Integrated Plant Design SME, Steam Power Generation

For 160 years, Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) has been driven by a belief that there is always a better way, turning curiosity and innovation into practical solutions that safely power utilities and industries around the world. Built on a legacy of engineering excellence and strengthened by generations of dedicated employees, we continue to earn trust by delivering value with integrity, accountability, and a commitment to doing what is right. As we evolve across technologies and global markets, our focus remains the same: engineering a better way and transforming our world for the future.

The Subject Matter Expert for Integrated Steam Power Plant Design serves as the technical authority for the configuration, integration, optimization, and technical assurance of electricity generating steam power plants. The role requires in-depth knowledge of boiler systems, steam turbine generators, condensers, and the balance-of-plant systems that connect them into a safe, reliable, efficient, and operable generating facility. This individual leads plant-level design decisions from concept development through detailed engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operational support. The SME works across engineering disciplines and with customers, suppliers, partners, and project teams to manage interfaces, resolve complex technical issues, and improve plant performance and lifecycle value.

DUTIES

1. Serve both internally and with clients as the company technical authority for integrated steam-cycle power plant design, including the boiler, steam turbine generator, condenser, and associated balance-of-plant systems. [15%]
2. Lead development and review of plant configurations, heat and mass balances, design criteria, process flow diagrams, system descriptions, equipment lists, interface documents, and overall plant design bases. [15%]
3. Optimize the integrated steam cycle by evaluating main steam and reheat conditions, turbine configuration, extraction and feedwater heating arrangements, condenser pressure, auxiliary loads, pressure losses, ambient conditions, and operating requirements. [10%]
4. Direct technical integration among boiler systems, steam turbine systems, air-cooled condenser systems, condensate and feedwater systems, water treatment, auxiliary steam, piping, electrical, instrumentation and controls, and other plant systems. [15%]
5. Assess condenser performance across the expected ambient conditions, wind conditions, load, startup, shutdown, and transient operating envelope, including impacts on turbine backpressure, net output, heat rate, reliability, and operating flexibility. [10%]
6. Lead multidisciplinary design reviews, interface reviews, hazard and operability reviews, constructability reviews, operability and maintainability reviews, and technical risk assessments. [10%]
7. Prepare and review technical specifications, bid evaluations, supplier documents, performance guarantees, design margins, acceptance criteria, and technical exceptions for major plant equipment and systems. [10%]
8. Support proposals, cost estimates, schedules, equipment selection, project development, customer presentations, contract technical requirements, and project assurance activities. [5%]
9. Provide technical oversight during detailed engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, performance testing, troubleshooting, plant uprates, and operational improvement programs. [5%]
10. Mentor engineers, develop technical standards and lessons learned, and communicate complex plant-level decisions clearly to technical teams, project leadership, customers, and executive stakeholders. [5%]
11. Perform all other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline from an accredited program.
2. 20 or more years of progressively responsible experience in utility-scale or large industrial steam power generation, with substantial responsibility for integrated plant design.
3. Demonstrated experience integrating boiler, steam turbine generator, and air-cooled condenser systems on greenfield, repowering, modernization, or major retrofit projects.
4. Experience with steam power projects of 100 MW or larger preferred, including engineering, procurement, and construction or owner’s engineering assignments.
5. Expert knowledge of subcritical and supercritical boiler systems, including steam temperature control, reheater integration, draft systems, emissions-control interfaces, bypass systems, startup systems, and boiler performance.
6. Expert knowledge of steam turbine thermodynamics and configuration, including high-, intermediate-, and low-pressure sections, reheat cycles, extractions, feedwater heating, bypass systems, gland steam, drains, and turbine protection requirements.
7. Expert knowledge of air-cooled condenser design and operation, including thermal sizing, turbine exhaust and duct interfaces, fan configuration, vacuum systems, wind and recirculation effects, freeze protection, cleaning, and seasonal performance.
8. Advanced capability in heat and mass balances, plant heat rate, net output, auxiliary power, pressure-drop evaluation, performance guarantees, sensitivity analysis, and lifecycle optimization.
9. Strong understanding of condensate, feedwater, water treatment, steam and water chemistry, piping, valves, pumps, electrical systems, instrumentation and controls, distributed control systems, and plant startup and shutdown requirements.
10. Ability to identify and manage technical interfaces, design margins, operability constraints, reliability risks, maintainability needs, constructability issues, and commissioning requirements across multiple engineering disciplines.
11. Knowledge of applicable industry codes and standards, including ASME requirements and other standards relevant to steam power plant equipment and systems.
12. Ability to independently resolve complex technical problems, make sound engineering judgments, and clearly document the basis for major design decisions.
13. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence technical decisions and communicate with customers, suppliers, project teams, and senior leadership.
14. Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers, lead multidisciplinary teams, and establish or improve engineering standards and work processes.