Distribution Engineer I

Northcentral Electric Cooperative•Olive Branch, MS

10d

About The Position

The purpose of this position is to assist in the preparation of plans and studies relating to sectionalizing, overcurrent and overvoltage protection, protective device coordination, voltage and power factor correction, and load balancing to improve system performance and reliability for the cooperative.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree of Engineering, preferably Electrical Engineering
Must be able to gain work knowledge of applicable codes, regulations and standards, both national and local.
Must be able to solve problems and able to organize work to meet deadlines.
Must be proficient in the use of personal computers, handheld devices, and standard office equipment.
Must have good communication skills and be able to deal with the public and employees in a courteous and effective manner both orally and in writing.
Must have a working knowledge of engineering-related information systems.
Must have and maintain a valid Driver’s License.

Responsibilities

Interprets staking instructions, wire sag charts, fuse charts, voltage drop charts and construction specifications to prepare staking sheets. Performs necessary calculations for sizing service, transformation capacity, conductor, and protection.
Meets with members, contractors, developers, and consultants to determine line extension and service requirements and provide information pertaining to line locations, project needs and to discuss and resolve conflicts with proposed installations.
Operates surveyor transit (or total station) to survey, prepare plans, stake, and provide specifications for line construction and system improvements.
With assistance, determines assemblies and materials required for work orders and inform other departments of special material requirements.
Obtains right-of-way easements from landowners as required for construction and/or service changes.
Creates, maintains and updates databases for system equipment, operations, and maintenance.
Records, reviews, and assists in analyzing system data and creating recommendations for and/or executing recommendations for system improvements and system performance enhancements.
Assists with commissioning of solar installations, troubleshooting metering issues and high bill complaints and investigating voltage anomalies and power quality concerns.
Assists Planning Engineer or Director of Engineering and Operations, with system improvements for substations and distribution, SCADA and fiber communications, protection layers and coordination, auto-restoration schemes, and system planning.
Assists to evaluate existing overhead and underground specifications, make recommendations, revises and/or creates new specifications, and performs crew time studies as needed.
Assists with the creation and maintenance of the system model, based upon provided GIS database, to determine available fault current for device coordination, fault location, arc flash exposures, and to perform system optimization studies.
Prepares and executes switching orders required for load transfers, system and reliability improvements, and system maintenance.
Performs other duties as required.