Director, Electrical Engineering - Gas Fired Power Plant

Job Description

Job Description

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Hanwha Energy USA , headquartered in Houston, Texas, is part of the Hanwha Group—a FORTUNE Global 300 company and one of South Korea's most respected business enterprises. With over a decade of experience delivering high-quality, utility-scale energy projects across North America, Hanwha Energy USA has evolved into a comprehensive energy solutions provider. Our portfolio now spans utility-scale renewables, natural gas generation, retail electricity, and strategic partnerships that power America's growing data center industry.

Our expertise covers the entire energy value chain—from project development and engineering to construction, operations, and maintenance. By integrating advanced technologies, proven processes, and strong partnerships, we deliver reliable, customized solutions that meet the dynamic needs of local energy markets.

Hanwha Energy USA is actively advancing strategic initiatives in natural gas generation and data center development, including hyperscaler solutions on both sides of the meter. We are proud to serve as the parent company of:

• Hanwha Renewables – specializing in utility-scale solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS)
• Chariot Energy – providing retail electricity services for residential, commercial, and industrial customers in deregulated markets

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Director of Electrical Engineering is accountable for the overall electrical engineering strategy, system architecture, and technical governance of utility-scale gas-fired power plants integrated with mission-critical data center loads.

This role serves as the owner-side electrical authority, leading all aspects of electrical system design, grid interconnection, and high-availability power delivery across the full project lifecycle—from early development and Pre-FEED through EPC execution, commissioning, and operations.

A key responsibility of this role is to lead direct technical engagement with data center customers, translating customer requirements into executable electrical designs and ensuring alignment across internal teams, EPC contractors, OEMs, and utilities.

This role is also responsible for ensuring successful customer-led validation, including FAT and SAT participation, as part of project acceptance.

The employee may be required to perform other job-related duties as requested by management. All duties will be assigned in accordance with applicable laws and company policies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Electrical Engineering Technical Authority (Owner-Side)

• Establish and own the overall electrical system philosophy for gas-fired power plants (SCGT, CCGT, and gas engine–based).
• Act as the final technical decision-maker for:
• Electrical system architecture
• Equipment selection and configuration
• Reliability and redundancy strategies
• Define company-wide standards for:
• High-voltage and medium-voltage system design
• Substation and switchyard configurations
• Protection philosophies

Data Center Customer Interface & Technical Alignment

• Lead direct technical discussions with data center customers to:
• Interpret and clarify power requirements (e.g., availability, load profile, transient response)
• Translate requirements into electrical system design criteria
• Act as the primary technical interface between the customer and internal engineering teams.
• Drive alignment on:
• Redundancy architecture (N+1, 2N, etc.)
• Power quality and ride-through expectations
• Interface points between plant and data center electrical systems
• Support customer-facing presentations, technical workshops, and design reviews.
• Lead and manage customer involvement in factory and site-level validation activities, including:
• Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) for major electrical equipment (e.g., transformers, switchgear, protection systems, BESS)
• Site Acceptance Tests (SAT) and commissioning validation
• Act as the owner-side authority to coordinate, facilitate, and respond to customer review and approval processes during testing phases.
• Ensure all electrical systems meet customer-defined performance, reliability, and compliance requirements through:
• Pre-test planning and test procedure validation
• Real-time issue resolution during FAT/SAT
• Post-test documentation, punch list closure, and acceptance sign-off
• Manage and align stakeholders (customer, EPC, OEM, OE) to ensure successful test execution and timely system acceptance.

Grid Interconnection & Utility Coordination

• Lead electrical scope for grid interconnection strategy and execution with
  ERCOT and utilities such as Oncor.
• Oversee and validate:
• Power flow, short circuit, and dynamic stability studies
• Voltage control and reactive power strategies
• Compliance with ISO/RTO and utility requirements
• Define owner positions in technical negotiations with utilities and interconnection authorities.

High-Availability Power System Design

• Define electrical architectures to meet high availability targets (e.g., 99.9%+) for mission-critical loads.
• Lead design decisions for:
• Redundant power paths and system topology
• Reliable Power distribution to data center campuses
• Transformer configurations and bus arrangements
• Ensure coordination between:
• Generation systems (GT, engines)
• Electrical systems (substation, switchgear)
• Control systems (PMS, EMS, controllers)

EPC, OEM & Owner's Engineer Governance

• Lead electrical engineering engagement with:
• EPC contractors
• OEMs (transformers, switchgear, generators, BESS)
• Owner's Engineers (OE)
• Review, challenge, and approve key deliverables, including:
• Single Line Diagrams (SLDs)
• Protection and control philosophies
• Electrical equipment specifications
• System studies and technical reports
• Ensure designs align with owner objectives for reliability, operability, and lifecycle cost.

Project Development, Risk & Due Diligence

• Provide electrical engineering leadership during:
• Pre-FEED and FEED decision gates
• Project acquisitions and technical due diligence
• Identify electrical-system-related risks affecting:
• Grid compliance and interconnection approval
• CAPEX and OPEX
• Schedule and long-lead equipment procurement
• Support mitigation strategies and owner positions in commercial and technical negotiations.

Technology Integration & Future Readiness

• Lead integration of:
• BESS and hybrid power systems
• Black-start solutions and grid-forming capabilities
• Future expansion (e.g., SCGT → CCGT conversion)
• Evaluate emerging electrical technologies and architectures from an owner's perspective.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Alignment

• Provide technical direction and mentorship to electrical engineers across multiple projects.
• Coordinate closely with:
• Control & Automation leadership (PMS / EMS integration)
• Mechanical engineering leadership
• Development, commercial, and operations teams
• Translate complex electrical topics into clear, actionable recommendations for executive leadership.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering (Master's preferred).
• 15+ years of experience in power plant electrical engineering, EPC, Owner's Engineering, or project development.
• Proven experience with gas-fired power plants (SCGT, CCGT, or engine-based).
• Demonstrated experience acting as a technical authority or discipline lead.

Technical Expertise

• Deep expertise in:
• Power plant electrical systems and substation design
• High-voltage and medium-voltage equipment
• Protection and grounding systems
• Grid interconnection and system studies
• Strong understanding of:
• Data center power requirements and high-availability design
• Power quality, transient performance, and system stability
• Familiarity with applicable standards (IEEE, NEC, IEC, NFPA).

Leadership & Professional Skills

• Strong ability to lead technical discussions with sophisticated customers (e.g., data center developers/operators).
• Ability to define technical direction and enforce standards across multiple projects.
• Strong engineering judgment balancing reliability, cost, schedule, and risk.
• Confident communicator with EPCs, OEMs, utilities, and executive stakeholders.

Preferred / Nice-to-Have

• Experience supporting data center power supply projects.
• Exposure to ERCOT or other U.S. ISOs/RTOs.
• Experience with BESS or hybrid power plant configurations.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.

COMPENSATION: $220,000 - $240,000 salary

Attention external recruitment firms, we will not accept any unsolicited resumes at this time. Please do not contact any internal member of our company to discuss the position or to solicit candidates.

Hanwha Energy USA provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.

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