Power Plant Engineer: Reliability & Performance

aep; Arkansas; On-site; USD 88,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

AEP is seeking a Plant Engineer to provide technical leadership and engineering support to ensure safe, reliable, and compliant operation of the power plant. This role will monitor performance, manage equipment reliability, troubleshoot, and coordinate with operations, maintenance, vendors, and regulatory agencies.

Successful candidates will have an ABET-accredited engineering degree with 2+ years of related experience; a PE license is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering in a program accredited by ABET* along with two or more years of related engineering experience, or military equivalent.
• ABET accreditation is preferred for entry into this level.

Responsibilities

• Provide engineering support and technical execution for plant operations and maintenance by diagnosing equipment and system issues, supporting startup and shutdown activities, and implementing timely corrective actions.
• Perform structured troubleshooting and root cause analysis for equipment failures and performance issues, developing practical solutions that improve system reliability and minimize recurrence.
• Monitor and analyze plant operating data, including turbine and auxiliary system performance, to identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities impacting availability, heat rate, and efficiency.
• Support and execute reliability and condition monitoring programs (e.g., vibration analysis, thermography, oil analysis, controls diagnostics), ensuring accurate data interpretation and follow-through on identified issues.
• Maintain configuration control and technical documentation, including drawings, procedures, engineering records, and Management of Change documentation, ensuring accuracy and compliance with plant standards.
• Coordinate and support capital projects, modifications, and maintenance activities, working closely with vendors, contractors, and internal teams to ensure work is completed safely and in accordance with engineering requirements.
• Support compliance with regulatory and code requirements (e.g., NERC, pressure systems,), including monitoring, documentation, and audit readiness activities.
• Contribute to plant performance improvement by providing data-driven insights and recommendations to plant leadership, supporting safe, reliable, and efficient operations.

Skills

Troubleshooting

Root cause analysis

Analytical thinking

Communication

Education

ABET-accredited engineering degree

Master's degree in engineering (ABET)

Tools

Control systems

Instrumentation

Performance monitoring tools

Job description

AEP is seeking a Plant Engineer to provide technical leadership and engineering support to ensure safe, reliable, and compliant operation of the power plant. This role will monitor performance, manage equipment reliability, troubleshoot, and coordinate with operations, maintenance, vendors, and regulatory agencies.

Successful candidates will have an ABET-accredited engineering degree with 2+ years of related experience; a PE license is preferred.