Power System Principal Engineer

City of Austin

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

At the City of Austin, we are more than just an employer—we are a vibrant community dedicated to shaping one of the nation's most dynamic and innovative cities. As we strive to fulfill our commitment as public servants, it is important that we ground our efforts in a set of guiding principles – Empathy, Ethics, Excellence, Engagement, and Equity – anchors in delivering services that significantly impact the lives of Austinites. Joining the City of Austin means embarking on a purposeful career, contributing to the community, and being part of a forward-thinking organization that values every employee. The purpose of this position is to push the advancement of the Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) . This position will act as an Individual Contributor using their in-depth knowledge of ADMS systems and utility processes to increase and fully utilize the capabilities of our ADMS, coordinate with other work groups to improve and optimize work processes using the ADMS to gain efficiencies, and to improve the customer experience and satisfaction as a result. This is a 24/7 on-call job to ensure the critical SCADA/ADMS system used by the System Control Center Operators, Field Crews, Call Center Representatives, and more have accurate and up to date information. These critical positions need a clear view of the Austin Energy Power Grid at the Distribution level, so that they have the information they need to make appropriate decisions in identifying outages, crew locations, customers affected, and the state of our distribution system Job Description: Power System Principal Engineer Purpose: Under general direction, provides professional technical and specialized engineering expertise to assure delivery of services to customers, advancement of new technologies and processes, and/or development and maintenance of technical utility standards.

Requirements

Knowledge of engineering design principles applicable to electric utility operations such as, generation, transmission, distribution and other related fields.
Knowledge of utility standards and regulatory requirements, to meet North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and Texas Public Utility Commission (TX PUC) compliance requirements.
Knowledge of engineering standards, codes, practices, procedures, materials, and equipment used in the design, construction, and operation of the electric utility systems.
Knowledge of established engineering principles and methods.
Knowledge of preparation of cost estimates and engineering and feasibility reports.
Knowledge of regulatory requirements within the Local, State and Federal ordinances and laws.
Knowledge of City of Austin purchasing and contract policies and procedures.
Skill in oral and written technical and/or general communication including preparation of written reports.
Skill in negotiations and handling conflict resolution.
Ability to perform more complex engineering calculations and to analyze engineering problems.
Graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in Engineering, or in a field related to the job, eight (8) years of experience in engineering, acquired either before and/or after licensing as a professional engineer.
Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Texas; or if currently licensed in another state, the ability to obtain a Texas PE license within one (1) year of employment.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated expertise supporting ADMS model updates, display configuration, and device communication design.
Proven ability to lead the commissioning and integration of SCADA controlled equipment.
Proficiency with SQL and the development of data driven operational insights and reports.
Advanced technical leadership in ADMS applications (such as VVO), including configuration, tuning, performance assessment, and optimization.
Experience enhancing system model accuracy through load flow tuning, data validation, and correction of measurement issues.
Demonstrated capability to mentor engineering staff and elevate team expertise in ADMS and SCADA processes.
Strong ability to build alignment and drive solutions across cross‑functional teams, operational groups, and vendors.

Responsibilities

Develops technical specifications and standards by applying knowledge of the principles and practices of engineering discipline, including the methods, materials, equipment and techniques used.
Plans, research, designs, and implements engineering studies and projects and/or program areas by applying advance technical knowledge of engineering discipline.
Manages and negotiates contracts by reviewing monthly progress reports, verifying final quantities and costs, compiling requisite documentation, reviewing change orders, and auditing as-built records.
Acts as a liaison among consultants, contractors, subcontractors, manufacturers, fabricators or suppliers and City.
Negotiates problems of changes, errors or deficiencies and ensures compliance with project specifications and requirements.
Manages and monitors engineering projects for compliance.
Reviews, analyzes, and interprets plans, specifications, contracts and other related documents.
Develops and monitors project budgets and assists in developing, managing and submitting proposed budget forecast planning for short- and long-term city planning.
Monitor projects for regulatory compliance and maintains knowledge of the latest developments in the utility industry, to meet North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and Texas Public Utility Commission (TX PUC) standards and regulatory requirements.
May provide leadership, work assignments, evaluation, and guidance to others.