Substation Physical Designer

Department: Power
Location: Des Moines, IA
Compensation: $75,000 - $100,000 / year

Description

Founded in 1973, ISG is a multi-disciplinary, employee-owned firm providing architecture, engineering, environmental, and planning services to communities across the nation. Guided by our mission: simplify solutions and passionately design the future; we partner with clients to turn complex challenges into meaningful, lasting impact.

We are seeking an experienced Substation Physical Designer with expertise in Autodesk Inventor, SDS (Substation Design Suite), Autodesk Vault, and 3D substation design to support the development of transmission and distribution substation projects. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in substation physical layout design, electromechanical equipment integration, detailed fabrication drawings, GD&T application, and intelligent 3D model development.

This position will work in collaboration with Engineers and multidisciplinary design teams to develop high-quality design packages, create intelligent 3D models, and produce construction drawings while ensuring compliance with client standards, utility requirements, and industry best practices.

ISG employee owners are motivated by a shared goal to stretch the limits of great design and positively influence each other, our clients, and the communities we serve. Within our Energy Business Unit, ISG’s Power Group play a vital role in delivering resilient infrastructure solutions, supporting projects and clients nationwide and local to Cleveland, OH.

We’ve listed a compensation range that reflects our expectations for this role, including both direct and indirect components. We understand that your experience and value may fall outside of this range. If you feel you're a strong fit but your compensation needs differ, we’re open to a conversation—let’s talk.

Essential Duties

Partner with engineers and multidisciplinary teams to develop intelligent 3D substation models that support safe, reliable, and constructible designs.
Create physical design deliverables including equipment layouts, bus plans and sections, elevations, grounding plans, foundation plans, conduit layouts, structural steel arrangements, and drawing packages.
Develop and maintain 3D models using Autodesk Inventor, SDS, and Autodesk Vault.
Coordinate electromechanical equipment integration, support structures, bus arrangements, and interfaces across electrical and structural disciplines.
Generate construction, fabrication, and shop drawings while applying GD&T principles, fabrication standards, and quality requirements.
Perform equipment placement studies, clearance verification, clash detection, and constructability reviews to ensure design accuracy and efficiency.
Support conductor routing, material takeoffs, bill of materials development, and equipment assembly modeling.
Collaborate on design reviews, loading evaluations, and compliance reviews related to utility standards, client requirements, and industry best practices.
Review vendor information and integrate equipment data into project designs and models.
Support the development of bid, construction, and as-built drawing packages while maintaining project data and design revisions within Autodesk Vault.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

5+ years of experience in Autodesk Inventor and electromechanical design.
Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Drafting Technology, or a related field.
Experience supporting utility clients and transmission/distribution substation projects.
Proficiency with Autodesk Inventor, SDS (Substation Design Suite), Autodesk Vault, and AutoCAD.
Experience creating intelligent 3D models and generating construction drawings from those models.
Strong understanding of transmission and distribution substation design principles.
Familiarity with IEEE standards, NESC requirements, utility design standards, ASCE 7 loading criteria, and structural steel detailing practices.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to design quality.
Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
Excellent communication, coordination, and problem-solving skills.
A desire to mentor others, share knowledge, and contribute to team success.
Commitment to delivering accurate, efficient, and constructible designs.

ISG Employee Owner Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision
Paid time off, pro-rated amount available on your start date
Paid holidays and paid volunteer time
Paid parental leave
Bi-annual profit sharing
Employee Ownership Stock Plan (ESOP)
401K retirement plan
Life insurance
HSA and FSA options
Bereavement leave
Supplemental voluntary benefits
Short term and long-term disability
Parking reimbursement, varies on office location
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