One of our clients, a major oil and gas company has tasked us with identifying a highly experienced Principal Electrical Designer for an open-ended contract position based in Calgary, Alberta, working on a 5/40 schedule. The successful candidate will provide senior-level design leadership and deep technical expertise across complex, multidisciplinary projects, ensuring the consistent delivery of high?quality electrical design packages throughout the full lifecycle of major engineering initiatives.
This role involves supporting the client’s operations from Calgary while collaborating closely with internal teams, vendors, and external stakeholders. The Principal Electrical Designer will play a key part in driving design excellence, mentoring junior designers, and ensuring all electrical deliverables meet the client’s standards, applicable codes, and project expectations.
Key Responsibilities
Electrical Design Leadership
- Lead and deliver high?quality electrical design services that meet all client and regulatory requirements, ensuring delivery within schedule and budget.
- Accountable for the development, accuracy, coordination, and quality of electrical design deliverables across concept, FEED, detailed design, and construction support phases.
- Provide hands?on technical direction to electrical designers and drafting teams, including work planning, task delegation, and detailed design reviews.
- Participate in project planning, progress reporting, and compliance with required checking and quality assurance procedures.
- Ensure project scope is clearly understood, with any changes controlled through appropriate change management processes.
Project & Technical Support
- Support procurement activities through the review of electrical equipment requisitions, technical bid evaluations, purchase orders, and vendor documentation.
- Assist construction and commissioning teams through the resolution of site and vendor queries.
- Identify and mitigate discrepancies between internal design standards and client requirements.
- Provide technical input to constructability, maintainability, and operability reviews.
Collaboration & Communication
- Coordinate closely with multidisciplinary engineering disciplines to ensure fully integrated electrical designs.
- Communicate effectively with clients, vendors, engineering partners, and field personnel.
- Identify technical risks and issues, propose practical solutions, and escalate where appropriate.
Team Development
- Mentor junior designers and engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and knowledge sharing across the electrical design team.
Technical & Industry Experience
Extensive experience with:
- Electrical design for complex industrial projects (energy, mining, chemicals, power, or large?scale infrastructure).
- Electrical design systems, workflows, and document management tools (e.g., SAP, KMS, or similar).
- Workshare models, scope development, and delegating design tasks across internal and external teams.
- Participation in safety and operability reviews (e.g., HAZOP/LOPA) where electrical systems interface with process safety.
Strong working knowledge of core electrical deliverables, including:
- Single-line diagrams and schematics
- Electrical room and equipment layouts
- Cable schedules, routing, and tray/conduit plans
- Power distribution and load lists
- MCC layouts and schematics
- Grounding and bonding drawings
- Lighting and small power layouts
- Hazardous area and area classification drawings
- Bills of material, material requisitions, and work packages
Working knowledge of electrical system design, including:
- Low and medium voltage distribution
- Motor control and VFDs
- Industrial and outdoor lighting systems
- Grounding, bonding, and lightning protection
- Hazardous area design and relevant codes/standards
Education, Qualifications & Accreditation
Required
- Accredited Engineering Technology, Design, or related technical qualification (degree or diploma preferred).
- Extensive experience in senior?level electrical design roles on large, multidisciplinary projects.
- Proven ability to interpret, develop, and review complex electrical drawings and technical documentation.
- Strong communication, problem?solving, and coordination skills.