.
- Apply corporate practices: Follow Primoris standard engineering procedures.
- Communicate and coordinate: Coordinate with project engineers, customer representatives, and others.
- Gain hands-on experience: Spend time at job sites for training in substation construction and design.
- Ensure quality: Take ownership of work accuracy and quality.
- Identify issues: Report potential problems and solutions to supervisors.
- Travel: Occasional short-term out-of-town travel for projects.
- Other duties: As assigned by management.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent) from an accredited university.
Required Experience
- Senior applicants must be a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) with ability to obtain licensure in multiple states or gain it within one year of hire.
Technical Skills & Knowledge
- Relays and Metering: Familiarity with electrical relays in the electric power utility industry; experience applying relays and metering in substations at 138kV and above.
- P&C Design Experience: Designing electrical schematics for relay applications and control systems; designing connection drawings and cabling.
- Physical Design Experience: Performing physical design for stations of varying voltage classes. Apply industry standards to produce and a safe and functional substation while value engineering for efficient and cost-effective construction.
- Studies: Interpret and apply the results of studies including grounding, lighting, lightning, short circuit, reactive power, TOV, harmonics and relay coordination. Ability to perform these studies is a plus.
- Fundamentals: Strong knowledge of AC/DC principles; three-phase power systems; per-unit mathematics and symmetrical components.
- Substation Knowledge: Understanding of substation components and functions; design documents and drawings needed for projects.
- Standards: Knowledge of NEC, NESC, NEMA, IEEE, and ANSI.
- Software: Proficiency in common word processing, spreadsheets, and email tools.
Soft Skills
- Effective communication with co-workers, vendors, and clients.
- Ability to work in a team environment.
Will be located in Lewisville on a Hybrid Schedule
EEO Statement:
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Third Party Agency Notice:
Primoris will not accept any unsolicited resumes from any third-party recruiting agencies either domestic or international. Primoris nor its subsidiaries will be responsible for any fees from the use of any unsolicited resumes either through our ATS or via electronic mail systems from any agency representative or agency consultant unless your firm is an approved vendor partner with a current executed agreement.
How to Get Visa Sponsorship as a Substation Design Engineer
Target utilities and EPC firms first
Large electric utilities and engineering-procurement-construction firms file H-1B petitions for substation engineers consistently. These employers have established immigration programs and are more likely to sponsor than smaller specialty contractors or regional consultancies.
Lead with your PE license or progress toward it
A Professional Engineer license significantly strengthens your sponsorship case. It signals to employers that you meet state regulatory requirements for stamping drawings, which makes you harder to replace and easier to justify sponsoring to immigration counsel.
Emphasize design software proficiency in applications
Proficiency in ETAP, AutoCAD Electrical, or SEL relay configuration tools directly supports the specialty occupation argument for H-1B approval. Employers and USCIS both look for technical specificity that distinguishes this role from general engineering positions.
Understand that degree field alignment matters for H-1B
Your degree must be in electrical engineering or a closely related field. A general engineering or physics degree may require additional documentation showing relevance to substation design work. Confirm this alignment with your employer's immigration attorney before filing.
Ask about cap-exempt sponsorship options
Some substation design roles exist at universities, national laboratories, and nonprofit research institutions that are exempt from the H-1B annual cap. These positions allow year-round filing without lottery risk, which is a meaningful advantage worth exploring.
Flag grid modernization projects during interviews
Employers investing in transmission upgrades, renewable interconnection, or NERC compliance projects have strong business justification to sponsor engineers. Connecting your expertise to active infrastructure priorities makes the sponsorship conversation easier and more defensible.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Does substation design engineer qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes. Substation design engineering consistently qualifies as a specialty occupation because it requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a directly related field. USCIS has approved H-1B petitions for this role across utilities, EPC firms, and consulting engineers. The technical nature of protection and control design, relay coordination, and power systems analysis supports the specialty occupation argument clearly.
Which employers sponsor H-1B visas for substation design engineers?
Large investor-owned utilities such as Duke Energy, Xcel Energy, and Dominion Energy file H-1B petitions for substation engineers, as do major EPC firms including Burns & McDonnell, POWER Engineers, and Sargent & Lundy. You can browse verified sponsoring employers in this field on Migrate Mate, which filters job listings by visa sponsorship availability.
How does not having a U.S. PE license affect my sponsorship chances?
Not having a PE license does not disqualify you from H-1B sponsorship, but it can narrow your options. Some employers require a PE or EIT registration for roles involving stamped drawings under state law. Foreign engineering licenses are generally not recognized in the U.S., so pursuing your FE exam early demonstrates commitment and strengthens your candidacy with prospective sponsors.
What visa options exist beyond H-1B for this role?
Australian citizens can pursue the E-3 visa, which has no lottery and allows year-round applications. Canadian and Mexican nationals may qualify under TN status if their degree is in electrical engineering. O-1A is available for engineers with documented extraordinary ability. Applicants with a job offer from a cap-exempt institution can file H-1B petitions outside the annual lottery entirely.
How long does H-1B approval typically take for a substation engineer position?
Standard H-1B processing runs three to six months from filing. Premium processing, which guarantees a decision within 15 business days, is available for an additional fee and is commonly used by employers with urgent project timelines. Cap-subject petitions can only be filed after October 1 each year following a successful April lottery selection, so timelines depend heavily on where you are in that cycle.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Substation Design Engineer jobs?
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.
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