Principal, Grid Interconnection

ERCOT • Austin, TX

1d • $182,000 - $251,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

At ERCOT, our diverse and dynamic work environment provides a platform on which employees can work together to build the future of the Texas power grid and wholesale market utilizing the latest technologies and resources. We encourage you to join our talented, dedicated workforce to develop world-class solutions for today and tomorrow’s energy challenges while learning new skills and growing your career. ERCOT is committed to fostering inclusion at all levels of our company. It is the cornerstone of our corporate values of accountability, leadership, innovation, trust, and expertise. We know that individuals with a wide variety of talents, ideas, and experiences propel the innovation that drives our success. An inclusive and diverse workforce strengthens us and allows for a collaborative environment to solve the challenges that face our industry today and in the future. Creates and communicates a vision that anticipates, identifies, and explains challenges and opportunities in ERCOT’s grid interconnection, including Large Load interconnection. Develops approaches, processes, and engineering solutions that increase ERCOT’s capabilities in evaluating system performance, integrating emerging technologies, and ensuring system reliability. Exerts enterprise-wide technical influence through advanced problem-solving and subject matter expertise.

Requirements

• Requires minimum 10 years of job-related experience in Wholesale-Electric Systems Operations, Transmission Planning, System Operations, Grid Operations, Interconnection Studies, or Power System Modeling required
• Prior experience supervising or leading a team or project required
• Experience performing interconnection evaluation event analysis, and dynamic models is preferred
• Bachelor’s Degree: Electrical Engineering or related field (Required)
• Master’s Degree: Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, or related field (Preferred) or a combination of education and experience that provides equivalent knowledge to a major in such fields is required

Nice To Haves

• Experience with the ERCOT stakeholder process
• Experience with stability analysis
• Experience presenting at industry conferences
• Participation in industry groups such as NERC, IEEE, etc.
• PE – Professional Engineer (Preferred)

Responsibilities

• Recognized as a subject matter expert with advanced technical skills and competencies; frequently contributes to the development of new theories and methods.
• Employs highly developed problem-resolution skills using professional concepts and ERCOT objectives to resolve complex issues.
• Exercises significant latitude in determining objectives, methods, methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for assignments.
• Advises and leads work of lower-level engineers and provides program/project leadership within matrixed teams.
• Interacts with management and senior customers on matters requiring coordination across organizational boundaries.
• Develops methodologies, criteria, and modeling expectations for evaluating Generation Resource and Large Load interconnections, including modeling requirements for synchronous machines, inverter-based resources, and large industrial loads.
• Leads the technical development of new processes to enable the interconnection of large flexible loads and large loads co-located with new generation.
• Develops and proposes new rules, guidelines, study practices, and modeling requirements for emerging technologies—including battery energy storage systems, hybrid resources, distributed generation, and large flexible loads—and supports Protocol and Guide Revision Requests through the ERCOT stakeholder process.
• Represents ERCOT in external technical forums, conferences, NERC groups, IEEE working groups, and ISO/RTO collaboration efforts by providing expertise on interconnection practices, system performance, stability criteria, and emerging technology impacts.
• Publishes conceptual papers, study methodology documents, and technical reports that advance industry understanding of interconnection studies, system analysis techniques, and modeling of emerging technologies.
• Mentors ERCOT engineers in advanced interconnection analysis techniques and provides coaching on interpretation of complex technical results and the development of high-quality engineering reports.
• Provides technical guidance to leadership on complex interconnection and system analysis issues, including evaluation of reliability risks, operational impacts, and long-term implications of new technologies or system trends.
• Provides technical guidance to leadership on the uses of AI for improving Interconnection processes.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• health, dental, vision, life insurance, long/short-term disability insurance, long-term care insurance, Section 125 Flexible Spending Account, and a Retirement Savings Plan.
• 401(k) plans are available

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal