Gas Fired Power Plant Commissioning Manager

Commissioning Manager

Jacobs is seeking an experienced Commissioning Manager to oversee the planning, coordination, and execution of commissioning and startup activities for large-scale natural gas fired power generation facilities. This role is critical to ensuring safe, efficient, and technically sound system energization, equipment testing, and overall plant readiness for commercial operation. Working under the direction of the Program Director, this position oversees multi-discipline commissioning teams, resolves system-level challenges, and drives predictable performance across all commissioning scopes. The ideal candidate brings deep technical knowledge of power plant systems, strong field leadership, and a proven ability to manage complex commissioning programs in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities include:

• Oversee daily commissioning execution across mechanical, electrical, controls, and process systems, ensuring safe and coordinated system energization and testing.
• In collaboration with engineering leadership and applicable third parties, review system boundaries and develop a project start-up and turnover sequence for each system.
• Provide input and value to third party commissioning plans, procedures, system readiness checklists, and turnover strategies aligned with project milestones.
• Oversee commissioning of major equipment including gas turbines, steam turbines, generators, HRSG/boiler systems, pumps, compressors, fans, heat exchangers, condensers, cooling towers, and auxiliary balance-of-plant systems.
• Oversee direct system flushing, cleaning, chemical cleaning, lube oil flushing, hydrotesting verification, steam blows, air blows, and other pre-operational activities.
• Coordinate with construction teams to validate mechanical completion, punch list closure, and system turnover packages (ITRs, MC certificates, redlines, and as-built documentation).
• Validate pre-commissioning and commissioning activities by third party vendors, OEMs, commissioning agents, and contractors to ensure project expectations are met.
• Review and validate first fill, commissioning consumables, and spares strategies against commissioning strategy and with allowance for foreseeable risk scenarios which could impact project schedule and outcomes.
• Oversee multi-discipline subcontractors performing commissioning of fuel gas systems, steam and condensate systems, feedwater systems, cooling water systems, substations, switchgear, instrumentation, DCS/PLC controls, and protective relays.
• Ensure compliance with commissioning procedures, OEM requirements, project specifications, and applicable industry standards.
• Where appropriate, lead system walkdowns, equipment inspections, functional testing, loop checks, logic verification, and performance testing.
• Collaborate closely with engineering to resolve technical issues, RFIs, control logic discrepancies, and system integration challenges.
• Maintain strict adherence to safety protocols, including lockout/tagout, system isolation, energized work controls, and commissioning-specific risk assessments.
• Track progress, identify constraints, support schedule development, and provide accurate reporting on system readiness, testing status, and commissioning risks.
• Serve as primary interface with client representatives, OEMs, and regulatory bodies during testing, performance runs, and acceptance activities where stated in the commissioning phase RACI.
• Ensure the maintenance and management of a punch-list of outstanding items and work, and expedite closure of punch-list items.
• Drive final turnover and documentation for commercial operation, including test reports, commissioning records, and system acceptance packages.

Location – Greenville, South Carolina preferred. However, will consider any Jacobs office location nationwide.

Here's what you'll need:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Controls Engineering; Construction Management; or equivalent field experience in power plant commissioning or startup.
• 15+ years of experience leading commissioning, startup, or operations readiness activities on thermal power generation or heavy industrial facilities.
• Strong safety culture – ability to intervene and correct unsafe situations.
• Collaborative, agile, and resilient mindset.
• Experience of successfully leading commissioning activities on multiple fast-track/schedule driven projects.
• Experience of integrated simultaneous operations (SIMOPs) phased projects where construction, commissioning, and operation of adjacent systems is common.
• Strong working knowledge of thermal power plant systems, including gas turbines, rotating equipment, HRSG/boiler systems, steam cycle components, fuel gas systems, cooling water systems, electrical distribution, and control systems.
• Ability to interpret P&IDs, control logic diagrams, electrical one-lines, equipment specifications, commissioning procedures, and system turnover documentation.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-discipline commissioning teams and coordinating with construction, engineering, and OEM representatives.
• Strong understanding of commissioning safety practices, system isolation, LOTO, QA/QC processes, and applicable codes and standards.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills in a dynamic field environment.

Posted Salary Range: Minimum $172,000.00. Upper $225,750.00