Job Description

Senior Electrical Engineer

At Salas O’Brien we tell our clients that we’re engineered for impact. This passion for making a difference applies just as much to our team as it does to our projects. That’s why we’re committed to living our values every day: inspiring, achieving, and connecting as shared owners of our success with a focus on a sustainable future.

Building for the long-term means that all of our team members can expect to work on amazing projects with a people-first approach to problem solving. It also means that each member of our team has truly limitless potential to build a unique, meaningful, and high-impact career—and they’ll receive great total rewards along the way.

We are seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer who can develop and lead power distribution, emergency power, and resiliency design for complex, secure, high-hazard federal facility programs. We are currently working on projects and have openings available to support the modernization of Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration facilities contributing to the mission of defending the United States and supporting the nation's nuclear security enterprise. If this type of patriotic work motivates you, please fill out an application and send in a resume.

Job Summary:

The Senior Electrical Engineer works in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary team environment leading power distribution, emergency power, and electrical resiliency design for new facilities, additions, and renovation projects, with particular emphasis on secure and hazardous occupancy (e.g., ICD 705, IBC H-2) environments where electrical system reliability and continuity carry direct mission-critical and life-safety consequences. The position's responsibilities primarily focus on providing technical leadership for the creation of construction drawings and specifications, existing system studies, and facility master planning efforts, including base building power distribution as well as specialized systems such as emergency/standby power, UPS, electrical resilience and redundancy, and security-related electrical infrastructure compartmentalization.

Qualified candidates will meet with clients, project teams, code officials, contractors, and others to address electrical issues and develop effective working relationships across a program's full design lifecycle. The project clientele includes Federal Government (DOE/NNSA), Department of Defense, national laboratory-adjacent programs, Higher Education, Commercial, Health Care, Science and Technology, and other municipal and institutional facilities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Meet with clients to determine and document electrical power distribution, emergency power, and resiliency requirements.
• Develop electrical system designs based on project scope, client RFPs, and hazardous occupancy/security classification requirements.
• Provide engineering design, evaluation, and planning of electrical systems for a variety of building types, including base building power distribution, lighting, and specialty systems (emergency power, UPS, generator/ATS, electrical redundancy) for mission-critical and high-hazard process environments.
• Perform electrical load calculations, short-circuit/coordination studies, and system sizing using industry-standard software and tools.
• Conduct existing building surveys and documentation of existing electrical systems, including comparative analysis between an existing reference facility and a target facility.
• Develop system design calculations and equipment selection (switchgear, panelboards, transformers, generators, UPS) for use in buildings.
• Coordinate compartmentalization of electrical distribution systems and communications infrastructure in accordance with approved security criteria, where applicable.
• Write/edit project specifications.
• Prepare detailed design documents, reports, and studies.
• Complete code compliance research, including NEC and hazardous occupancy classification requirements.
• Coordinate work with other disciplines, including mechanical, structural, fire protection, process, communications, and security systems.
• Provide engineering services during construction (ESDC), including RFI response and field-condition validation for power distribution and emergency power systems.
• Provide construction administration services.
• Perform QA/QC of design work.
• Oversee and provide guidance to junior engineers.
• Lead project teams and serve as the primary contact for clients.
• Assist in the procurement of new work, including the development of client relations and participation in project interviews.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering.
• A Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• A minimum of 10 years of design experience.
• A minimum of 2 years of project management experience (preferred).
• Knowledge in the design of power distribution, emergency power, and electrical resiliency systems.
• Knowledge and understanding of applicable codes, standards, and design guidelines (NEC, NFPA 70/110), including hazardous occupancy classifications (e.g., IBC H-2) and security-related electrical compartmentalization requirements (e.g., ICD 705), or a demonstrated ability to rapidly develop this expertise.
• Experience with secure or federal government facility design is preferred.

Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent work ethic and attitude.
• Good communication skills, combined with organizational skills and the ability to plan, balance, and prioritize work.
• Ability to lead a team and work as part of a team.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, Revit, and MS Office.
• Ability to obtain and maintain any security clearance required by assigned programs.
• Ability to travel.

Location: Baltimore MD or Washington, DC

Type: Full-Time

Travel: 10%-20%

Compensation:

The expected base salary range for this role is $150,000-$170,000 per year. Actual compensation will be determined based on a number of factors including skills, experience, qualifications, and location.

This role is also eligible for performance-based bonuses and a comprehensive U.S. based benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and company holidays
• Wellness programs and employee assistance resources
• Professional development support

For more information, visit our full benefits overview here.

About Us:

Founded in 1975, Salas O’Brien is an employee-owned engineering and professional services firm focused on achieving impact for our clients, our team, and the world. We know that tomorrow’s requirements are today’s opportunities, and we are here to design lasting solutions for pressing challenges.

We work across a variety of industries providing integrated engineering and consulting services. Our specialized experience includes design for data centers, healthcare, science and technology, high-rise buildings, clean energy, education, and other building types as well as structural and building sciences, infrastructure asset management, advanced robotics, and more.

Our technical expertise is paired with an exceptional team of business development, human resources, finance and accounting, information technology, and marketing professionals, all of whom play a key role in bringing our commitments to life every day.

Third-Party Agency Notice

Salas O’Brien does not accept unsolicited resumes from external recruiters or agencies. We only work with approved partners engaged directly by our Talent Acquisition team for specific searches. Unsolicited submissions will not be eligible for placement fees.

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement

Salas O’Brien provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, or local laws. Salas O’Brien will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants as required by law.