Senior Reliability Engineer

AES Clean Energy•Louisville, CO

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The AES Corporation, a global power company with 8,300 employees across 12 countries, is seeking a Senior Reliability Engineer to join their Clean Energy (CE) operations. AES is a leader in renewable energy sales and is recognized for its strong workplace culture and ethical business practices. The company's mission is to improve lives by accelerating a safer and greener energy future. This role is pivotal in ensuring AES CE operates and maintains its portfolio to standards that exceed industry best-practice, focusing on the mechanical and electrical operation of PV+BESS Inverter systems. The Senior Reliability Engineer will drive the development and implementation of a comprehensive reliability strategy, working independently while fostering teamwork and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience in engineering or equivalent technical field
5+ years professional experience in engineering with a focus on measuring and maintaining equipment reliability, with an emphasis on high power electrical systems.
Experience in renewable power generation industry and familiarity with all aspects of PV+BESS Inverter technology, e.g. PCS, BESS, PV Generation, DC Wiring, Controls, grid interactions, and HVAC
Experience leading root cause and failure modes analysis methods (FMEA)
Experience with reliability metric calculations, MTBF, MTTR, Weibull, etc.
High proficiency with reading and understanding equipment/facility schematics
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Proficient in the use of the Microsoft Office software suite
Experience in using results of data analytics and database tools
Experience with CMMS (SAP PM)
Experience with SCADA, and condition monitoring systems.
High degree of dedication to a quality safety culture and an incident-free work environment
Willingness to travel within the U.S. to support company’s portfolio of PV+BESS assets
Personal values consistent with those of the AES Corporation; Safety, Integrity, Excellence, Agility and Fun

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer qualifications, or on track to become qualified
Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) - Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals (SMRP)
Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) - ASQ (American Society for Quality)
Master’s Degree or equivalent experience in Engineering
Experience with control logic and power electronic devices
Experience with renewables power production, utility interconnection practices, and contract terms.
Proficiency in Python or other “beyond Excel” analysis tools.
Proficiency in SQL programming to query and manage data from SQL servers .
Proficiency with CAD tools
Spanish language skills valued

Responsibilities

Analyzing reliability and availability of Inverter hardware and components
Performing root cause analysis for equipment failures and developing recommendations to optimize asset reliability, coordinating remediation with external parties as needed
Leading and facilitating major repairs to operational sites
Evaluating operational sites for repowering and retrofit opportunities including cost benefit analysis
Implementing new practices to improve uptime and efficiency
Oversee the accuracy and integrity of asset master data within the CMMS/ERP system, including developing new asset hierarchies, bill of materials, and criticality assessments.
Develop and implement asset reliability strategies for a portfolio of PV+BESS Inverter assets, balancing operational needs with long-term asset performance goals.
Establish standard processes for maintenance activities and hardware configuration to increase equipment reliability and availability
Gathers and examines reliability failure data from operating sites and the CMMS database, applying well-defined engineering techniques to correlate data for analysis.
Maintains an updated "bad actor" list and facilitates discussions with O&M management on fit-for-purpose recovery plans, highlighting requirements during the budget process.
Identify root cause of performance problems on operational projects, and facilitate recommended action plans
Collaborate with Operations and Engineering teams to troubleshoot existing projects and develop repair and remediation plans
Design solutions for modifications to systems, and coordinate between various AES subcontractors and vendors where needed
Lead the development and implementation of FMEAs for critical assets, ensuring proactive identification of potential failure modes and appropriate mitigation strategies.
Facilitate continuous improvement to maintenance practices with internal operations personnel and 3rd Party vendors
Perform Job Safety Assessments and Safety Walks to identify job-site hazards
Implement new practices with technology such as electrical monitoring systems and thermal imaging to improve reliability
Scope and implement new tools and software for operations, leveraging SAP and work management processes.
Provide technical expertise and support during planned outages, ensuring the efficient and reliable execution of maintenance and repair activities.
Participate in AES US Renewables' growth planning process by contributing to process improvement task forces and other strategic planning activities
"Keep a tight loop" between Operations and new project development by recording and presenting issues that can be mitigated through better design and equipment selection.
Perform life cycle cost modeling of project design to inform equipment and component selection.
Provide reliability-focused feedback during design reviews to ensure new systems and equipment incorporate reliability principles and best practices.
Improve and develop processes for the execution of safe, quality and high-reliability projects
Educate team on changing trends in technology, standard methodologies and safety
Provide guidance, mentorship, and technical expertise to junior reliability engineers within the team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.