Senior Commissioning Engineer

BC Hydro; Burnaby; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

BC Hydro is seeking Senior Commissioning Engineers for the Capital Construction - Commissioning Engineering team in British Columbia. You will provide technical leadership for testing and commissioning of major electrical equipment across transmission and generation assets, determining required tests and leading field execution on projects of varying size.

You will supervise field technologists, review results, and offer recommendations to energize and place equipment into service, while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (electrical, preferably power systems).
• Registered, or eligible for registration, as a Professional Engineer with Engineers and Geoscientists BC.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in testing, commissioning, design, operation or maintenance of electrical equipment.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret test results, troubleshoot technical issues, and apply sound engineering judgment.
• Experience planning and coordinating work, including schedules, resources and budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical direction to others and to coach or mentor engineers and staff.
• Working knowledge of related disciplines including protection and control, system operations, construction and project delivery.
• Strong communication and technical writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for the testing and commissioning of major electrical equipment, such as power transformers, reactors, capacitor banks and circuit breakers, on transmission and generation station projects.
• Define the inspection and testing required to establish that equipment is ready to be energized and become part of the system, by developing test plans, selecting appropriate tests and confirming they are completed as specified.
• Directly supervise internal and external field technologists completing inspection and testing, providing technical direction and confirming the work meets accepted engineering practice.
• Review test reports and results, troubleshoot issues and resolve them where possible, applying sound engineering judgment and escalating complex or non-standard issues when needed.
• Provide clear, well-reasoned recommendations based on test results, equipment condition and risk to support the Equipment's Professional-of-Record’s decision on whether equipment can be energized and put into service.
• Act as Work Package Manager for commissioning on assigned projects, including defining scope, managing the work package budget, coordinating resources, vendors and field execution, reporting on progress and completion, and supporting project readiness and risk mitigation.
• Collaborate with project managers, construction teams, field operations and technical specialists to plan testing activities and resolve commissioning challenges.
• Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of commissioning practices, standards and technical guidelines, challenging existing approaches where there is sound engineering rationale.
• Coach and mentor engineers and technical staff in testing approaches, diagnostics and engineering decision-making.
• Participate in field inspections and witness testing on site as required.

Skills

Technical leadership

Strong communication

Technical writing

Coaching/mentoring

Project planning

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Electrical, power systems)

Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in BC

Job description

Hours of work: Full-time (37.5 hrs/week)

No. of positions: 2

Position Highlights

Capital Construction, within Project Delivery, is responsible for a multi-billion-dollar portfolio comprising of more than 2,000 active contracts. The Capital Construction Group safely delivers large, multi-disciplined, complex high-risk projects that span multiple years. The group adheres to well-developed standards, has developed and maintained outstanding supplier partnerships as well as stakeholder and First Nations relations. Through continuous improvement of our people, processes, and tools, we are responsible for all aspects of the safe construction of capital projects.

The Commissioning Engineering team, within Capital Construction, is seeking Senior Commissioning Engineers to provide technical leadership for the testing and commissioning of major electrical and station service equipment across transmission and generation assets. In this role, you will determine what testing is needed to establish that equipment is ready to be energized, lead the field work that carries it out on projects of varying size and complexity, and support the decision to put equipment into service.

You will work closely with field crews, contractors, project managers and operations colleagues, on a team that values sound engineering judgment, safe work and sharing knowledge.

What you'll do

• Provide technical leadership for the testing and commissioning of major electrical equipment, such as power transformers, reactors, capacitor banks and circuit breakers, on transmission and generation station projects
• Define the inspection and testing required to establish that equipment is ready to be energized and become part of the system, by developing test plans, selecting appropriate tests and confirming they are completed as specified
• Directly supervise internal and external field technologists completing inspection and testing, providing technical direction and confirming the work meets accepted engineering practice
• Review test reports and results, troubleshoot issues and resolve them where possible, applying sound engineering judgment and escalating complex or non-standard issues when needed
• Provide clear, well-reasoned recommendations based on test results, equipment condition and risk to support the Equipment' Professional-of-Record’s decision on whether equipment can be energized and put into service
• Act as Work Package Manager for commissioning on assigned projects, including defining scope, managing the work package budget, coordinating resources, vendors and field execution, reporting on progress and completion, and supporting project readiness and risk mitigation
• Collaborate with project managers, construction teams, field operations and technical specialists to plan testing activities and resolve commissioning challenges
• Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of commissioning practices, standards and technical guidelines, challenging existing approaches where there is sound engineering rationale
• Coach and mentor engineers and technical staff in testing approaches, diagnostics and engineering decision-making
• Participate in field inspections and witness testing on site as required

What you bring

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, preferably electrical with an emphasis on power systems, from a university recognized in Canada
• Registered, or eligible for registration, as a Professional Engineer with Engineers and Geoscientists BC
• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in the testing, commissioning, design, operation or maintenance of electrical equipment, including field experience supporting or supervising inspection and testing. Applicants who do not fully meet the requirements, or who have less work experience, may be considered for a lower-level position.
• Working knowledge of substation or station service equipment and its operating requirements
• Demonstrated ability to interpret test results, troubleshoot technical issues, including equipment, installation, test setup, and documentation issues, and apply sound engineering judgment to resolve them
• Experience planning and coordinating work, including schedules, resources and budgets
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical direction to others and to coach or mentor engineers and technical staff
• Working knowledge of related disciplines, including protection and control, system operations, construction and project delivery
• Strong communication and technical writing skills
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted working relationships, communicate respectfully when navigating differing perspectives, and collaborate effectively across field crews, contractors, project teams, technical specialists, and operations

Additional assets:

• Experience supporting both transmission and generation commissioning
• Experience with additional station equipment, such as gas insulated switchgear, instrument transformers, surge arresters, battery systems etc.
• Experience contributing to engineering standards, testing procedures or technical guidelines
• Familiarity with BC Hydro standards and project delivery practices
• This role may require travel to generation and transmission sites throughout the Province, sometimes for extended periods
• If you meet most of these requirements and are keen to grow, we encourage you to apply. Applicants who do not fully meet the requirements and have less work experience may be considered for a lower-level position.

What we offer

We're always looking for exceptional people to bring new ideas, fresh thinking and the motivation to help shape the electricity system in B.C. It's an exciting time to be a part of our team as we invest in our system and prepare to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Our values guide our work. Want to join us?

We are safe.

We are here for our customers.

We are one team. We act with integrity.

We respect our province.

We are forward thinking.

BC Hydro is an equal opportunity employer.

Please note that the following must be maintained in good standing as a condition of continuous employment:

• Driver's License Type = Class 5
• P.Eng.: Professional Engineer = In Good Standing

Please be advised that this role has been assessed as safety sensitive and pre-qualification alcohol and drug testing will be required as a pre-condition to employment.