Senior Operations Planning Engineer

Apex Clean Energy•Charlottesville, VA

3h•Hybrid

About The Position

Apex Clean Energy is seeking a Senior Operations Planning Engineer to join our growing Transmission Department. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Development Strategy, in close coordination with Apex’s Asset Management Team, and with full support of the existing Transmission team, the Senior Operations Planning Engineer will support near-term transmission planning and operational readiness for a growing portfolio of wind, solar and storage generation assets. This role focuses on evaluating grid performance, identifying transmission risks, assessing the impact of outages/upgrades, and implementing solutions to ensure reliable and optimized operation of projects in both pre-COD and operational phases. The ideal candidate for this role will have six or more years of directly related experience combining strong technical expertise in power systems and production cost modeling with a practical understanding of how transmission constraints and DA/RT markets impact renewable asset performance and revenue. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to take part in the industry’s shift to clean energy onboard a recognized leader in this space that continues to grow exponentially while also becoming a highly skilled subject matter expert in all aspects of power system planning and energy market analysis.

Requirements

Master’s degree in electrical engineering, power systems, or related
6+ years of combined experience in markets, operations, and transmission planning with deep knowledge of those fundamentals
Strong understanding of power systems, economic analyses, and production cost modeling
Demonstrated experience supporting the operation of renewable assets in this capacity
Deep understanding of existing market financial instruments and trading mechanisms (FTRs, ARRs, etc)
Strong knowledge of congestion management, LMP/basis and curtailment drivers, and DA/RT market dynamics.
Experience in appropriate system modeling tools (PSLF, PROMOD, GRIDVIEW, UPLAN, PSSE, TARA, and/or other tools used for the role)
Ability to take part in collaborative efforts with peers and colleagues
Excellent planning and organizational skills
Exemplary standards of honor, ethics, quality, communication, and productivity
High attention to detail
Strong interpersonal skills, demonstrated success at meeting deadlines, and the ability to manage many tasks, people, and projects simultaneously
A positive attitude and comfortable being flexible, adaptable, and solutions-oriented

Nice To Haves

Working from our headquarters in Charlottesville, Virginia would be preferred, but a remote position could be discussed for the right candidate.

Responsibilities

Perform power system studies (steady state power flow, contingency analysis, etc.) to evaluate near-term grid conditions impacting operating assets.
Maintain a repository of scheduled outages that are likely to significantly impact operational assets and assess their impact through detailed studies.
Track and evaluate the impacts of transmission upgrades and outages across the portfolio.
Develop, benchmark, and maintain economic models to forecast congestion, LMPs, basis, and other key project economics.
Analyze drivers behind transmission constraints, curtailment risk, and congestion patterns affecting operational assets.
Support operational readiness and decision-making through scenario analysis informed by various studies.
Improve existing methodologies and identify tools to better evaluate congestion, curtailment, and nodal price impacts.
Monitor and analyze planning and operational data from ISOs/RTOs (e.g., congestion reports, outage schedules, planning models).
Participation in ISO/RTO specific stakeholder processes related to near term transmission planning and markets/operations.
Partner with Asset Management and Operations teams to diagnose and mitigate transmission-related performance issues.
Provide actionable recommendations to improve deliverability and reduce curtailment and basis exposure.
Collaborate closely with Operations, Trading, and Commercial teams to inform bidding strategies, revenue forecasts, and risk mitigation strategies.
Coordinate with external consultants as needed for specialized studies.

Benefits

A mission-driven, energetic environment that supports and encourages our people to do their best work every day.
A respect for and celebration of individuality, differences, and uniqueness
Collaborative and driven professional workforce committed to supporting your ideas and feedback and accelerating your potential
Ongoing support and guidance such as on-the-job learning, hands-on experience, and mentorship
Training, strategies, and tools to support your personal and professional growth
Team atmosphere of diverse professionals committed to making an impact as an organization
Opportunities to volunteer and give back to our local communities
Exceptional benefits such as medical and dental; 401(k) with corporate match
Base and bonus commensurate with experience
Responsible Paid Time Off plus standard company holidays
Benefits Offered: comprehensive high-deductible health plans, dental and vision insurance plans, short-term and long-term disability, group life insurance, 401(k) corporate matching, flexible spending arrangements, company paid parking and cell phone, fitness and wellness corporate discounts