Senior Electrical Design Engineer

Omaha Public Power District; Omaha (NE); On-site; USD 110,000 - 137,000; Full time

Job summary

Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) seeks a Senior Electrical Design Engineer to lead electrical design for major capital projects and modernization efforts. You will own engineering evaluations, specifications, drawings, installation packages, testing strategies, and commissioning activities across generation facilities.

You will mentor engineers, oversee procurement and risk management, and guide cross-functional teams to deliver reliable energy infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to lead essential duties with or without accommodation.
• Registration as a Professional Engineer in Nebraska or ability to obtain Nebraska registration within 6 months via reciprocity and experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead electrical design for major capital projects with technical ownership of evaluations, calculations, specs, drawings, installation packages, testing strategies, and commissioning.
• Serve as the lead engineer and technical authority for generation modernization projects (electrical systems, plant controls, DCS, PLC).
• Direct project planning and execution: cost estimation, budget, business case, scheduling, resources, risk management.
• Lead cross-functional teams and provide technical guidance to engineers, PMs, operations, contractors, and partners.
• Drive technical decisions to improve reliability, maintainability, and performance.

Skills

Project leadership

Electrical power systems

DCS/PLC knowledge

Risk management

Vendor evaluation

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

DCS

PLC

Instrumentation

Job description

What This Role Delivers

At OPPD, we power the communities we serve by providing safe, reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible energy. As one of the nation's largest public power utilities, we continuously invest in infrastructure, technology, and innovation to ensure long-term energy reliability for our customers.

As a Senior Electrical Design Engineer, you will provide technical leadership for major capital projects and strategic generation fleet modernization initiatives. This role serves as a senior engineering resource responsible for solving complex technical challenges, leading critical infrastructure investments, and driving engineering excellence across OPPD's generation facilities.

What This Role Will Lead & Own

• Lead electrical design development for major and complex capital projects, providing technical ownership of engineering evaluations, calculations, specifications, drawings, installation packages, testing strategies, and commissioning activities.

• Serve as the lead engineer and technical authority for generation modernization projects involving electrical systems, plant controls, DCS platforms, PLC systems, and related infrastructure.

• Direct project planning and execution activities, including cost estimation, budget development, business case preparation, schedule oversight, resource coordination, and risk management.

• Lead cross-functional teams and provide technical guidance to engineers, project managers, operations personnel, contractors, and external partners.

• Drive technical decision-making for complex engineering challenges and develop long-term solutions that improve reliability, maintainability, and operational performance.

• Oversee procurement strategies, vendor evaluations, equipment selection, and technical review of supplier deliverables.

• Provide senior-level construction management oversight, including contract administration, contractor performance management, field issue resolution, and executive-level project reporting.

• Champion engineering standards, continuous improvement initiatives, and best practices that advance organizational technical capability.

• Identify, assess, and mitigate technical, operational, safety, and project risks throughout the project lifecycle.

• Mentor engineers across multiple experience levels and contribute to the development of future technical leaders within the organization.

What You Will Bring

• Demonstrated ability to successfully complete essential duties with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of Nebraska or ability to obtain Nebraska registration within 6 months through reciprocity and relevant experience.

What Will Help You Stand Out

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited institution.

• Eight (8) or more years of engineering experience in power generation, industrial facilities, utilities, manufacturing, or other complex infrastructure environments.

• Demonstrated experience leading major capital projects, multidisciplinary engineering efforts, or large-scale infrastructure upgrades.

• Strong expertise in electrical power systems, industrial controls, instrumentation, automation, DCS, and PLC technologies.

• Experience developing engineering calculations, technical specifications, construction packages, and commissioning plans.

• Proven experience managing project budgets, schedules, business cases, and technical risk.

• Ability to lead technical teams and influence decisions across multiple stakeholder groups.

• Experience leading major DCS migration, PLC modernization, or plant control system replacement projects.

• Experience in utility generation, fossil generation, renewable generation, or other large industrial facilities.

Work Location

• Office: Work will be performed in a modern office environment amid normal conditions of dust, odors, fumes, and noises.

• Field: Work will be performed outside in a wide variety of weather conditions (snow, rain, heat, cold, wind, etc.), terrain, and other natural environmental hazards as well as pollen and other airborne allergens.

• Generation Plant: Work will be performed inside with exposure to industrial building conditions and may include extreme temperatures, odors, dust, gases, poor ventilation, and loud noise levels.

• Travel: Must be able to travel throughout the service territory and report to various locations in a timely manner as needed.

Work Environment

• Work will be performed in high traffic environments.

• Will work around energized high voltage electrical equipment.

• Will work in construction areas that present many physical hazards.

• Will work at heights.

• Will work in closed or confined spaces.

• Will work around asbestos and lead.

Strength Factor

Exerting 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Physical Demand requirements are in excess of those for Light Work.

Salary/Wage Info

Grade: S6

Minimum: $109,942

Midpoint: $137,428

Our Culture & Mission

At Omaha Public Power District, everything starts with people - our teams, our communities, and the customer owners who count on us. As the 12th largest public power utility in the U.S., we serve more than 900,000 people across 13 counties, and we take that responsibility seriously.

We lead with integrity, support one another, and do what's right, because how we serve matters just as much as what we deliver. Our goal is simple: provide affordable, reliable, and environmentally responsible energy today and for generations to come.

We create power with purpose. Your work here has real impact; on families, on the environment, and on the future of energy. And we believe great ideas can come from anywhere.

If you want to be part of a team that takes care of the community and the people who serve it, you're in the right place. We back up our mission by taking care of our employees, too; which is why our benefits are among the most comprehensive and competitive in the region.

EOE: Protected Veterans/Disability

If you would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with OPPD, please email OPPD Talent Acquisition at [e-mail] .