Elec. Distribution Grid Planning Engineer (Assoc to Staff) or Engineering Tech Specialist (I to III)

Job Summary

This posting is for current vacancies in the both the Distribution Grid Planning Modeling & Analysis Team along with the Distribution Protection & Coordination Team.  This role is fully competent in all conventional aspects of the subject matter.  Provides engineering support in the designated company area, or specific engineering discipline. Performs and/or reviews engineering calculations, analysis, research and design. Provides cost analysis as needed and develops recommendations based on calculations (e.g. cost for equipment upgrade) for management review.  Under the direction of the supervisor or work leader, exercises independence in evaluating, selecting and applying standard or well-defined engineering techniques, procedures and criteria.  Uses independent judgment in prioritizing and making moderately complex adaptations and modifications.  Assignments have clear and specified objectives.

Candidates should have a strong electrical engineering background, preferably in electric power systems.  Other engineering or technical backgrounds may be considered if presented in combination with a strong electric power background.  Candidates should possess strong knowledge of engineering principles and practices that will enable the successful candidate to progress in an engineering career series.

The Distribution Grid Planning- Modeling and Analysis Team position. 

The candidate will be a member of a team that provides technical support for Grid Planning, Grid Resiliency, Grid Modernization, and Integrated Distribution Planning activities by performing advanced system studies, analyses, and modeling in support of long-range distribution grid planning.

Perform other duties as requested or assigned.

Job activities:

Proficiently performs assignments having the knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience needed to carry out all aspects of the job
Exercises independent judgment and decision-making in planning, organizing and conducting work assignments
May receive instructions and guidance on unusual or complex problems and knows when to get others involved
Effectively utilizes the proper resources to develop solutions and devise new approaches to problems encountered in work assignments
Identifies and eliminates unnecessary work and non-value-added activities
Maintain and manage data for distribution grid load and DER forecasting
Power system modeling: load flow and voltage analysis, predictive reliability analysis, and time series simulations
Long range plan development to address projected distribution grid needs
Analyze multiple infrastructure interdependencies related to thermal, voltage and reliability criteria
Perform/support evaluation, design, engineering, and support activities related to traditional utility solutions and non-wires alternatives
Participate in trade and industry organizations and benchmarking activities

The Distribution Coordination & Protection position.

This role provides in depth studies of protective device coordination and circuit protection for Dominion Energy’s electric distribution system.  The individual in this role will size and provide protection settings for distribution line protection equipment to meet engineering guidelines including time-current curve separation, magnetizing inrush current, fault current reach, peak loads, and protection automation schemes within the electric distribution system. This role is responsible for accurately developing settings files for various relay-controlled protection equipment to ensure proper isolation of sustained and temporary faults, while maintaining the safety and reliability of the electric distribution system.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Experience

•    Associate Engineer = Less than 2 years of relevant engineering experience
•    Engineer = 2+ years of relevant engineering experience.
•    Senior Engineer = 5+ years of relevant engineering experience.
•    Staff Engineer = 8+ years of relevant engineering experience
•    Engineering Technical Specialist I = Less than 3 years of relevant technical experience.
•    Engineering Technical Specialist II = 3+ years of relevant technical experience.
•    Engineering Technical Specialist III = 5+ years of relevant technical experience.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Ability and Experience for all roles and levels:

•    Knowledge and application of engineering theories and principles, concepts, and fundamentals.
•    Competency in applying engineering principles, fundamental concepts, practices and procedures requiring some evaluation, originality and/or ingenuity to achieve project objectives.
•    Understands and can apply knowledge of configuration management.
•    Planning, organizational and project management skills.
•    Ability to develop and exercise leadership skills.
•    Effective decision-making skills.
•    Effective oral and written communication skills (includes technical writing).
•    Ability to think analytically and solve complex problems.
•    Ability to interpret codes, regulations and practices.
•    Equally effective working independently or in a team environment.
•    Ability to process information quickly and effectively manage multiple tasks.
•    Full knowledge of engineering theories and principles
•    Proficient at analyzing all aspects of three-phase AC power flow
•    Knowledge of substation equipment/operations, relay operations, and power station preferred.
•    Proficiency in power system modeling software: Synergi Electric, CYME, PSS/E, PSCAD, ASPEN, MATLAB, Open DSS preferred
•    Demonstrated resourcefulness in developing system models from diverse and indirect data and information sources preferred.
•    Programming skills for automation of system studies preferred (e.g., Python, C#, SQL, Visual Basic, etc.).
•    Must be dedicated to continuous improvement and identifying best practice opportunities
 

Education Requirements

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

Bachelor

Required discipline(s): Engineering

Education Level for Associate Engineer and Engineer: Bachelor’s degree in engineering discipline required.   

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 

Education Level for ETS I and ETS II: Bachelor’s degrees in STEM related fields are preferred. 

To be a titled Engineering Technical Specialist, you must meet one of the following criteria: 

4-year Engineering Technology degree or 4-year degree in Engineering (not ABET-accredited); or 

4-year degree in Physics, Math, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Engineering or other technical related discipline; or 

4-year non-technical degree and post-graduate degree in Engineering Technology or Engineering (not ABET-accredited); or 

Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of preferred degree 

Licenses, Certifications, or Quals Description

Working Conditions

Other Working Conditions

Test Description

No Testing