System Planning Engineer 3

Position Summary

The System Planning Engineer 3 is a highly skilled position that assists with activities within the system planning department. The System Planning Engineer 3 works closely with other departments to develop and prepare the expansion of the electric distribution and substation system. The System Planning Engineer 3 responsibilities require a high level of competency and accuracy with minimal supervision from a Professional Engineer.

Responsibilities

Primary Position Responsibilities 

• Develops, recommends, and implements processes and devices to comply with ERCOT emergency protocols such as load shed and under-frequency, and to comply with other ERCOT protocols.
• Develops and maintains a thorough knowledge and recognition of electric equipment and devices used within the electric distribution system.
• Provides field data necessary to keep system maps current.
• Determines the necessary electric distribution and substation facilities to meet Customer needs and demand for electrical power.
• Performs the 6-year transmission and substation plan. This includes projecting the 6-year load growth for all substations and providing information to CoServ’s generation and transmission supplier for preparation of the six-year transmission and substation budget.
• Performs various system studies such as saturation studies, substation justification studies, coordination studies, long range studies, sectionalizing studies, and voltage drop studies.
• Proposes projects to resolve identified contingency issues, which includes preparation of power system grid modeling on engineering software to assess potential system overloads to the electric grid.
• Assesses power factor improvement plan on an ongoing basis. Must acquire extensive knowledge of controllers, programming options, switch types, communication methods, etc. Will determine locations and sizes of future capacitance needs.
• Assists the Power Quality group (based under the Operations department) with investigation of outage or power quality related issues including but not limited to equipment failure, insufficient grounding, harmonics, ferroresonance, voltage sags and swells, flicker, animal protection, tree trimming, recloser and breaker trips, etc.
• Prepares reports related to standard reliability indices to benchmark and prioritize distribution circuits for upgrades.
• Uses Milsoft’s WindMil program to analyze and report to Dispatch fault current analysis and fault location prediction. Also prepares system-wide fault current maps for use by Dispatch after hours.
• Assigns fuse sizes, phasing, and location ID numbers to jobs generated that require fuses, whether originated by Engineering or Operations.
• Determine size, length, and location of easements to be requested from new developments and request these necessary easements from the Project Managers under Engineering Services. This includes easements for existing facilities, new facilities, or future facilities.
• Recommends necessary easements to retain and/or redefine if a blanket easement has been requested to be released.
• Performs loading, voltage, and motor analysis of potential future large or sensitive loads, routing of onsite facilities, and direction and options of feeds. This can include recommending two-way feed systems.
• Maintains a general knowledge of the transmission system of the service territory in order to provide reasonable options for new major loads.
• Recommends permanent main line changes of feed (switching) when needed.
• Attends power distribution conferences and other meetings to stay abreast of the latest developments in the transmission and distribution of electricity.
• Assists in training new engineering department personnel in sectionalizing, and design of electric power facilities.
• Recommends electrical facilities to be placed into the system - this involves sizing wire, calculating transformer capacity, sizes and classes of poles, computing voltage levels, assessing capacitor placement and size, regulator placement, vaults, switchgears, and duct banks.
• Prepares many of the fundamental elements of the 2-year Construction Work Plans on an annual basis. This includes projecting the 2-year load growths for substations, as well as individual feeders. Determining the electric substation and distribution facilities needed to meet growth and customer needs for electrical power. Solving system overloads by proposing and prioritizing distribution circuit upgrades, new feasible circuit routes, new circuit tie points, and switching.
• Supports other CoServ departments by performing various system studies such as saturation studies, substation justification studies, coordination studies, long range studies, power factor studies, switching studies, and voltage studies.
• Maintains a database of jobs touched, whether approved or rejected, that can be easily referenced.
• Reviews on a timely basis jobs generated by the Engineering department for proper fuse sizing and phasing, proper placement, sizing, and programming of reclosers, capacitors and regulators, and proper primary wire size and material, as well as correct duct bank size.
• Complies with established CoServ safety and operating rules, procedures and guidelines including reporting unsafe practices to a supervisor.
• Complies with established CoServ Information Security Handbook, policies, procedures, and guidelines including reporting suspected information security incidents to Tech Support.

Secondary Position Responsibilities 

• Maintains department standards on a consistent basis.
• Creates and maintains databases within Engineering & GIS software.
• Attends power distribution conferences and other meetings to stay abreast of the latest developments in the transmission and distribution of electricity.
• Mentors new engineering staff employees.
• Assists coworkers in Engineering Department.
• Demonstrates self-motivation, ownership of job responsibilities, and being pro-active in seeking solutions for the department.
• Performs other duties and activities as directed.

Position Requirements

Education, Experience, and Certifications Required 

• High School Diploma or G.E.D equivalency.
• Bachelor of Science from an ABET accredited university in Electrical, Civil, or Mechanical Engineering.
• Engineer In Training certification.
• 4 years’ experience in electric utility power distribution.

Education, Experience, and Certifications Preferred 

• 6 years’ experience in electric utility power distribution.
• Engineering related continuing education credits.
• Professional Engineer License.

Skills and Abilities Required 

• Able to learn and gain knowledge and use of CoServ’s GIS, Engineering Analysis, and SCADA Systems.
• Able to learn and gain understanding and utilization of NEC, NESC, IEEE, and OSHA requirements.
• Able to learn and gain understanding of city, county, and state permitting requirements.
• Able to learn and gain knowledge in computer software including Microsoft Suite products.
• Able to work efficiently and safely as well as plan and schedule own work.
• Able to maintain accurate records and be proficient with technical details.
• Proficient with technical details.
• Able to understand and carry out complex oral and written instructions.

Skills and Abilities Preferred 

• Understanding of an electric distribution system; and a general knowledge of the equipment needed to build, maintain, and distribute power through that system.
• Ability to perform load growth analysis and provide a system forecast.
• Ability to provide solutions to various system issues such as low voltage, overloads, improving power factor, and improving coordination of protective devices.
• Ability to use Milsoft, or other engineering analysis software tools, to perform trend analysis, mapping, curve plotting, and various power system studies.

Physical Requirements 

• Works both in the office and outdoors.
• Ability to lift a minimum of 25 pounds.
• Drives company vehicle as needed.
• Operates office equipment such as a computer, telephone, fax machine, copier, etc.
• Ability to sit for long periods of time.
• Works in potentially hazardous conditions caused by pets and wildlife in or near the work site.
• Works in areas with possible exposure to poison oak, poison ivy, and insect stings.

Other Requirements

• Must have and maintain a valid Texas driver's license.

 

 

 

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.