Principal Instrumentation Engineer

Worley • Reading, PA

37d

About The Position

The Principal Hydroelectric Pumped Storage Engineer provides engineering expertise for the operation, maintenance, modernization, and reliability improvement of hydroelectric pumped storage generating facilities. The position requires extensive knowledge of plant operations, turbine-generator controls, governor systems, excitation systems, Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and industry standards including IEEE Std 1010, Guide for Control of Hydroelectric Power Plants.

Requirements

• Direct experience modernizing hydroelectric pumped storage generating units from relay-based controls to Emerson Ovation.
• Experience replacing generator start/stop relay logic.
• Experience replacing auxiliary system relay controls.
• Experience replacing governor control systems.
• Experience replacing excitation control systems.
• Experience replacing synchronizing systems.
• Knowledge of turbine-generator operational sequencing and the interaction between control, protection, and monitoring systems.
• Experience developing and reviewing control logic diagrams.
• Experience developing and reviewing I/O databases.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in power generation, hydroelectric facilities, and industrial control systems.
• Working knowledge of hydroelectric pumped storage turbine-generator systems.
• Working knowledge of governor systems.
• Working knowledge of excitation systems.
• Working knowledge of SCADA and DCS platforms.
• Working knowledge of protection and control systems.
• Experience with plant operations and troubleshooting.
• Experience with hydroelectric modernization projects.
• Familiarity with IEEE Std 1010 and IEEE Std 1249.
• Experience with Emerson Ovation DCS.
• Knowledge of NERC, FERC, utility operating requirements, and cyber security practices.
• Proficiency in reviewing control logic diagrams, relay drawings, and HMI displays.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline.

Nice To Haves

• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Hands-on plant operating knowledge combined with control system engineering expertise.
• Successfully led or supported projects involving the migration of legacy hydroelectric relay control systems to modern digital DCS platforms.
• Understands generating unit operating sequences, control room operations, alarm management, and control system architectures described in IEEE Std 1010.

Responsibilities

• Analyze plant operating issues and develop corrective actions.
• Support unit start-up, shutdown, synchronization, and operating sequence improvements.
• Review operating procedures and recommend enhancements for safety and reliability.
• Lead modernization projects involving replacement of legacy relay-based control systems with distributed control systems (DCS).
• Evaluate existing relay logic, hardwired control schemes, and electromechanical sequencing circuits and translate them into modern software-based control logic.
• Develop control narratives, functional design specifications, and sequence-of-operation documentation for digital control implementations.
• Review and validate conversion of unit startup, shutdown, synchronization, load control, and protection interface functions from relay-based systems to modern DCS architectures.
• Support Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), commissioning, and operational readiness reviews.
• Coordinate with Operations and Maintenance personnel to ensure digital control systems support established plant operating practices and reliability objectives.
• Verify compliance with hydroelectric control system industry practices as defined in IEEE Std 1010, including unit control, monitoring, local/remote operation, centralized control, and control system interfaces.
• Develop and review control logic narratives and sequence of operation documents.
• Implement control system upgrades and modernization projects.
• Apply the principles and guidance contained in IEEE Std 1010 for hydroelectric pumped storage control systems.
• Evaluate plant control philosophies and architectures against industry best practices.
• Review control interfaces, monitoring strategies, automation functions, and centralized control requirements.
• Investigate equipment failures and recurring operational issues.
• Develop asset improvement plans to improve unit availability and efficiency.
• Analyze operational trends and recommend optimizations.

Benefits

• Reskilling our people
• Leveraging transferable skills
• Supporting the transition of our workforce to become experts in today's low carbon energy infrastructure and technology.

What This Job Offers

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