Substation Engineer III

This job is eligible for relocation assistance to Colorado Springs.

As the Colorado Springs community continues growing, so does our electric system, and our Substation Engineering team contributes to the protection of our system's reliability. Our team ensures our substation equipment and controls meet the needs of our transmission and distribution systems and infrastructure today and for the future. Our team is hiring a Substation Engineer III to support the planning, maintenance, and operation of substation equipment and systems. This role will also contribute to technical evaluations, maintenance planning, and regulatory support while continuing to develop expertise in substation systems and standards. The work that you do will ensure the ongoing safe and reliable delivery of electricity to over 500,000 customers in the Pikes Peak region!

Check out this video to learn more about our team!

What Else Will You be Doing?

• Assisting with substation maintenance and evaluating substation equipment including power transformers, switchgears, mobile substations, batteries, circuit breakers, disconnect switches, capacitor banks, and reactors
  • Investigating and troubleshooting abnormal test results across substation apparatus mentioned
  • Performing and analyzing diagnostic and routine maintenance on transformers including oil sampling, dissolved gas analysis (DGA), and power factor testing
  • Maintenance and testing of switchgears, including metal-clad and metal-enclosed types
  • Conducting maintenance and diagnostics on circuit breakers, including SF6 breakers, using tools such as T-Doble software for timing and motion analysis
  • Helping to prioritize maintenance tasks based on equipment condition and operational needs
• Supporting the development and upkeep of equipment operating manuals
• Maintaining and developing standard operating procedures (SOP)
• Participating in forecasting and planning for equipment replacements
• Analyzing test results and recommending maintenance actions
• Helping prioritize maintenance tasks based on equipment condition and operational needs
• Assisting with maintaining standards for substation spare parts and materials
• Helping ensure necessary materials and equipment are available and integrated into the system
• Supporting compliance with NERC PRC-005 standards related to substation assets, including DC systems and battery banks (e.g., VRLA, flooded lead-acid) - this includes reviewing test results and providing technical guidance, and ensuring documentation and testing procedures meet regulatory requirements
• Providing technical support for field personnel, particularly during outages, failure events, or capital upgrade projects
• Applying engineering judgment to resolve complex maintenance issues and documenting lessons learned to improve future reliability
• Collaborating with internal departments and external vendors/OEMs to coordinate maintenance activities, resolve technical issues, and ensure alignment with operational and engineering standards

Who You Are

• A Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering is required - an emphasis in Power Systems is valued
• Demonstrated experience in substation maintenance engineering is required - substation design engineering experience is valued
• Possession of an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification and/or a Professional Engineer (PE) license is valued
• Knowledge of regulations unique to substations is valued (e.g., EPA, Wildlife Protection)
• Possession of a valid, unrestricted driver's license is required - the essential functions of this job require operating Colorado Springs Utilities' vehicles
• Ability to communicate effectively (verbal and written) and collaborate, as well as prioritize and adapt to changing operational needs

Who We Are

• One of the largest four-service public utilities in the nation (over 500,000 customers)
• A national leader in reliability (power on an average of 99.991% of the time)
• Diamond Designation recipient from the American Public Power Association – a utility sector leader in reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvements

Our Commitment to Our Employees 

Our people are the heart and soul of Colorado Springs Utilities.  They keep the lights on, gas flowing, water coming in, and wastewater leaving.  We do not just say people are important – we prove it!  That’s why we are honored to invest in protecting the health and financial security of our employees and their families through our rich benefits program.

• Time Off – Because everybody needs time off to recharge
  • Vacation – New employees accrue 13 days of paid time off to start, while our more tenured employees accrue 24 days per year
  • Personal Leave –3 days per year of personal leave
  • Paid Holidays –12 paid holidays per year
  • Sick Leave – Accrue 12 days of sick leave annually for those days when you or a family member is feeling under the weather
  • Vacation Buy – Purchase up to 40 hours of additional vacation time
• Pension Plan – Looking forward to a comfortable lifestyle once you’re done working? The Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA) provides you with retirement benefits and peace of mind when you retire 
• Medical – Select from three comprehensive medical plans, starting at $0 per month.  Employees also enjoy access to a Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA). (effective the 1st of the month following your start date)
• Wellness Program – Voluntary wellness program that allows you and your spouse to each earn up to $500 to use towards healthcare expenses, $100 in Visa gift cards, and up to $400 in gym membership reimbursements
• Dental – Select from two dental plans, with in-network PPO preventive care covered at 100% and access to orthodontia coverage (effective the 1st of the month following your start date)
• Vision – Voluntary plan that covers full vision care services and discounts on LASIK eye surgery (effective the 1st of the month following your start date)
• Retirement Saving Programs – Supplement your pension plan with voluntary retirement programs such as the PERAPlus 401(k) and MissionSquare’s Roth IRA and 457 plans
• Disability Coverage – Short-Term (STD) and Long-Term Disability (LTD) insurance available for purchase (effective the 1st of the month following your start date)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Makes the going a little easier by aiding with mental health, stress management, work-life balance, financial and legal matters, and much more
• Long-Term Care Insurance (LTC) – Whether it's due to an accident or a serious illness, LTC insurance is available for purchase to help you and your loved ones (effective the 1st of the month following your start date)
• Life Insurance – Company-paid life insurance and supplemental coverage available (effective the 1st of the month following your start date)
• Tuition Reimbursement – Employees are eligible to receive up to $5,250 annually for Tuition Reimbursement
• Qualifying Public Service Employer – Payments made towards student loans may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program