Principal Project Engineer

DTE Energy•Detroit, MI

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Principal Project Engineer manages the development of project scopes and designs for large capital projects across the enterprise. This individual contributor manages one or more projects within scope and quality constraints, supporting the project manager’s delivery to schedule, cost, engineered requirements, and customer satisfaction. The role leads engineering activities across intermediate-to-large projects and/or multiple small projects, and provides regular management updates on scope, budgets, engineering costs, schedules, and design estimates. The engineer also trains new project engineers. The role manages design development from the conceptual phase through installation, testing, commissioning, and service, including scope, budget, quality, schedule controls, and on-time completion. It coordinates engineering with project management, Supply Chain, vendors, construction, stakeholders, permitting bodies, and other teams. The position is hybrid, with an established schedule of in-person work at an assigned location and remote work expected from the employee’s primary residence, subject to company guidelines. The incumbent must be available for a primary emergency-response assignment during storms or other events that affect customer service.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, engineering technology, or construction management.
Eight years of experience in engineering, project management, or capital infrastructure projects.
Proficient verbal, nonverbal, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate clearly, credibly, and confidently.
Written and verbal communication and advocacy skills, including the ability to present project and research results to all levels of the business unit and engage in persuasive interaction.
Analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify key issues among alternatives and recommend optimal solutions.
Ability to develop and coordinate cross-functional work groups and projects.
Business and management acumen beyond the incumbent’s specific job, enabling valuable insights and recommendations about broader policies, procedures, and practices.
Broad understanding of power generation, transmission, distribution, and regional power dispatch issues.
Ability to work in a team and/or matrix structure while supporting multiple clients, procedures, and policies.
Ability to conduct effective meetings and manage meeting processes toward optimal results.
Ability to handle multiple demands from superiors and peers positively and even-handedly, and remain calm under pressure.
Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage multiple tasks, issues, or projects, including high-visibility initiatives requiring innovation, teamwork, and planning.

Nice To Haves

Project and/or outage management experience in a utility setting.
PMP/PMI certification from the Project Management Institute.
Professional Engineer (PE) license from the State of Michigan.

Responsibilities

Provide engineering leadership to multiple intermediate-to-large capital projects and/or multiple small projects.
Serve as the organization’s primary interface and liaison for addressing issues and resolving engineering design problems across electrical distribution, transmission, power, generation, and/or gas.
Support project estimators in developing project cost estimates.
Manage engineering costs and control changes to project scope for engineering activities throughout the project life cycle.
Manage project design development from the conceptual phase through installation, testing, commissioning, and entry into service, including scope, budget, quality, schedule controls, and on-time completion.
Collaborate with stakeholders to execute projects within scope and develop contingency plans for planned outages during construction.
Support and advocate for project managers by incorporating design changes requested by permitting bodies and teams.
Ensure project requirements and objectives are documented and pursued through regular reporting, forecasting, final testing, reviews, and audits, and implement improvements in a timely manner.
Manage communication and risk planning, preliminary schedule and scope development, and information distribution to secure engineering support and compliance with safety, environmental, and other regulatory requirements.
Provide certified drawings for permits.
Support development of design specifications and procurement of long-lead-time or engineering-design equipment and materials.
Integrate project design and initial construction plans with Supply Chain, vendors, and project managers to coordinate engineering, procurement, and construction.
Work with the project manager to ensure engineering documentation is updated and accurate for new construction and as-builts.
Train new project engineers.
Be available to perform a primary assignment in support of the company’s emergency response to storms or other events affecting customer service.