Preconstruction Engineer

Dashiell is a leading national provider of technical services to the electric utility, power generation, industrial, renewable and energy industries. These services include planning and systems studies, design and engineering, maintenance and testing, program management, construction, and turnkey EPC projects. Built on 50 years of experience handling large scale complex projects; Dashiell is unique in that we are a turnkey Engineering, Construction, and Testing company that specializes in medium and high voltage electrical infrastructure. More information about Dashiell can be found at

Job Title: Pre-Construction Engineer

Job Location: 12301 Kurland Drive, Houston, TX 77034

Primary Function:

Perform engineering and Pre-Construction support duties requiring application of engineering principles and knowledge of substation EPC engineering and design. Develop preliminary engineering deliverables, provide technical input for proposals and estimates, and coordinate with internal stakeholders and customers to define scope, assumptions, risks, and constructability intent for projects pursuing award.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Employee may be called upon to perform any or all of the following functions:
• Work with the Pre-Construction Team (Designers, Supervisors, Sales, estimating, and project stakeholders) to create preliminary engineering documents and drawings to support proposals and estimates.
• Develop or support development of Pre-Construction drawing deliverables such as single-line diagrams (SLDs), general arrangement (GA) concepts, preliminary grounding/conduit plans, and preliminary control/wiring documentation as required by pursuit needs.
• Generate bills of materials/material takeoffs, and incorporate field or customer markups into Pre-Construction document sets as needed.
• Perform engineering support tasks (as required for scoping/estimating) such as relay burden, lighting, load flow, and short-circuit calculations.
• Apply engineering application software to complete engineering tasks such as grounding concepts, relay coordination support, transformer sizing, and load flow/short-circuit studies appropriate for Pre-Construction accuracy.
• Review customer specifications, contract exhibits, and technical requirements; identify scope gaps, risks, constructability concerns, and needed clarifications; propose assumptions and options to the responsible party.
• Support customer engagement by participating in internal/external meetings and calls; assist with technical responses, scope clarification, and documenting agreements for incorporation into Pre-Construction deliverables.
• Coordinate engineering efforts with Construction and Purchasing to support execution readiness (constructability review, sequencing considerations, long-lead identification, and procurement strategy assumptions).
• Review schedules and coordinate with the Pre-Construction Supervisor to ensure deliverables remain on schedule and aligned with internal milestones.
• Properly use the document management system; maintain organized, traceable Pre-Construction documentation and revision control.
• Take personal responsibility for the quality and accuracy of work; support peer review and continuous improvement of Pre-Construction processes and standards.
• May lead or coordinate assigned pursuit workstreams and provide direction to designers/engineers to support schedule and quality objectives.
• Communicate and coordinate pursuit/project activities with the Pre-Construction Supervisor, project stakeholders, and customer representatives as needed.
• Apply engineering standards (NEC, NESC, NEMA, IEEE, ANSI) and corporate standard engineering practices/templates appropriate for Pre-Construction deliverables.
• Spend time at job sites as needed to validate existing conditions, gain hands-on knowledge, and improve Pre-Construction scope accuracy; travel out of town for short periods of time as required by projects and assignments.
• Other duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications / Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university; power systems background preferred.

• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) required. If registered in a state other than where the engineer will practice, the employee must be able to obtain a license within one year of date of hire.
• Four to eight (4–8+) years of related experience and/or proven knowledge in power engineering and substation EPC design required.
• Experience supporting proposals, estimates, or Pre-Construction deliverables from limited inputs is strongly preferred.
• Field rotation or field experience (substation construction/commissioning exposure) is a plus.
• Strong knowledge of AC/DC fundamentals.
• Knowledge and understanding of three-phase power systems.
• Knowledge and understanding of per-unit mathematics and symmetrical components.
• Knowledge and understanding of substation components and their functions.
• Ability to interpret RFPs, specifications, drawings, and site information to define scope and assumptions.
• Knowledge of design documents and drawings necessary to support a project (one-lines/SLDs, GA plans, schematics, wiring diagrams, bills of material, preliminary layouts).
• Knowledge of engineering standards including NEC, NESC, NEMA, IEEE, and ANSI.
• Proficiency with common word processing, spreadsheet, e-mail, and document management systems.

Physical Requirements:

• This position requires minimal physical effort.
• Must be able to endure prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer for a minimum of 8 hours a day
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will primarily work indoors, with occasional outdoor exposure to year around weather conditions and noise.
• Must be able and willing to travel overnight for trainings and/or meetings as required (10%)
• Working extended hours, including weekends, may be required periodically.
• May occasionally lift up to 25 pounds at a time.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions as defined per Company policy.

Equal Employment Opportunity
Dashiell is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law.

Dashiell Corporation