Reliability Engineer

AES US•Louisville, CO

About The Position

The Reliability Engineer supports AES Clean Energy’s operations team and serves as a technical and engineering domain expert for reliable, available operation of medium- and high-voltage (MV/HV) systems. The role develops and implements a comprehensive reliability strategy for installed and operating assets, focusing on the mechanical and electrical operation of MV/HV equipment and related components. The engineer works independently with minimal supervision while promoting teamwork and continuous improvement, and reviews practical system designs at a high level. The position supports a portfolio of renewable energy assets by improving equipment reliability and availability, investigating failures, coordinating repairs and remediation, and identifying opportunities for repowering and retrofits. It also contributes reliability expertise to project development and design, helping inform equipment selection and ensure new systems reflect reliability principles and best practices. The role is ideally located in Louisville, Colorado; other U.S. AES offices may be considered with hiring manager approval. Travel to project locations and partner offices may be up to 10–15%.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience in engineering or an equivalent technical field.
At least 2 years of professional engineering experience focused on measuring and maintaining equipment reliability, with an emphasis on high-power electrical systems.
Hands-on experience in operations and/or commissioning; experience with electrical equipment manufacturing, testing, or maintenance is desirable within this qualification.
Experience in renewable power generation and familiarity with MV/HV technologies and systems, such as generators, electrical subsystems, PCS, BESS, PV generation, DC wiring, controls, substation integration, and HVAC.
Experience leading root-cause analysis and failure-mode analysis methods, including FMEA.
Experience calculating reliability metrics such as MTBF, MTTR, and Weibull measures.
High proficiency in reading and understanding equipment and facility schematics.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office software.
Experience using data analytics results and database tools.
Experience with CMMS, including SAP PM.
Experience with SCADA and condition-monitoring systems.
Strong commitment to a quality safety culture and an incident-free work environment.
Willingness to travel within the U.S. to support the company’s substation-asset portfolio.
Personal values consistent with AES values: Safety, Integrity, Excellence, Agility, and Fun.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer qualification or progress toward qualification.
Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) certification from the Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals (SMRP).
Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) certification from ASQ.
Master’s degree or equivalent experience in engineering.
Experience with control logic and power electronic devices.
Experience with renewable power production, utility interconnection practices, and contract terms.
OSHA 10 training.
Proficiency in Python or other analysis tools beyond Excel.
Proficiency in SQL for querying and managing data from SQL servers.
Proficiency with CAD tools.
Spanish-language skills.

Responsibilities

Develop and oversee implementation of reliability strategies for a portfolio of MV/HV assets, balancing operating needs with long-term asset performance goals.
Establish fleet-level standard processes for maintenance activities and hardware configuration to improve equipment reliability and availability.
Analyze reliability and availability of MV/HV hardware and components, identify root causes of performance problems, and facilitate action plans.
Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, OEMs, subcontractors, and vendors to troubleshoot projects, identify equipment defects, and develop repair or remediation plans.
Lead and facilitate major repairs at operational sites.
Design equipment modifications and coordinate their implementation with AES subcontractors and vendors as needed.
Lead development and implementation of failure mode and effects analyses (FMEAs) for critical assets and define appropriate mitigation strategies.
Facilitate continuous improvement of maintenance practices with internal operations personnel and third-party vendors.
Evaluate vendor-specific business cases, such as warranty extensions and self-perform maintenance packages.
Perform Job Safety Assessments and Safety Walks to identify job-site hazards.
Implement technologies and practices such as electrical monitoring systems and thermal imaging to improve reliability and uptime.
Scope and implement tools and software for operations, using SAP and work management processes; own reliability KPI calculations.
Oversee development and structure of asset master data in the CMMS/ERP system, including asset hierarchies, bills of materials, and criticality assessments.
Evaluate operating sites for repowering and retrofit opportunities, including cost-benefit analysis and long-term repower planning.
Contribute to AES US Renewables growth planning, process improvement task forces, and strategic planning activities.
Share operational issues with new-project development teams so they can be mitigated through improved design and equipment selection.
Perform life-cycle cost modeling of project designs to inform equipment and component selection.
Provide reliability-focused feedback during design reviews and help ensure new systems and equipment incorporate reliability principles and best practices.
Improve and develop processes for executing safe, high-quality, high-reliability projects.
Stay informed about changing technology trends, standard methodologies, and safety practices.
Provide guidance, mentorship, and technical expertise to junior reliability engineers.
Travel within the U.S. to support the company’s portfolio of substation assets, as needed.