Senior Engineer, ATS Performance Testing and Analysis

Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Danville (CA); On-site; USD 122,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

Pacific Gas and Electric Company is seeking an Electrical Engineer in the Grid Technology Engineering & Evaluation group based in the San Ramon Technology Center. This onsite role focuses on advanced power-system analysis, engineering studies, and HIL testing for T&D grid technologies and DER integration.

You will collaborate with T&D planning and protection teams, perform challenging studies, and help implement new grid technologies while advancing safety and quality processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
• 5 years of job-related experience.
• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (Power system emphasis desired).
• Professional Engineer’s License desired.
• Experience with utility modeling software such as CYME, PSCAD, RSCAD, PSS/E, PSLF.
• Experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing and interfacing with protection devices.
• Experience developing technical papers for IEEE, CIGRE, IEC.
• Ability to work safely around high voltage test equipment.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with peers to prepare technical reports and specifications and to identify, define, and solve problems.
• Assists senior peers on more complex tests and projects, participating in planning, budgeting and testing.
• Completes multiple projects concurrently. Prepares tests and studies.
• Evaluates the performance of parts, assemblies or systems under simulated operating conditions, and records results.
• Develops test protocols, models, test technologies and analyzes data.
• Modifies prototypes, parts, assemblies, and systems to correct functional deviations.
• Continues to deepen knowledge in related areas and identify testing/process improvements.

Skills

Analytical problem-solving

Interpersonal & teamwork

Leadership

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

5 years of job-related experience

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering (Power systems)

Professional Engineer's License

Tools

CYME

PSCAD

RSCAD

PSS/E

PSLF

LabVIEW

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Requisition ID # 174099

Job Category: Engineering / Science

Job Level: Individual Contributor

Business Unit: Energy Delivery

Work Type: Onsite

Job Location: San Ramon

Department Overview

Applied Technology Services (ATS) has been providing technology-based, innovative, high-value services to the Company for over 50 years. ATS is a multidisciplinary team of over 120 engineers, scientists, and technicians. The ATS vision is to be a forward-thinking, technological leader providing high-value solutions and services needed across the Company.

Position Summary

The Electrical Engineer, ATS Grid Technology Engineering & Evaluation position is located within the Grid & Electrification Innovation (G&EI) organization within ATS. G&EI operates state-of-the-art laboratories for electric transmission and distribution (T&D) hardware & software validation, engineering studies & analysis, real-time hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, energy efficiency codes & standards testing, advanced metering, customer electrification & decarbonization, as well as data fusion and predictive waveform analytics.

Our highly qualified staff leverage unique technical engineering design & fabrication skills to solve PG&E’s most complex engineering challenges in anomaly detection, system protection, electric reliability, DERs, V2X & electrification, microgrids, ADMS, DERMS, and Integrated Grid Planning (IGP). The incumbents maintain knowledge of and implement to all Company and regulatory safety and quality processes and procedures. This is an on-site position, based in our San Ramon Technology Center office.

The Electrical Engineer, Grid Technology Engineering & Evaluation will be at the leading edge of this through performing complex power system analysis, engineering studies, and HIL testing of emerging T&D grid technologies, applications, and devices. The position will involve partnership with a broader team within PG&E including the T&D planning, standards and asset strategy, system protection, and automation engineering teams. Work may range from general technical consultation to comprehensive support from planning through production implementation of new technologies.

The ATS Grid Technology Engineering & Evaluation staff provides:

• Technology literature review and feasibility assessment
• Electric T&D technology evaluation
• Electric power system modeling and analysis
• Engineering studies
• Advanced metering evaluation
• Distributed energy resource integration assessment
• Laboratory testing
• Travel required; frequency depends on the assignment and is typically less than 5%.

The selected candidate must live within PG&E’s service territory.

PG&E is providing the salary range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job. The actual salary paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, and internal equity. Although we estimate the successful candidate hired into this role will be placed towards the middle or entry point of the range, the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis related to these factors.

A reasonable salary range is:

• Minimum Base Salary (Bay Area) $122,000.00
• Mid Base Salary (Bay Area) $158,000.00
• Maximum Base Salary (Bay Area) $194,000.00

This job is also eligible to participate in PG&E’s discretionary incentive compensation programs.

Job Responsibilities

• Collaborates with peers to prepare technical reports and specifications and to identify, define, and solve problems
• Assists senior peers on more complex tests and projects, participating in planning, budgeting and testing
• Completes multiple projects concurrently. Prepares tests and studies.
• Evaluates the performance of parts, assemblies or systems under simulated operating conditions, and records results
• Develops test protocols, models, test technologies and analyzes data. May assist in the development of technical policies and procedures
• Modifies prototypes, parts, assemblies, and systems to correct functional deviations
• Begins to develop knowledge in other areas of specialty/discipline or continues to focus on one area and increases depth of knowledge
• Continually identifies testing or process improvements

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with emphasis in a discipline related to assignments. (i.e., mechanical, civil or electrical engineering, etc.)
• 5 years of job-related experience

Desired:

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (Power system emphasis desired)
• Professional Engineer’s License
• Experience with utility modeling software such as CYME, PSCAD, RSCAD, PSS/E, PSLF creating, configuring, and validating power system models, including transmission, distribution, and DER integration scenarios
• Experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing including interfacing with physical protection and control devices (relays, PMUs, IEDs)
• Experience developing technical papers and presentations for electric power industry organizations such as IEEE, CIGRE, and IEC
• Ability to work safely around high voltage test equipment, in substation and power plant environments.
• Strong investigative and analytical problem-solving skills
• Broad understanding of engineering research and testing concepts, theories, practices, methods, techniques in the area of specialization, as well as a general knowledge of other engineering specialties
• Understanding of quality assurance and quality control concepts and practices
• Excellent interpersonal and project management skills
• Leadership skills
• Communication, presentation, and teamwork skills
• Project management skills
• Good customer service orientation
• Experience with utility SCADA, ADMS, and EMS platforms
• Programming experience including National Instruments LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB