Operations Monitoring and Diagnostic Center Analyst / Engineer

About the position

Are you ready to be a part of a rapidly growing team that's at the forefront of technological innovation and energy generation? If you have a passion for troubleshooting, analyzing complex systems, and making a tangible impact, this is the opportunity you've been waiting for! At Southern Company, we thrive in an ever-changing landscape of cutting-edge technology and diverse generation assets. We are seeking talented individuals who are excited about solving challenging problems and driving meaningful change. As a key member of our team, you'll have the chance to work on groundbreaking projects, collaborate with industry experts, and grow your career in an environment that values creativity and innovation. Don't miss out on this chance to make a difference and be a part of something truly extraordinary. If you're ready to take your career to the next level, join us and help shape the future of energy!

Responsibilities

• Function as part of the Operations Monitoring and Diagnostic (OM&D) Center located at the Energy Center in Birmingham, Al.
• Provide 24/7 monitoring and diagnostics support to the Southern Company Fleet of Generation assets including Nuclear, Fossil, Gas, Hydro, Solar, Distributed Energy, BESS and Transmission assets.
• Serve as the continuous 24/7 Remote Operations Center (ROC) for the retail fleet of Renewable, BESS and Distributed Energy Resources, providing remote monitoring, diagnostics, and operation of these assets.
• Physically report to the OM&D Center in Birmingham, AL. Hybrid or remote work options are not available.
• Work 12-hour rotating shifts with rotating off days.
• Develop, deploy, monitor, and refine effective on-line equipment performance and condition assessment models using an Advanced Pattern Recognition (APR) tool.
• Monitor and analyze APR tool and PI event frames alarms. Utilize trending and SME analysis if needed to verify validity of alarms.
• Communicate with Plant Operations personnel regarding any equipment issues observed.
• Solicit involvement and anomaly assessment from System Owners, CBM Specialists and Engineering, to identify and classify risks, issue recommendations, and follow up for resolutions that are tracked to completion.
• Continuously seek to identify and improve monitoring and diagnostic methods and include these capabilities in all applicable APR models and applicable software tools.
• Interact, establish, and improve relationships with Generation, Transmission, Distribution, Nuclear, Renewable Generation and any other customers of the Operations M&D Center.
• Document all observed anomalies for future tracking and reporting.
• Monitor the performance and reliability of Renewable and Distributed Energy assets and communicating any deficiencies.
• Operate remote assets for reliability, performance, and equipment protection.
• Monitor and analyze alarms and communicate them to the appropriate site personnel.
• Utilize and complete appropriate procedures for tasks associated with each Plant site.
• Communicate, and coordinate daily and future activities with site personnel, system operations and transmission, field technicians and asset management for remotely operated Renewable and Distributed Energy Resources.
• Log all site events, alarms, resets, dispatches, and curtailments.

Requirements

• Extensive knowledge and understanding of power plant systems across multiple types of power plant units is desired (Supercritical, Drum, Combined Cycle, Nuclear, Hydro).
• Knowledge and experience related to Renewables specifically in Battery Energy Storage and Solar Power Plant Operations is desired.
• Knowledge and experience in Plant Performance, and/or Engineering is desired.
• Hands-on experience with PI or other data historians - building trends and analyzing data is desired.
• Extensive knowledge and experience of Transmission and/or Distribution operations is desired.
• Proficiency in the use of Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Tableau, and other applications.
• Ability to use multiple data sources such as SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), Shift reporting, Maximo, and data historians to troubleshoot, communicate and document equipment problems.
• Experience in organizing and managing multiple projects at the same time. Proven ability to plan and ability to discern problems that need immediate attention versus those that allow more time to resolve.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Annual incentive awards for eligible employees
• Health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being