Engineer, Electrical

NextDecade•Brownsville, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

NextDecade is seeking a full-time Electrical Engineer to support the long-term operations and maintenance of the Rio Grande LNG facility located near Brownsville, Texas. The successful candidate will serve as a technical subject matter expert (SME) in electrical engineering, with a strong focus on medium and low voltage power distribution systems, electrical protection and coordination, and reliability engineering for critical infrastructure. The incumbent will report to the Sr. Manager of Instrumentation, Controls & Electrical Engineering within the Operations Department, under the leadership of the Director of Facilities Engineering, the Sr. Director of Engineering, and the Vice President of Operations. While the role has no direct reports, it may involve supervising contractor electrical engineers and mentoring maintenance electricians and technicians. Peer-level personnel will include other engineers across all facilities disciplines, including instrumentation, mechanical, process, and civil/structural engineering. This position is located in Brownsville, TX.

Requirements

B.S. in electrical engineering or related field.
10+ years of Power Distribution engineering experience.
5+ years of Power Distribution engineering experience in an operating process facility.
A Professional Engineering License or eligibility for registration.
Willingness to travel, domestically & internationally, as needed (approximately 10-15%)

Nice To Haves

Masters in electrical engineering.
5+ years of electrical engineering experience in an LNG or similar heavy industrial operating facility.
Advanced skills in: Troubleshooting and resolving power distribution system issues, including support during facility trips and restoration of electrical systems.
Advanced skills in: Medium and low voltage power distribution systems (up to 138kV).
Advanced skills in: Protective relaying, coordination studies, and arc flash analysis.
Advanced skills in: Electrical equipment such as switchgear, MCCs, transformers, UPS systems, and motor drives.
Advanced skills in: Power system modeling and analysis using tools such as ETAP or SKM.
Intermediate skills in: Application of industry standards and codes (e.g., NEC, IEEE, NFPA 70E, API RP 500/505).
Intermediate skills in: Electrical system design, commissioning, and maintenance best practices.
Intermediate skills in: Integration of electrical systems with Electrical Control Management System (ECMS)
Familiarity with ABB or GE electrical control systems.
Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity and electrical system monitoring.
Basic/Beginner skills in Process Safety Management (PSM) and operational risk management
Basic/Beginner skills in Management of Change (MOC)
Basic/Beginner skills in Root cause investigations
Managing interfaces and working closely with Project and Operations teams during detailed design, construction, commissioning, startup, and post-startup operations.

Responsibilities

Provide Electrical Systems and Power Distribution Engineering Support for the RGLNG facility, delivering critical support to both day-to-day operations and long-term system reliability initiatives.
Primary Engineering Support for power distribution systems, including microprocessor-based protective relays, medium/low voltage switchgear, large variable frequency drives (VFDs), motor control centers (MCCs), and associated protective equipment.
Provide technical leadership for electrical protection schemes, load management, and coordination studies to ensure power system integrity and operational resilience.
Maintain comprehensive arc flash studies in compliance with NFPA 70E and IEEE 1584 standards to ensure electrical safety and regulatory compliance at oil and gas facilities.
Provide engineering support to ECMS and Alarm Management.
Assist in management of the area classification program to ensure accurate zoning, compliance with safety and regulatory standards, and alignment with operational risk management strategies.
Deliver frontline engineering support for troubleshooting control logic issues, electrical protection trips, and power equipment malfunctions, driving rapid root cause analysis and minimizing downtime.
Track and report KPIs focused on electrical system performance, reliability, safety, and maintenance effectiveness.
Lead and mentor technicians in advanced diagnostic methods, including the use of centralized control and electrical monitoring systems.
Collaborate with rotating equipment engineers, I&C engineers, and OEM contractors to ensure reliable refrigeration package performance.
Participate in PHA, HAZOP, assessments and other formal risk reviews—bringing electrical engineering insights into safety and reliability evaluations.
Ensure full MOC compliance across electrical and control system changes, including software revision tracking and documentation control.
Establish and enforce engineering discipline standards and procedures related to power distribution.
Monitor critical safety and power system barriers, ensuring impairments are addressed and risks are managed to ALARP.
Work cross-functionally with Operations, Maintenance, PSM, HSSE, OT, and other engineering disciplines to ensure plant-wide alignment.
Contribute to long-term facilities engineering and budget planning with a focus on power system modernization and reliability improvements.
Provide electrical support for brownfield modifications and tie-ins, ensuring safety and system compatibility.
Provide electrical support for turnaround planning and execution.

Benefits

Equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

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