Expert Engineer, ATS Grid Technology

Requisition ID # 174085 

Job Category: Engineering / Science 

Job Level: Individual Contributor

Business Unit: Energy Delivery

Work Type: Onsite

Job Location: San Ramon

Department Overview

Applied Technology Services (ATS) has been providing technology-based, innovative, high-value services to the Company for over 40 years. ATS is a multidisciplinary team of over 120 engineers, scientists, and technicians. The ATS vision is to be a forward-thinking, technological leader providing high-value solutions and services needed across the Company. ATS high-value services also help proactively avoid future problems through solutions and methods that are standard processes in the industry.

Position Summary

The Applied Technology Services (ATS) Engineering staff provides engineering, testing and analysis services, and expertise across multiple subject areas to various company organizations to identify, diagnose, and address technical problems. The team provides consultation and advice to clients to proactively avoid future problems by specifying equipment, materials, and methods that are standard processes in the industry. Services include technology demonstrations, inspections, failure analysis, performance assessments, and laboratory and field evaluations on a wide variety of systems and components ranging from utility scale transmission and distribution products to grid edge distributed generation and power system devices such as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), battery energy storage, and electric vehicles (EVs). The incumbents maintain knowledge of and implement to all Company and regulatory safety and quality processes and procedures. This is an on-site position, based in our San Ramon Technology Center office.

The Expert Engineer, Grid Technology will be at the groundbreaking edge of this through performing sophisticated energy modeling and analysis, equipment prototyping, and laboratory and field testing across a broad spectrum of behind and front of the meter energy solutions. The position will involve partnership with a broader team of engineers and technicians with experience working with a variety of utility SCADA, DMS, and GIS solutions as well as common industry software such as CYME, PSCAD, RSCAD, and LabVIEW. The successful candidate will support both field and laboratory projects and use ATS facilities to host a range of technology demonstrations including electric vehicle chargers, distributed generation, smart home and business loads, and grid health monitoring, and AMI. Work may range from general technical consultation or comprehensive support from planning through production implementation.

The selected candidate must live within PG&E’s service territory.

PG&E is providing the salary range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job. The actual salary paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, and internal equity. Although we estimate the successful candidate hired into this role will be placed towards the middle or entry point of the range, the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis related to these factors.

A reasonable salary range is:

• Minimum Base Salary (Bay Area) $140,000.00
• Mid Base Salary (Bay Area) $189,000.00
• Maximum Base Salary (Bay Area) $238,000.00

The ATS Grid Technology Engineering & Evaluation staff provides:

• Transmission/distribution equipment testing
• Power system modeling and analysis
• Power hardware in loop (PHIL) testing
• Advanced communication and asset health monitoring
• Distributed energy resource integration
• Data fusion, analytics, and automation
• Control hardware in loop (CHIL) testing
• Electric Vehicle (EV) testing
• Travel required; frequency depends on the assignment and is typically less than 10%.

Job Responsibilities

• Leads project teams performing tests to identify, define, solve problems, and prepare technical reports and specifications.
• Completes assignments of broad scope and complexity with few precedents or standards requiring integration of information from a variety of sources
• Partners with stakeholder organization to develop grid advancement and electrification strategies.
• May provide expert opinion or information related to projects or other issues to external customers, agencies, or other parties.
• May represent PG&E at industry association meetings or seminars.
• Performs a lead role in resolving scope, schedule, budget, and resources needed
• Develops existing and new relationships with other PG&E functional areas to understand expectations, concerns and ensure strong customer satisfaction.
• Develops test protocols, models, technologies and analyzes data
• Evaluates the performance of parts, assemblies or systems under simulated operating conditions, and records results
• Compiles project test results and prepares presentations, recommendations for client and Leadership
• Expands knowledge in other areas of specialty or field, developing breadth or further develops expertise and specialization in one area
• Identifies innovations and the cost-reduction potential of new and existing technologies
• May assist higher-level peers on the most sophisticated and innovative tests
• Modifies electrical prototypes, parts, assemblies, and systems to accurate functional deviations.
• Continually identifies testing or process improvements
• Provides some mentor and guidance to junior level peers

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with emphasis in a discipline related to assignments. (i.e., mechanical, civil or electrical engineering, etc.)
• 7 years of related experience

Desired:

• Ability to work safely around high voltage test equipment, in substation and power plant environments.
• Strong investigative and analytical problem-solving skills
• Specific experience in at least 3 areas of the following: Power System Equipment Testing, Power Flow Modeling and Analysis, Metering, Telecommunications and Networking, Test Automation, Controls and Data Acquisition, Engineering Analytics, Power Electronics, Renewable Generation, Grid integration, Electric Vehicles, Electric Grid Planning and Design, and DERs
• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (Power system emphasis desired)
• Professional Engineer’s License
• Broad understanding of engineering research and testing concepts, theories, practices, methods, techniques in the area of specialization, as well as a general knowledge of other engineering specialties
• Understanding of quality assurance and quality control concepts and practices
• Excellent interpersonal and project management skills
• Leadership skills
• Communication, presentation, and teamwork skills
• Project management skills
• Good customer service orientation
• Experience with utility SCADA, DMS, and EMS platforms
• Experience with utility modeling software such as CYME, PSCAD, RSCAD, PSS/E, PSLF
• Programming experience including National Instruments LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB