Principal Power Systems Professional Engineer

City Of Tacoma•Tacoma, WA

About The Position

Join Tacoma Power's Transmission & Distribution team and help us deliver safe, reliable, and resilient power to our community. This senior-level engineering role leads a team of three distribution line engineers and serves as a subject matter expert for complex overhead and underground distribution design (15 kV & below). You will shape system improvements, guide standards, and ensure the integrity of the distribution network that powers Tacoma.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or directly related field
5 years of experience in power engineering including 2 years as a licensed Professional Engineer working in the electrical power industry
Relevant education and experience may substitute for one another on a year-for-year basis.
Washington State Licensed Professional Engineer
Washington State Driver's License
Some positions may require individuals to complete annual CIP training after employment and pass a comprehensive personal risk assessment (background check) prior to employment and every five years thereafter as required by federal regulatory requirements (NERC-CIP)

Responsibilities

Oversee complex design of overhead and underground distribution facilities.
Evaluate and acquire engineering tools to be used by the team.
Perform structure & pole-strength calculations, along with wire clearance & stringing analysis using tools such as SPIDAcalc, PLS-CADD and SAG10.
Design underground cable systems (15kV 600-800A Feeder, & 200A URD) using cable-pulling analysis tools and incorporate into conduit & vault layout.
Apply advanced knowledge of function & applications of protective devices, transformers, switches, switchgear, regulators, and capacitors.
Production of work order designs ensuring they meet Tacoma Power Standards, NESC (ANSI C2), and worker-safety requirements (WAC 296 / OSHA 1926).
Partner across Tacoma Power to deliver safe, efficient, customer-focused solutions:
Support Line and Substation Operations (Construction & Maintenance) as a technical resource.
Coordinate work effort and internal procedures with T&D Engineering, Planning, Safety, Real Property, Procurement, Standards, and Warehouse teams.
Engage with Account Executives and Customer Experience on customer impacted projects.
Review permits, easements, and public documents affecting the operating rights of Tacoma Power facilities.
Support Joint Use and telecommunications pole-attachment reviews and estimates.
Support New Service Engineering projects with related temporary & permanent system improvement designs and cost estimates.
Lead, mentor, and develop a three-engineer distribution line design team.
Oversee design quality, work order development, with the application of PE stamp where required.
Guide work ranging from single-structure modifications to large multi-stakeholder system upgrades.
Manage biennial budget funds related to facility relocations, OH-to-UG conversions, and asset-management replacements.
Serve as Project Manager/Lead when needed—developing scope, schedules, estimates, resource requirements, and communication plans.
Track project performance and implement corrective actions.
Represent Tacoma Power on externally driven projects (WSDOT, City of Tacoma, Pierce County, Port of Tacoma, etc.) and support development of interagency agreements.