Project Engineering Manager

Zanskar•Salt Lake City, UT

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Zanskar is developing geothermal resources to provide affordable renewable energy and support a carbon-free electrical grid. The Project Engineering Manager will own the technical backbone of the company’s first geothermal plant designs and help establish a repeatable template for future plants. This includes ownership of the design basis, company-wide technical specifications, and lessons learned that help make subsequent plants cheaper and faster to build. Within the first six months, the role is expected to clarify and own the design basis and engineering scope for the power plant, substation, and gen-tie, and ensure they are understood by the EPC contractor and Project Delivery team. The manager will establish the engineering and design management plan, including deliverable schedules and review processes, and coordinate constructability, operability/maintainability, design model, and HAZOP reviews. They will ensure review actions are closed before stage gates and operate a management-of-change process for evaluating, approving, and documenting technical and scope changes, including their cost and schedule impacts. The role will capture technical lessons learned and develop company-wide technical specifications and a standard design basis. As Project Delivery’s technical representative, the manager will participate in stage gates and work with the independent engineer, coordinate technical interfaces with the interconnection group, approve technical submittals and procurement packages with the procurement team, and build relationships with engineers and contractors responsible for design, construction, and commissioning. The position is full-time, salaried, and on-site in Salt Lake City, Utah, with periodic travel to project locations, the EPC contractor’s office, and key equipment suppliers. It reports to the VP of Project Delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in mechanical, civil, electrical, chemical, or construction engineering.
10 or more years of engineering experience in heavy infrastructure.
At least one project taken from design through commissioning.
Experience leading design, constructability, and HAZOP reviews and ensuring actions are closed before project advancement.
Experience managing outside engineers and contractors, including engineering-of-record and EPC teams, through design reviews, RFIs, and change orders.
Experience managing people; ability to hire and mentor engineers.
Ability to explain technical tradeoffs and articulate design solutions clearly to stakeholders.
Ability to work on-site in Salt Lake City, Utah, and travel periodically to project locations, the EPC contractor’s office, and key equipment suppliers.

Nice To Haves

Experience in geothermal, binary ORC, power plants, oil and gas, or chemicals.
Working knowledge of substation and high-voltage gen-tie design.
Experience developing standardized designs or technical specifications across multiple projects.
Owner-side experience on EPC-contracted projects.
Experience working with an independent engineer or lender’s technical advisor.

Responsibilities

Own the design basis and engineering scope for the power plant, substation, and gen-tie.
Ensure engineering scope and design are understood by the EPC contractor and Project Delivery team.
Establish the engineering and design management plan, including the design deliverable schedule and review process.
Schedule constructability, operability/maintainability, design model, and HAZOP reviews, and ensure actions are closed before stage gates.
Implement and manage the process for evaluating, approving, and documenting technical and scope changes, including their cost and schedule impacts.
Capture technical lessons learned and develop company-wide technical specifications and a standard design basis.
Represent engineering at project stage gates and in work with the independent engineer.
Coordinate technical interfaces with the interconnection group.
Approve technical submittals and procurement packages in coordination with the procurement team.
Build working relationships with engineers and contractors who will carry the design through construction and commissioning.
Own company-wide technical specifications and the process for approving deviations from them.
Manage outside engineers and contractors through design reviews, RFIs, and change orders.
Manage people and hire and mentor engineers.
Communicate technical tradeoffs and optimal design solutions to stakeholders to achieve buy-in.