Sr Eng - Operations Technology

NV Energy; Las Vegas (NV); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equal opportunity employer

Job summary

NV Energy is seeking an experienced engineer to design and support OT electronics and software for generation and energy management. You will lead control system logic development, interface with vendors, and help implement secure, scalable OT infrastructure.

The role requires a PE license or substantial equivalent experience, 5+ years in engineering, and familiarity with SCADA, Modbus, DNP3, and VMware environments. Occasional travel within Nevada is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, information systems or related field.
• PE license required; if none, 8 years as practicing engineer.
• Candidates without bachelor’s degree must have 9+ years of related experience.

Responsibilities

• Provides control system software and hardware support for safe, reliable operations.
• Develops and implements control system logic and display modifications.
• Creates Common Information Models for generation/transmission/distribution elements.
• Builds data interfaces to transmit real-time system data.
• Provides after-hours support and on-call outage assistance.
• Travels up to 25% within the state.

Skills

Control system design

SCADA protocols

Networking

VMware vSphere

Data historian/monitoring

Generation/Transmission knowledge

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, CS, IS, or related field

Professional Engineer (PE) license

5 years engineering experience (with PE)

8 years engineering experience (no PE)

9 years experience without bachelor’s degree

Tools

SCADA (ICCP)

Modbus

DNP3

Job description

Basic Purpose

Provides engineering design and support services for the electronics and software (Operational Technology) required to control and manage power generation, automatic generation control and real-time energy management. Conceives, develops and implements unique solutions to operational technology problems. Conceives, develops and advocates strategies for managing obsolescence, replacements and upgrades. Furnishes technical direction and project support to plant or control center staff on operational technology matters. Provides leadership and mentoring for junior engineering staff.

Essential Education, Skills, and Environment

Education and Work Experience

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field from an accredited school and 5 years industry experience as a practicing engineer, and must be a licensed PE. If no PE license then must have 8 years as a practicing engineer.

Candidates that do not possess a bachelor’s degree must have a minimum of 9 years of experience in the related field.

Specialized Knowledge and Skills

Demonstrated knowledge of:

• Control system logic, configuration and design control loops
• Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) protocols, such as Inter-Control Center Communications Protocol (ICCP), Modbus, and Distributed Network Protocol 3 (DNP3)
• Computer networking, such as switches, firewalls, and routers, and network ports (TCP, UDP)
• VMWare vSphere, including vSAN, ESXi, and vCenter
• Experience with historian, predictive and performance monitoring systems and current smart field instrumentation
• Experience with generation plant processes or transmission and distribution processes.

Demonstrated Skills such as:

• Analytical, problem solving, decision-making, and interpersonal
• Communication oral and written
• Communicating technical issues to a non-technical audience.

Equipment and Applications

Electronic test equipment, PCs, word processing, spreadsheet and database software.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

General office environment. May require occasional work near moving parts, with toxic or caustic chemicals, in outdoor weather conditions, and near extreme heat. Some exposure to loud noises. Up to 25% travel within the state.

NOTE: THE COMPANY MAY FILL THE POSITION(S) AT A LOWER LEVEL DEPENDING ON QUALIFICATIONS OF CANDIDATES

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Provides control system software and hardware support to ensure safe, optimal and reliable operations. Works with Operations and corporate technical staff for troubleshooting, determining solutions, and supporting corrective actions for instrumentation and programming logic issues. Works with Operations to develop and implement control system logic, display modifications and custom functions. Develops Common Information Models for new or modified Generation, Transmission and Distribution elements. Works with the control system software vendors as required for trouble issues that have escalated for product support.

Provides control system user account administrations for Operations and Maintenance groups. Coordinates Electrical System Control Center (ESCC) local and site failovers for security patching, software upgrades, and other related maintenance. Determines applicability and completes testing of security and application updates. Assists team members in applying updates. Manages and maintains installed computing infrastructure, including network and network connected devices. Manages and maintains computing infrastructure asset inventory.

Provides beginning-to-end technical support for capital and operations and maintenance projects to include development of the business case, scope, budget, and schedule, as well as testing, installation and commissioning. Communicates with project managers and attend meetings to keep up-to-date information about upcoming projects, process improvement and root cause analysis teams. Evaluates and manages vendor and contractor support efforts related with modifications, maintenance and project activities. Provides contractor guidance, evaluates performance, conducts cost and quality control reviews and evaluates technical abilities.

Builds data interfaces with external entities or vendors to transmit real-time or near real-time system data.

Provides support and maintenance for the dispatcher training simulator (DTS). Performs the routine aspects of assignments requiring knowledge and application of basic engineering principles. Provides afterhours support on call basis, approximately one or two calls per month. Provides outage support and participates in continuous performance improvement initiatives.

Implements operational technology policies and procedures to comply with evolving industry standards and external agency regulations. Develops operational technology strategy to ensure current, best practices are in place. Provides overall technical direction for the fleet control systems, field instrumentation and other operational technology systems that are utilized for generation and energy management.

Designs and implements computing infrastructure modifications utilizing team members, other internal groups (such as Information Technology), and external groups where appropriate. Designs and deploys new or updated virtual infrastructure.

Ensures all compliance aspects of position are known and followed; understands and complies with all policies, codes and regulations applicable to position and company.

Performs related duties as assigned.

NV Energy is an equal opportunity employer. Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without an accommodation. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status (except as required by law), gender (including gender identity and expression), sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, familial or parental status, marital status or any other category protected by applicable local, state or U.S. federal law.