Leads and develops an electrical engineering team while remaining hands-on with switchgear, switchboard, and power distribution design. Reviews drawing packages and BOMs, assigns project ownership, manages delivery commitments, provides technical direction, supports customer and Sales communication, and ensures compliance with electrical standards. The role also contributes to design standards, manages capacity and technical risks, and collaborates with Project Management, Production, Procurement, Quality, Sales, and Test teams.
Position Summary
As an Electrical Engineering Manager, you will lead a team of electrical engineers while staying hands-on with the design work. You will guide engineers through custom switchgear, switchboard, and power distribution projects from assignment through production, and you will review and approve drawing packages before release so the team’s work meets customer specifications and industry standards.
This working manager role suits an engineering leader who enjoys developing people and solving complex design problems. You will own your team’s delivery commitments, contribute to department-wide design standards, and work with partner teams across the organization to deliver high-quality power distribution equipment.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of electrical engineers, setting clear goals and expectations.
- Take part in hiring, performance management, and employee relations for your team.
- Assign an Engineer of Record to each incoming project and balance workload across the team.
- Review and approve drawing packages and bills of material (BOMs) before release, checking them against customer specifications and applicable standards.
- Provide technical direction on the design and validation of electrical systems for switchgear, switchboards, and related distribution equipment.
- Guide Engineers of Record through project delivery and serve as the senior technical escalation point.
- Carry a limited personal design load on select high-value or high-risk projects.
- Own the team’s drawing package release dates, keeping status, milestones, and risks current and communicated.
- Support customer and Sales communication, stepping in directly on high-profile projects.
- Ensure effective collaboration with Project Management, Production, Procurement, Quality Assurance, Sales, and Test.
- Contribute to department-wide design standards, tools, and templates, and drive their adoption within your team.
- Identify and reduce design and capacity risks that could delay project delivery.
- Ensure designs comply with NEC, UL 891, UL 1558, ANSI/IEEE, and NFPA requirements, and with CE and IEC requirements for export projects.
Required Qualifications
- 8+ years of design engineering experience with switchgear, switchboards, power distribution equipment, custom control systems, or similar.
- 2+ years of experience in a leadership, supervisory, or management role.
- Power engineering experience with LV and MV switchgear and switchboards (120V to 38kV), including circuit design and power distribution.
- Understanding of NRTL certifications and UL listings, including UL 891 and UL 1558.
- Familiarity with NEC, ANSI/IEEE, and NFPA, and with CE and IEC requirements for export equipment.
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, engineering drawings, and customer specifications.
- Proficiency in AutoCAD.
- Strong project management and organizational skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
- Experience designing custom control systems with automation elements such as PLCs.
Physical Requirements
- Work is performed in an office and power distribution manufacturing environment.
- Must comply with company safety policies.
Core Competencies
- People leadership: hiring, coaching, and developing engineering talent
- Balancing hands-on design work with team management
- Electrical design expertise in power distribution equipment
- Attention to detail in specifications, drawing packages, and BOMs
- Knowledge of manufacturing principles, supply chain, and quality control
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems and engineering document control
- Sound judgment on technical risk, compliance, and escalation
- Strong communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills
The base pay range for this role is $140,000 – $170,000 per year.
Similar Jobs
Utilities • Industrial • Manufacturing
Leads electrical engineering and virtual design teams supporting complex construction projects. Oversees preconstruction design, BIM coordination, electrical calculations, code compliance, constructability, value engineering, project delivery, staffing, quality, and client collaboration. Manages design standards, schedules, budgets, technical reviews, and coordination documents across design-build and related contracts.
Top Skills:
AutocadAutodesk Construction CloudBimBluebeamFormaMicrosoft Office SuiteNavisworksNecRevit
Information Technology • Professional Services • Database
Leads electrical engineering and design coordination for data center and mission-critical infrastructure projects, including new construction, retrofits, expansions, and system upgrades. Reviews electrical designs, calculations, studies, equipment submittals, and technical documentation; coordinates multidisciplinary teams; supports permitting, construction, commissioning, and closeout; manages quality, budgets, schedules, and client relationships; and mentors engineering staff.
Top Skills:
CommissioningGeneratorsGrounding SystemsIeee StandardsIntegrated Systems TestingLighting SystemsLiquid-Cooled Data CentersLow-Voltage Electrical DistributionMedium-Voltage Electrical DistributionNfpa 70Nfpa 70EPdusProtective RelayingSwitchgearTransformersUps Systems
Aerospace • Defense
Leads the electrical engineering software and tooling discipline, managing tool portfolios, licensing, infrastructure, compliance, and enterprise strategy. Partners with engineering programs to resolve workflow needs, optimizes software costs, supports secure environments, and integrates AI-driven automation. Manages and develops a technical team while overseeing software deployments, server configurations, and Authority to Operate compliance across classified and enterprise settings. Travel to domestic Raytheon locations is required up to 20%.
Top Skills:
Ai-Driven AutomationComputer-Aided Engineering (Cae) PlatformsFlexplmFloating License ServersPcb Design SoftwareRlmSchematic Capture SoftwareSimulation SoftwareSpecialized ServersWorkstation Infrastructure
What you need to know about the Chicago Tech Scene
With vibrant neighborhoods, great food and more affordable housing than either coast, Chicago might be the most liveable major tech hub. It is the birthplace of modern commodities and futures trading, a national hub for logistics and commerce, and home to the American Medical Association and the American Bar Association. This diverse blend of industry influences has helped Chicago emerge as a major player in verticals like fintech, biotechnology, legal tech, e-commerce and logistics technology. It’s also a major hiring center for tech companies on both coasts.
Key Facts About Chicago Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 245,800; 5.2% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: McDonald’s, John Deere, Boeing, Morningstar
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, software, logistics technology
- Funding Landscape: $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Arch Venture Partners, MATH Venture Partners, Jump Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
