Transmission & Substation Services Engineer

FirstEnergy; Reading (Berks County); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) savings plan with matching contribution

Medical and dental insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

A leading energy provider is seeking a Field Engineer based in Reading, PA. You will provide field engineering services, oversee maintenance, and conduct testing for substation equipment up to 500 kV. Responsibilities include safety management, commissioning of new equipment, and offering technical support during maintenance. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering and at least two years of engineering experience. The role requires strong communication and analytical skills, along with a commitment to safety protocols.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an ABET accredited institution required.
• Minimum of 2 years of engineering experience required.
• Strong consideration for prior experience with substation equipment.

Responsibilities

• Maintaining safety in the workplace.
• Commissioning new substation equipment.
• Providing onsite technical support during maintenance.

Skills

Engineering experience

Communication skills

Analytical abilities

Mechanical aptitude

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) License

Tools

SEL products and software

Enoserve RTS

Doble testing

Job description

About the Opportunity

FirstEnergy Service Co., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., is looking for an open position that will be located in either York, PA or Reading, PA. The role provides field engineering services and technical support for the maintenance, construction, testing, and commissioning of substation equipment up to and including 500 kV. Equipment includes power transformers, circuit breakers, CCVTs, Cap Banks, SVCs, relay protection and control equipment, and SCADA systems. Maintenance and commissioning activities may involve new installs or modifications to existing substations. This position requires a significant amount of time (90 % or more) working outside of an office environment at various company and customer substation facilities and service centers, with occasional technical support for regional substation activities across other operating companies.

Responsibilities Include

• Maintaining a safe workplace for coworkers and the community based upon developing knowledge of potential hazards, industry regulations/requirements and company practices.
• Commissioning new transmission substation equipment prior to it being released to transmission operations.
• Developing check‑out guides, reviewing and approving test results and isolation plans, and developing energization plans to minimize system risk.
• Providing limited field design services to correct minor design problems encountered during the implementation of substation capital projects.
• Providing onsite technical support to regional substation services employees during preventive and corrective maintenance activities.
• Applying engineering skills and operational knowledge in the identification and resolution of technical problems while in the field during the installation phase, testing phase, and during the design life of the substation equipment. This includes challenging and validating design approaches when necessary.
• Assisting in the development of new or in the modification of existing maintenance practices to address changing technology, new equipment types, improved test and diagnostic methods, regulatory changes, etc.
• Auditing preventive and corrective maintenance paperwork and test results to verify technical adequacy and regulatory completeness.
• Providing emergency technical support following substation equipment failures to support customer restoration and system reinforcement. This includes developing field modifications and commissioning the installation of mobile substations.
• Supporting the emergency plan through participation in assigned storm duties including hazard responding.
• Ability to work both independently and in unison with others including regional and plant personnel as well as other departments/sections and outside vendors.
• Communicating across multi‑disciplined teams to include electrical contractors, customers, FirstEnergy regional switchmen/technicians, transmission operations, design engineering, planning/protection and project management to ensure successful and timely project completion.
• Assisting in performing apparent cause and root cause analyses, including formally documenting findings through the preparation of technical reports and presentations.
• Assisting in the education of others on technical subject matters and in the improvement of technical programs and process effectiveness.
• Supporting the development of corporate programs and policies; assist others tasked with leading organizational change.
• Assisting senior technical staff in developing solutions to complex technical assignments.
• Supporting FE Utilities Operations and Maintenance staffs in reaching goals and meeting deadlines.
• Producing results that have a direct, positive impact on the Company.
• Consistently anticipating customer needs and delivering high quality results.
• Willingness to travel throughout the FirstEnergy system including occasional overnight stays when necessary.

Qualifications Include

• Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering (BSEE, BSME) from an ABET accredited institution is required. Acceptable alternatives are: (1) a Professional Engineer’s (PE) License; (2) a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering or a technical field of study (non‑ABET) plus an advanced degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering from a university with an ABET accredited Bachelor’s program.
• A Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) License is preferred.
• Minimum of 2 (two) years of Engineering experience is required.
• Strong consideration will be given to those with previous experience in the design, maintenance or testing of substation equipment and familiarity with microprocessor‑based protection and control equipment is a plus.
• Experience with SEL products and software, Enoserve RTS and Doble testing.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills.
• Commitment to FirstEnergy’s Safety Policies and the Accident Prevention Handbook.
• Understanding of FirstEnergy’s Manual of Operations.
• Ability to participate in after‑hours (e.g., evening, weekend and holidays) callouts to provide onsite technical and operational guidance in support of system emergencies.
• Ability to lead by example.
• Must be able to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously and work effectively under the pressure of deadlines, unexpected developments, changes in project scope, budget constraints, unforeseen field problems and demands on time for work assignments outside of normal duties.
• Demonstrate a questioning attitude to continue to learn, produce results, and strengthen existing relationships.
• Strong mechanical aptitude.
• A willingness to train and mentor technicians and other members of the technical engineering staff.
• Developed analytical and technical abilities.
• Ability to develop effective working relationships with employees at all levels of FirstEnergy Corp.
• Must be capable of driving projects and tasks to completion by working in the field with the regional substation workforce.
• Deliver quality, accurate work within established deadlines.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.
• Must live within a 45‑minute commute of assigned work location.

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We rely on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment and reward individual and team efforts through a total rewards philosophy that includes competitive pay, incentive compensation, a company‑sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, medical, prescription drug, dental, vision and life insurance programs, and skills development training with tuition reimbursement. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H‑1B visas at this time.

Safety

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co‑workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, maintain an accident‑free, injury‑free workplace, and promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals we are committed to achieving world‑class safety standards.