Lead Principal Engineer, Thermal Power Projects

The AES Corporation; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

The AES Corporation invites applicants for the Principal Engineer - Thermal Projects role. You will lead design, engineering, and management of thermal power projects through development, construction, and operation, coordinating with EPCs, consultants, and internal teams.

You will mentor engineers, drive innovation, and support startup, commissioning, and performance testing across multiple sites in the US, with up to 25% travel. Fluency in Spanish or Portuguese is a plus.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in engineering (mechanical preferred) or equivalent technical field.
• 10+ years professional experience in energy system design, project or land development, and/or construction.
• 5+ years of experience in project management, consulting, or as a project engineer.
• Engineering design experience with thermal power generation facilities and related systems.
• Ability to evaluate decisions considering cost, schedule, and operability and risk.
• Experience reviewing operations, maintenance philosophies, and asset performance expectations.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills across a large organization.
• Self-starter capable of remote or distributed teamwork.
• Experience managing third-party consultants, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Procore and related design/field tools.
• EIT or PE qualifications and knowledge of thermal plant codes
• Fluency in Spanish or Portuguese.

Responsibilities

• Support EPC engagement by preparing contract exhibits and RFI support during negotiations.
• Evaluate proposals for engineering services and manage consultants/EPC contractors.
• Oversee development of construction drawings and support materials.
• Lead design reviews and coordinate SME feedback.
• Value engineer designs to improve reliability and reduce costs.
• Coordinate owner furnished equipment specifications with Procurement.
• Manage RFIs/submittals in Procore and ensure timely responses.
• Support QA/QC, testing, commissioning, and startup activities.
• Provide technical SME support to Operations/Asset Management and financing teams.
• Review energy projects for fuel supply, interconnection, and emissions considerations.

Skills

Communication skills

Project management

Remote/distributed teamwork

Mentoring

Vendor management

Thermal power knowledge

Technical decision making

Spanish or Portuguese fluency

MS Office Suite

Third-party coordination

Education

Undergraduate degree in engineering (mechanical preferred)

EIT or PE qualifications

Tools

Procore

AutoCAD Civil3D

ETAP

SKM

AspenTech

GT PRO

Thermoflow

MS Office Suite

Job description

The AES Corporation invites applicants for the Principal Engineer - Thermal Projects role. You will lead design, engineering, and management of thermal power projects through development, construction, and operation, coordinating with EPCs, consultants, and internal teams.

You will mentor engineers, drive innovation, and support startup, commissioning, and performance testing across multiple sites in the US, with up to 25% travel. Fluency in Spanish or Portuguese is a plus.