NERC P&C Engineer

Leeward Renewable Energy•Dallas, OR

About The Position

LRE (Leeward Renewable Energy) is a high-growth renewable energy company forging a sustainable future through integrity, innovation, and positive impact. We own and operate 30 large wind, solar, and energy storage projects across the United States, totaling over 3 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity. LRE has an ambitious goal of 10GW of operating assets by 2028 and are developing and contracting an increasing pipeline of new projects every year. We take a full-lifecycle approach to our projects, built on a long-term ownership model and a company culture dedicated to our community partners and protecting the environment. Summary: The role of this position is to offer Electrical Engineering support for the Leeward portfolio of operating plants' operations projects. The main responsibility is to develop solutions that enhance the overall safety and reliability of wind, solar and BESS plants. This position reports directly to the Engineering Manager - Electrical. The primary objectives are to lead, design, schedule, and address critical issues related to the LRE’s operating fleet, while ensuring that the company guidelines for improving operations reliability are met. Managing complex and time-sensitive projects in a fast-paced environment is an essential requirement for this position. Additionally, effective communication with both the engineering and operations teams is crucial for successful completion of the assigned projects.

Requirements

4-Year Bachelors Electrical Engineering Degree.
Experience performing NERC PRC studies and good understanding of NERC PRC studies.
4-6 years of experience in protection and control engineering, preferably in a NERC-regulated environment.
Strong knowledge of NERC PRC standards is highly preferred.
Experience with protection system coordination studies and relay settings validation.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills for fault and short-circuit analyses.
Strong communication skills for preparing audit reports and collaborating with stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple projects and meet regulatory deadlines.
Familiarity with HV Substation (69 kV though 525 kV), equipment, and relay panels.
Practical knowledge of Protection & Control, SEL relays and settings including P&C design.
Ability to read and interpret electrical drawings, protection system to extract necessary information for NERC PRC reports.
Excellent communication skills, including ability to clearly communicate ideas to non-engineers.
Ability to remain focused and reliable in completing tasks and meeting deadlines with minimal supervision.
Demonstrated ability to be self-motivated and manage technical projects, including interaction with outside vendors.
Demonstrated ability to manage priorities in a complex and dynamic environment.
Applicants must have current authorization to work for any employer in the United States on a full-time basis without the need for an employment visa now or in the future. Employer visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Nice To Haves

Master Engineering degree is a plus.
Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain NERC PRC deliverables for regulatory compliance.
Perform protection system coordination studies and validate relay settings.
Design and review protection schemes for transmission, distribution, and generation assets.
Conduct fault studies and short-circuit analyses.
Monitor compliance with NERC PRC standards and prepare audit-ready documentation.
Investigate protection system misoperations and implement corrective actions per PRC-004.
Coordinate with internal teams and external utilities for inter-entity studies.
Prepare technical reports and evidence packages for NERC audits.
Maintain accurate records of relay settings, coordination studies, and misoperation analyses.
Participate in continuous improvement efforts aimed at optimizing protective coordination, reducing downtime and enhancing system operation.
Create detailed reports for internal and regulatory review, highlighting the performance and effectiveness of protection systems.