Senior Power System Planning Expert

Elia Grid International; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Elia Grid International (EGI) is expanding its U.S.-based power system planning capability to support major transmission, HVDC/HVAC, renewable integration, storage and grid-interconnection projects. We seek a Senior Power System Planning Expert to lead advanced studies, validate planning assumptions and translate findings into actionable project decisions.

You will collaborate with Interconnection and HVDC/HVAC leads, shaping planning methodologies, monitoring ISO/RTO processes, and delivering

Job description

Senior Power System Planning Expert

Who we are

Elia Grid International (EGI) is a global power systems consultancy driving innovation and excellence across the global energy sector. Building on the expertise of Elia Group (Belgium) and 50Hertz (Germany), EGI delivers strategic, technical, and regulatory advisory services to tackle complex challenges of the energy transition.

With offices in Belgium, Germany, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Canada, and the USA, EGI partners with clients across the globe to deliver high-impact projects in power system planning, smart grids design & digitalization, asset management, HVDC, FACTS, and renewable integration.

As we continue to scale up and expand internationally, our ambition is to become a global leader in power systems consultancy, helping build resilient and sustainable energy systems worldwide.

Your function

EGI is reinforcing its U.S.-based power system planning expertise to support major transmission, HVDC/HVAC, renewable integration, storage, data center, interconnection and grid infrastructure projects.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Power System Planning Expert / System Planning Lead to lead and perform advanced system studies and planning assessments. This is both a technical leadership and development-support role. You will provide the system planning backbone for complex infrastructure projects by assessing how proposed projects interact with the wider transmission system, identifying constraints and opportunities, validating planning assumptions, and translating study outcomes into clear project decisions.

You will work closely with the Interconnection Manager, who leads the interconnection process and negotiations, and the HVDC/HVAC Lead, who leads facility engineering and technical integration. Your role will ensure that system-level studies, reliability assessments and planning conclusions are technically robust, credible with U.S. utilities and ISOs/RTOs, and directly usable for project development, design, interconnection, regulatory, commercial and investment decisions.

You will also help EGI understand and anticipate U.S. transmission planning developments, market dynamics, grid constraints and policy changes that may affect project opportunities, risks and strategic positioning.

Responsibilities

• Lead power system planning studies for major transmission, HVDC/HVAC, renewable integration, storage, data center, interconnection and grid infrastructure projects in the U.S.
• Define and validate power system models, study assumptions, planning scenarios, critical operating points, contingency sets and sensitivity cases.
• Perform and/or review steady-state studies, including load flow, N-1 contingency analysis, voltage assessment, short-circuit calculations, transfer capability, hosting capacity and network constraint identification.
• Perform and/or coordinate dynamic studies where required, including frequency stability, transient stability, voltage stability, inverter-based resource integration, control interactions and system strength assessments.
• Assess the impact of new transmission infrastructure, HVDC links, renewable generation, BESS, data centers and other large load connections on system reliability, grid performance, congestion, curtailment and network upgrade needs.
• Assess transmission expansion needs, congestion impacts, curtailment risks, system upgrade requirements and broader grid development opportunities.
• Support the definition of planning methodologies for systems facing high renewable penetration, electrification, storage deployment, data center demand growth and increasing operational uncertainty.
• Monitor and analyze relevant ISO/RTO and utility transmission planning processes, including planning assumptions, policy changes, stakeholder processes and emerging system needs.
• Translate system study outcomes into clear project implications, including technical requirements, network reinforcements, operational constraints, risks, cost impacts, schedule implications and mitigation options.
• Support the Interconnection Manager by providing technical input to interconnection applications, system impact studies, facilities studies, ISO/RTO discussions and transmission owner interfaces.
• Support the HVDC/HVAC Lead by translating planning conclusions into technical requirements for substations, converter stations, grid connection facilities, protection concepts and system integration.
• Support project development teams in assessing project viability, including grid capacity, network upgrade exposure, interconnection risks and potential optimization of interconnection positions.
• Support RFP responses, technical due diligence, regulatory/policy input, investment decision processes and client advisory work by providing clear planning assumptions, risks and recommendations.
• Prepare high-quality technical reports, presentations, executive summaries and decision papers explaining study results, assumptions, risks, alte