Senior Field Service Engineer

Forgent•El Paso, NM

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Field Service Engineer is the technical authority for complex field service, commissioning, and modernization of low- and medium-voltage power systems and, where applicable, high-voltage systems. The role covers transformers and their protection and control, with responsibility for ensuring complete electrical systems operate safely and as designed. It provides on-site technical leadership, oversees safe work execution, interfaces with customers and project teams, mentors engineers and technicians, and drives quality, schedule adherence, and continuous improvement. The engineer leads commissioning, startup, acceptance testing, advanced diagnostics, protection relay verification, transformer condition assessment, failure investigation, and repair or modernization programs. The role also directs field crews and contractors, establishes test plans and field standards, supports safety investigations, coordinates with engineering, OEMs, project teams, and supply chain, and produces service documentation and customer training. The position is primarily field-based at customer facilities such as industrial plants, utilities, data centers, commercial facilities, and substations. Travel is typically 50–80%, may include nights, weekends, holidays, and emergency call-outs, and participation in a regional on-call rotation is required. Long-duration assignments may last several weeks to 12 or more months. Assignments outside the home region typically follow a rotation of three consecutive weeks on site followed by one week in the home office. Work can involve confined spaces, elevated platforms, hot or cold environments, rotating machinery, and energized equipment, subject to applicable safety rules and PPE requirements.

Requirements

At least 11 years of progressively responsible field experience with MV/HV switchgear, breakers, and protection and control systems; alternatively, an aligned bachelor's or associate degree combined with demonstrated field experience and technical competency equivalent to this level.
Demonstrated ability to lead field crews and manage on-site execution for complex commissioning and service events.
Strong working knowledge of electrical safety practices, including NFPA 70E/OSHA or local equivalents, LOTO, and arc-flash risk controls.
Proven experience reading, troubleshooting, and redlining schematics, wiring diagrams, and one-line diagrams.
Demonstrated authority in transformer field testing and condition assessment, including interpretation of DGA and electrical diagnostic results against IEEE C57 criteria.
Ability to develop commissioning and test plans, verify I/O, and perform functional checks from drawings and sequences of operation.
Ability to write clear field reports and maintain accurate test documentation.
Valid driver's license with an acceptable motor vehicle record, maintained throughout employment, and ability to travel as required, sometimes on short notice.
Must be at least 21 years of age to be assigned and operate a company-provided service vehicle.
Must be able and willing to obtain DOT non-CDL qualification, including a current DOT medical card where required for towing test trailers or oil-processing equipment, and comply with applicable DOT regulations.
Expert-level troubleshooting across switchgear mechanical, electrical, and protection/control domains.
Strong customer communication skills, including explaining findings, constraints, and corrective actions in clear, non-technical language.
Working knowledge of common test instruments and safe test setups, including validation of calibration status.
Strong planning and prioritization skills and ability to manage multiple work fronts during outages.
Ability to lead incident response and structured problem solving, including 5-Why, fishbone analysis, and corrective and preventive actions.
Mentoring and coaching capability across technician levels.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word and Excel) and mobile/field reporting tools.
Ability to travel typically 50–80%, participate in the regional on-call rotation, and respond to emergency call-outs, including at nights, weekends, and holidays.
Ability to meet the physical requirements of lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs, moving test equipment and tools, standing, kneeling, bending, climbing ladders and stairs, working at heights, differentiating conductor colors and indicator states, reading instruments and displays, and handling transformer test leads, oil hoses, and oil-handling equipment, including lifting up to 75 lbs with assistance.
Ability to work in confined spaces, on elevated platforms, in hot/cold environments, and around rotating machinery and energized equipment, and wear required PPE.

Nice To Haves

Experience commissioning digital protection relays and IEC 61850/GOOSE networks, where applicable.
Certification or formal training in SFRA, partial discharge, or other advanced transformer diagnostic methods.
Experience leading transformer failure investigations and refurbishment or retrofit programs.
Experience interfacing with power system studies, including coordination, short circuit, and arc-flash labeling, and validating them in the field.
Familiarity with major relay platforms such as SEL, GE/Multilin, ABB/Hitachi, and Siemens, and with breaker OEMs.
ANSI/NETA ETT Level 4 (Certified Senior Technician), NICET Level IV, or OSHA 30 certification.
Completion of Forgent Power TQP Level 5.

Responsibilities

Lead commissioning and startup of complete electrical systems, acceptance testing, and verification of system performance.
Serve as the primary technical escalation point for advanced control, protection, and integration issues.
Plan and perform advanced diagnostics for equipment and protection/control issues, including intermittent faults and complex system interactions.
Commission protection relays and perform end-to-end verification; validate settings against approved setting files and drawings.
Execute and direct acceptance, maintenance, and condition-based testing, including insulation resistance, contact resistance, timing/travel analysis, injection testing, relay logic verification, and SCADA/RTU I/O checks.
Lead transformer condition assessment and failure investigation, including advanced diagnostics and assessment of test, oil-analysis, and inspection data against baselines.
Diagnose complex transformer faults, including overheating, abnormal gassing, bushing degradation, winding deformation, and load tap changer failures.
Lead transformer commissioning and acceptance testing for complete substations, including energization planning and switching sequences.
Direct transformer repair, overhaul, refurbishment, and retrofit programs, including load tap changer overhaul and internal inspection.
Report transformer failure investigation findings and recommend repair, refurbishment, retrofit, or replacement.
Define regional transformer test plans, standards, and acceptance criteria, and support their inclusion in the Technical Qualification Program.
Interface with engineering and OEMs on transformer design limits, loading, warranty, and return material authorization determinations.
Provide technical leadership during outages, turnarounds, and critical recovery events; communicate status, risks, and mitigation plans.
Direct testing activities, manage multiple work fronts, and lead field crews, contractors, and junior engineers.
Approve commissioning documentation and close out actions with customer sign-off.
Mentor and supervise Field Service Engineers and technicians at Levels 1 through 4; review work quality and coach troubleshooting approaches.
Lead equipment-level and system-level modernization, retrofit, and integration projects.
Define execution strategies, risk mitigation plans, and field quality standards for complex programs.
Interpret retrofit drawings and relay and control information, and confirm field readiness for execution.
Direct corrective maintenance and repair activities, including breaker overhaul support, mechanism adjustments, alignment, lubrication, and component replacement.
Lead on-site safety briefings and enforce LOTO, arc-flash controls, energized-work restrictions, job hazard analysis, and permit requirements.
Lead root cause investigations, including high-potential safety events, and drive corrective and preventive actions.
Develop and standardize field procedures, commissioning standards, and best practices; support development of the Technical Qualification Program.
Coordinate with project managers, engineering, factory, and supply chain on parts identification, warranty/RMA, technical escalations, and root cause analysis.
Produce field service reports, test records, punch lists, commissioning checklists, and nonconformance documentation.
Deliver customer training and knowledge transfer on system operation, basic maintenance, and safety considerations.
Identify modernization opportunities and communicate leads through the appropriate channels.