The Principal Electrical Engineer manages projects, budgets, and schedules, mentors staff, supervises engineering packages, and maintains client relationships, focusing on medium and high-voltage electrical design and analysis.
Responsibilities
- Principal Engineer is responsible for managing projects budgets and scheduling of department hours
- Strong technical skills and an ability to mentor and assist staff in all aspects of electrical design, including I&C specifications and selection
- Supervise and monitor staff ensuring that engineering packages are completed on time and within budget
- Ability to analyze, design and produce engineering packages for clients and prepare instrumentation specifications for purchase
- Ability to establish and maintain good business relationships with key client contacts throughout the project
- Extensive knowledge of design codes and the knowledge to establish design criteria and ensure staff is following proper protocol
- On-site interface with client engineering representative and other discipline engineers
- Review, check and analyze design drawings prior to client submittals
- Responsible for ensuring that documents produced by the team members follow both internal and client quality standards.
- Medium & High power distribution system design and layout
- Substation design, short circuit analysis, ARC flash studies
- Lighting design and grounding and lightning protection
- Electrical heat trace design
- Development of wiring diagrams and schematics
- Application of medium to low voltage transformers
- Application of uninterruptible power systems
- Conduit, cable tray and underground duct bank design
- Utility interface design
- Electrical calculations including short circuit, load flow, arc flash, motor starting, harmonic, device coordination and voltage drop
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering
- 10-15 years of Electrical Engineering experience in Medium/High voltage design and application of switch gear and motor controls within a power distribution or engineering consulting environment.
- 5+ Years of experience working in power distribution or engineering consulting
- 5+ years’ experience supervising staff and managing projects from inception to completion including evaluating scope of work and assigning responsibilities
- Basic understanding of other discipline workflow and how all departments work together to complete projects
- Ability to establish and maintain professional relationships with clients, subordinates and co-workers
- Must possess exceptional interpersonal and organizational skills
- Must be able to work in the US without sponsorship now or in the future
Valdes Architecture & Engineering Company is looking for bright and talented people that want to take their career to the next level. We offer many rewarding career paths to challenge and engage our employees at all phases of their careers. Our office provides a team environment, and excellent working conditions, which allow individuals to maximize their potential. Valdes Architecture & Engineering offers an outstanding benefits package including Medical, Dental, 401K plan, Company paid Long Term and Short Term Disability Insurance, Company paid Life and AD&D Insurance, Pet Insurance, a discounted gym membership and tuition reimbursement.
EEO/AAE
Similar Jobs
Professional Services • Consulting • Energy • Industrial
The Principal Electrical Engineer will design power generation systems, conduct site visits, manage budgets, and ensure technical project delivery while collaborating with clients and vendors.
Top Skills:
Electrical Modeling SoftwareEtapSkm
Biotech
The Principal Electrical Engineer will lead the development of industrial water treatment equipment, ensuring compliance and supporting new product innovations while mentoring engineers.
Top Skills:
Autocad ElectricalHmi SystemsPlcSAP
Healthtech • Other
The Principal Electrical Engineer will focus on hardware design for infusion technology, supporting development, testing, and compliance. Responsibilities include circuit design, prototyping, and documentation.
Top Skills:
Analog Circuit DesignBatteriesDigital Circuit DesignElectrical Circuit DesignEmbedded SystemsLab EquipmentPcbaPower SuppliesWireless Modules
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
