Transmission System Planning Engineer

TappWFS; Ephrata (Lancaster County); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 249,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Field work environments

Job summary

TappWFS is seeking a Transmission Planning Engineer in a hybrid Washington-based role. You will build power flow base cases, run contingency and stability studies, and influence capital transmission decisions.

The position grows from developing engineer to Principal, with mentorship and clear technical progression. Responsibilities include coordinating with utilities and regional groups, preparing reports, and applying reliability standards to planning work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering required.
• Experience in power engineering and planning studies.
• Familiarity with power flow analysis tools and WECC/NERC criteria.
• Strong written and verbal communication.
• Ability to manage multiple studies and changing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain power flow base cases and planning models.
• Perform contingency, voltage, and transient stability analyses.
• Evaluate study results and model alternative solutions.
• Support feasibility, system impact, load service, and generation interconnection studies.
• Apply NERC and WECC criteria to planning work.
• Prepare technical reports and recommendations for capital projects.
• Coordinate inputs with internal teams, consultants, and utilities.
• Represent the organization in regional planning discussions as experience grows.

Skills

Power engineering

Power flow analysis

NERC/WECC knowledge

Technical writing

Multi-study coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

PowerWorld

Job description

TRANSMISSION PLANNING ENGINEER (Engineer I through Principal --- Depends on Experience)

This role may also be known as: Transmission System Planning Engineer, Power System Planning Engineer, Electric Transmission Engineer, Power Flow & Reliability Engineer

You'll build the models, run the studies, and shape the recommendations that determine how a regional transmission system grows and stays reliable. This role is open across a full career band, from a developing engineer building foundational skills to a Principal Engineer serving as the team's go-to technical authority --- with clear runway between those two points. Its hybrid, its stable, and its real infrastructure work that doesn't disappear when the market shifts.

Why This Opportunity Is Different

This isn't a narrow, single-task engineering seat --- you'll get exposure to the full planning lifecycle, from long-range planning and generation interconnection studies to load service studies and capital project recommendations. The role is structured to grow with you, with a clear technical progression from Engineer I through Principal Engineer and senior team members actively mentoring along the way. You'll also see a direct line from your analysis to real outcomes, since the studies you run feed actual capital planning and reliability decisions rather than a shelf report.

What You'll Be Doing

• Develop and maintain power flow base cases and supporting transmission planning models
• Perform contingency, voltage, and transient stability analyses to identify system limitations
• Evaluate study results and model alternative solutions to resolve reliability or capacity issues
• Support feasibility, system impact, load service, and generation interconnection studies
• Apply NERC Reliability Standards and WECC System Performance Criteria to planning work
• Prepare technical reports, exhibits, and recommendations for capital transmission projects
• Coordinate technical inputs with internal teams, consultants, interconnected utilities, and regional planning groups
• Represent the organization in regional transmission planning discussions as experience grows

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering field
• Power engineering experience --- the specific years required depend on which level the role is filled at, ranging from entry-level (no prior experience required) up to ten-plus years of progressively responsible transmission planning experience for the Principal Engineer level
• Working knowledge of, or strong aptitude for, power flow and stability analysis software
• Understanding of, or ability to quickly learn, NERC Standards and WECC System Performance Criteria
• Strong technical writing skills and the ability to present findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences alike
• Comfort managing multiple concurrent studies and shifting priorities
• Preferred: Engineer-in-Training certification or completion of the Fundamentals of Engineering exam (especially at developing levels), Professional Engineer licensure (especially at senior levels), prior electric utility experience, and hands-on experience with PowerWorld

Compensation & Work Model

Compensation is structured by level and depends on experience, ranging from approximately $80,366 to $249,064 annually across the full Engineer I through Principal Engineer band. This is a hybrid role combining in-office collaboration with remote flexibility.

Location & Travel

Based in Ephrata, Washington, with hybrid work eligibility. Some work in field and construction environments should be expected as needed.