Reliability Engineer/Engineer Associate

Southern Company • Atlanta, GA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Area Reliability Engineer’s primary responsibilities are to support distribution reliability needs in his or her assigned area(s) and to also support GPC distribution reliability initiatives by assisting with corporate reliability projects throughout the state. The successful candidate must be a champion of Safety Excellence. Safety and attention to detail are paramount in this position. Therefore, the successful candidate will be expected to incorporate appropriate safety measures into all aspects of their job. He or she will be expected to engineer and manage their projects efficiently, on schedule, and without service interruptions. The Area Reliability Engineer will be required to perform field investigations, analyze outage management system data, SCADA data, and metering data to determine root causes impacting distribution reliability and then engineer solutions to optimize system performance. This position will perform circuit studies within their assigned area(s) and in other areas around the state based on priority of corporate reliability objectives. All reliability projects must be thoroughly evaluated to ensure maximized effectiveness. The responsibilities of this position also include working with the Distribution Automation team on commissioning, testing, and maintaining distribution automation equipment, protective relays, controls, and communication equipment. The Area Reliability Engineer will perform, in conjunction with the Distribution Automation group, all work needed to program and commission electronic devices installed on the distribution system. Duties also include working with and around low voltage. The successful candidate will be considered the subject matter expert on protection and coordination in their assigned area(s). He or she will work closely with area engineering, Distribution Planning, Area Planning, Renewables, and the TMC organization, providing them with technical expertise, breaker relay settings and protective device relay settings as needed. This will require interaction with multiple work groups including P&C Applications, Operations Support and P&C Field Services &/or Distribution Automation. He or she will be responsible for proper implementation of Company reliability strategies and ensuring proper coordination of protective schemes. When system upgrades occur, the Area Reliability Engineer must also ensure that protective equipment is sized appropriately, both in terms of continuous load carrying capacity and fault interrupting capability. The Area Reliability Engineer will be utilized as a technical resource and is required to demonstrate the skills obtained in GPC Level II Distribution Certification courses. He or she will provide guidance on customer related inquiries and distributed generation interconnection evaluations as needed. This position will review outage data regularly for quality assurance and monitor trends in performance. Periodically, he or she will be required to investigate device operations to ensure proper coordination and take corrective action(s) if necessary. The Area Reliability Engineer must maintain visibility, communicate effectively, promptly respond to concerns, and provide SERP & Supervisor On-Call support for their assigned area(s). The successful candidate must be capable of building rapport and establishing professional working relationships with all GPC stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a degree in a related field (i.e. Mathematics, Science); 4-year ABET accredited degree is required.
• Minimum of 3 years operations experience required in one or more of the following areas: Electric Power Distribution Operations, Electric Power Transmission Operations, Protection & Control (P&C) Field Services, P&C Applications.
• Knowledge of Section 0 and demonstrate Safety Excellence at all times.
• Model all aspects of Our Values - Safety First, Intentional Inclusion, Act with Integrity and Superior Performance.
• Possess knowledge of Southern Company engineering and construction best practices.
• Possess knowledge of Southern Company distribution operating procedures.
• Must be a self-starter, able to work independently, and capable of prioritizing multiple work assignments.
• Must be capable of producing designs that will enhance system reliability performance.
• Must be able to articulate and enforce applicable Company policies while providing excellent service for internal & external customers.
• Must have working knowledge of the NESC.
• Must be capable of creating quality distribution work orders, estimates and construction prints.
• Proven experience in writing and executing switching orders.
• Must possess effective project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet strict deadlines.
• Ability to work well with internal and external customers.
• Effective communication skills.
• Capable of working in a team environment that supports multiple organizations such as Sales, Customer Service, Area & Distribution Planning and Renewables.
• Must be capable of meeting the Official Transmission and Distribution Switching & Clearance List criteria.
• Candidate must be able to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
• Position requires walking through rough and uneven terrain.
• Candidate must be able to lift or move approximately 25 pounds of equipment and materials.
• Must be willing to serve in the supervisor on-call rotation at the assigned work location.
• Availability for local area emergency assistance after hours, nights, weekends and holidays is required.
• Ability to support restoration efforts in state and out of state is required.
• Must be available to travel overnight and provide statewide support while working alone and driving to remote locations.
• Candidate must currently hold a valid Driver's License.
• Strong technical aptitude and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

• Engineer in Training (EIT) certification is a plus.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license is preferred.
• Knowledge of electric utility distribution system operations, overhead and underground distribution design, distribution automation, and coordination of protective devices is preferred.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office products and other related engineering software systems is preferred.
• Working knowledge of CymTCC and CymDist is preferred.
• Knowledge of Georgia Power Company Distribution Bulletins, the Engineering Handbook & other relevant Company guidelines is preferred.
• Familiarity with hand tools and test equipment to repair mechanical and/or electrical equipment is desired.

Responsibilities

• Support distribution reliability needs in assigned area(s).
• Assist with corporate reliability projects throughout the state.
• Incorporate appropriate safety measures into all aspects of their job.
• Engineer and manage projects efficiently, on schedule, and without service interruptions.
• Perform field investigations, analyze outage management system data, SCADA data, and metering data to determine root causes impacting distribution reliability.
• Engineer solutions to optimize system performance.
• Perform circuit studies within assigned area(s) and in other areas around the state.
• Thoroughly evaluate all reliability projects to ensure maximized effectiveness.
• Work with the Distribution Automation team on commissioning, testing, and maintaining distribution automation equipment, protective relays, controls, and communication equipment.
• Program and commission electronic devices installed on the distribution system.
• Work with and around low voltage.
• Serve as the subject matter expert on protection and coordination in assigned area(s).
• Provide technical expertise, breaker relay settings and protective device relay settings to area engineering, Distribution Planning, Area Planning, Renewables, and the TMC organization.
• Interact with P&C Applications, Operations Support and P&C Field Services &/or Distribution Automation.
• Ensure proper implementation of Company reliability strategies and coordination of protective schemes.
• Ensure protective equipment is sized appropriately during system upgrades.
• Provide guidance on customer related inquiries and distributed generation interconnection evaluations.
• Review outage data regularly for quality assurance and monitor trends in performance.
• Investigate device operations to ensure proper coordination and take corrective action(s) if necessary.
• Maintain visibility, communicate effectively, promptly respond to concerns, and provide SERP & Supervisor On-Call support for assigned area(s).
• Build rapport and establish professional working relationships with all GPC stakeholders.

Benefits

• Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates if needed.
• Competitive base salary
• Annual incentive awards for eligible employees
• Health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being.
• Additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s).

What This Job Offers

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