Engineer - Automation and Event Analysis

Job Summary

 The selected candidate will work on site with the Automation and Event Analysis team in Richmond, Virginia.

Automation and Event Analysis ensures electric grid reliability by analyzing system events 24/7 using a combination of technical skills including data processing, software development, and engineering principles. Our strategically deployed monitoring equipment and in-house diagnostic tools enable teams across Dominion Energy to expedite restoration of service, direct fact-finding investigations, and facilitate NERC compliance activities.

The selected candidate will join the Automation and Event Analysis team within Power Delivery – Electric Transmission as an Engineer performing electric power system protection analysis in support of System Protection Engineering, regulatory compliance within Electric Transmission, and various field services organizations including transmission lines, substation crews, control technicians, and system operators.

This role supports fault location systems used for monitoring, detecting, recording, analyzing, and archiving of electrical faults and disturbances in generation, transmission, and distribution systems. The selected candidate will be responsible for reviewing system protection operations and schemes to ensure correct operation of the equipment as designed and intended. This analysis must be properly documented and distributed for stakeholders throughout the company.

This role also includes ownership of engineering tools that automate and streamline business processes within engineering teams. Responsibilities may include process design, system architecture, software development and maintenance, documentation generation, and stakeholder advocacy. Responsibility will include database administration as described below. A strong focus on end-user/customer engagement and support within Power Delivery is critical to successful execution of the job function.

Automatic File Transfer (AFT) Configuration responsibilities:
•    Read communication functional drawings to identify relays the team communicates with
•    Using control drawing updates, identify network communication changes at substations that impact connections and require reconfiguration
•    Create necessary AFT files for new substations
•    Make updates to relay types, IP addresses, and other changes to ensure continued AFT operations.
•    Communicate upcoming access changes to System or Regional Operations in advance of relay alarms

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Experience

The knowledge, skills, abilities and experience required for entry into this job include the following: 

• Ability to be on call to respond after hours, holidays, and on weekends is a requirement of this role.
• Demonstrated experience in system protection engineering, design, and/or control operations is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of automation tools, databases, and software development is preferred.
• Proficient at analyzing three-phase AC power flow.
• Ability to interpret industry codes, regulations, and practices.
• Ability to think analytically and solve complex problems.
• Planning, organizational, and project management skills.
• Must possess good written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be dedicated to continuous improvement and identifying best practice opportunities.
• Must be able to work well independently as well as in a team environment.

Database administration responsibilities:

• Looking for 2+ years of experience with data base administration and server migration expertise.
• Tech stack: Windows server 2019/2022, MS SQL 2017 & above, familiarity w/Azure Cloud Services, MS Office suite, UNIX
• Hands on experience with database administration tasks as needed for SPAA owned dbs.
• Identify improvements for dbs/servers and work with team to implement them.
• Design, deploy and support databases changes/updates/enhancements.
• Experience with prod and non-prod environment standards when deploying changes to respective environments.
• Managing the database availability and performance, including incident and problem management.
• Administering database objects to achieve optimum utilization.
• Defining and implementing event triggers that will alert on potential database performance or integrity issues.
• Performing database housekeeping, such as tuning, indexing, etc.
• Monitoring usage, transaction volumes, response times, concurrency levels, etc.
• Identifying reporting, and managing database security issues, audit trails, and forensics.
• Designing database backup, archiving, patching and storage strategy.
• Monitoring Scheduled Database Tasks
• Server Maintenance and Monitoring:
  • Performing routine maintenance tasks such as installing software updates and patches as per DE enterprise standards.
  • Monitoring server performance and resource utilization and troubleshooting issues to ensure servers operate efficiently and reliably.
  • Support server upgrades, server migrations as per team needs.

REQUIRED ENGINEERING CRITERIA:  For placement of a candidate in the Engineer job series, the following criteria must be met:  

Possess a 4-year Engineering degree from an ABET accredited Engineering program based on the year that the Engineering program was accredited by ABET, or   

Possess a 4-year Engineering degree from an institution outside of the U.S. which is accredited through the country's own Engineering accrediting body under the Washington Accord as a full signatory, and is a degree that was recognized by the country's accrediting body on or after the date that full signatory status was achieved, or   

Possess a 4-year degree in Engineering (non-ABET accredited), Physics, Chemistry, Math or Engineering Technology and a post-graduate Engineering degree from an institution where the undergraduate degree in the same Engineering discipline is ABET-accredited based on the year the Engineering program was accredited by ABET, or   

Holds or has previously held a valid U.S. Professional Engineer license.

Education Requirements

Required Degree (equivalency not accepted in lieu of required degree):

Bachelor’s In Engineering

Preferred Discipline(s): Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering

Other disciplines may be substituted for the preferred discipline(s) listed above.

Licenses, Certifications, or Quals Description

Working Conditions

Other Working Conditions

Test Description

No Testing