Principal Mechanical Engineer – Power Plant Systems

American Electric Power; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 116,000 - 151,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

American Electric Power in Columbus, OH seeks a Mechanical Engineer Principal with deep experience in gas and coal plant retrofit and new-generation projects. You will define mechanical design-basis expectations and support specifications, procurement, and lifecycle support for rotating and static equipment.

Responsibilities include coordinating with AE/EPC teams, reviewing designs, and supporting commissioning and startup activities.

Qualifications

• Has typically acquired 8+ years of related engineering experience along with an ABET-accredited engineering degree.
• Registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) in any U.S. state is preferred.
• Experience with gas, coal, and renewable energy projects is required to support power generation retrofits and new-generation self-build proposals.
• Familiarity with industry codes (ASME, API, etc.) and RFx processes.
• Experience reviewing vendor drawings, specifications, and RFx responses.

Responsibilities

• Develop and document mechanical design basis for plant equipment, including turbines, HRSGs, pumps, piping, and structures.
• Apply advanced knowledge of simple and combined cycle gas turbine plants to integration and performance evaluations.
• Review mechanical designs, drawings, and calculations with AE and EPC teams.
• Prepare procurement specifications and RFx deliverables.
• Interface with OEMs during RFx and procurement to confirm compliance and lead times.
• Support vendor bid reviews and startup activities.

Skills

Turbo machinery

Vibration analysis

Piping stress analysis

Mechanical drawings

Data analysis

Team collaboration

MS Excel/SQL/SharePoint

Education

ABET-accredited engineering degree

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Tools

AutoCAD

MicroStation

MathCAD

MATLAB

SolidWorks

PDMS/AVEVA

Job description

American Electric Power in Columbus, OH seeks a Mechanical Engineer Principal with deep experience in gas and coal plant retrofit and new-generation projects. You will define mechanical design-basis expectations and support specifications, procurement, and lifecycle support for rotating and static equipment.

Responsibilities include coordinating with AE/EPC teams, reviewing designs, and supporting commissioning and startup activities.