Electric Distribution Planning Modeling Engineer

Job Summary

The selected candidate will work on site with the SIGMA team in Electric Distribution Grid Planning in Richmond, Virginia.

The selected candidate will be part of a team that provides technical support for Grid Planning, Grid Resiliency, Grid Modernization, and Integrated Distribution Planning activities.

The successful candidate will be brought in at either the Associate Engineer or Engineer role. 

Responsibilities:

This role is responsible for a range of electric distribution model (Synergi, OpenDSS) administrative activities, including:

• Support internal and vendor-provided distribution model applications.
  • Provide first-line user support with guidance from application leads.
  • Develop training materials to publish on learning repository.
  • Work with application leads to test application versions and track issues.
• Assist with providing reports and data for periodic and ad-hoc requests related to the distribution model.
• Manage user access to distribution model databases and AD groups.
  • Add new users and assist with locked accounts.
  • Create, modify, and document user roles.
  • Perform periodic security audits.
• Manage process automation.
  • Execute and maintain documentation for periodic processes.
  • Monitor automated processes to ensure they are running correctly and for errors and exceptions.
  • Monitor data inputs and integrations with external datasets (engineering data, GIS, OMS, etc.).
• Maintain the distribution models (Synergi, OpenDSS).
  • Build annual planning models and quarterly static models.
  • Coordinate with Modeling Planners to include planned project changes into the multi-year model.
  • Monitor and correct issues with connectivity of planned project definitions in the as-built model.
  • Configure and add new asset data to the model.
  • Provide first-line support for model issues identified by users.
  • Coordinate with GIS services to resolve mapping errors.
  • Get equipment data (substation transformer impedances from ENAV)
• Coordinate the centralized model error log.
  • Correct errors assigned to model administrators.
  • Monitor other errors and coordinate with responsible groups.
  • Prepare and publish quarterly model health metrics.
  • Work with feedback from model users and the model process improvement team to prioritize data integrity issues and remediation.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Experience

• Electrical engineering (a power systems specialty would be a plus)
• Basic understanding of structured query language (SQL)
• Familiarity with relational data
• Strong troubleshooting skills
• 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.

 REQUIRED ENGINEERING CRITERIA:

• 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

Education Requirements

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

Bachelor's in Engineering

Preferred Discipline(s): Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering

Licenses, Certifications, or Quals Description

Working Conditions

Other Working Conditions

Test Description

No Testing