Sr Engineer I, BESS Operations

RWE•Austin, TX

3d•$145,000 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The BESS Operations Engineering Team supports the existing RWE BESS fleet’s engineering needs to provide safe, highly available, and cost-effective Battery Storage electricity to our customers. We spearhead efforts to improve the performance of the existing plants via augmentation, design solutions to enable rapid return to service when equipment suffers casualties, and provide technical solutions when engineering support is needed by the site operations teams and asset management. The team interacts directly with the BESS power plant’s operators, asset managers, and other support roles within RWE America. This position will be the key analyst, reviewer, and SME for these efforts. Day-to-day work involves interaction with other engineers, staff, and plant operators to determine root causes of failures and evaluate the impact of proposed improvements, expansion, and equipment. The engineer will also lead annual capacity tests and provide analysis to make decisions on BESS augmentation. The role leads efforts from opportunity identification through ‘go/no-go’ decisions and eventual completion of projects. Work involves collaboration with field staff, third party providers, and manufacturers – assessing how to improve plant energy yield.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Civil Engineering, or similar field of engineering or equivalent experience
A minimum of 7 years of professional experience in electrical operations, asset management, or design. A graduate degree in related fields may be considered as some relevant experience
Strong track record in operations, field support, RFI’s, and working with multidisciplinary teams
Prior experience in the operation or design of Battery Energy Storage Systems, solar power plants, power distribution, substations, and/or conventional power generation preferred
Strong interpersonal skills, with an ability to manage customer relationships
Solves complex and cross-functional engineering problems
Designs and implements long-term technical solutions fleet-wide.
Proficiency with AutoCAD, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), Teams, Python
Strong quantitative and data analysis skills
Energetic leadership, communication, and organization skills
Ability to multitask while working independently and as part of a team
Motivated self-starter, goal-oriented, and strong problem-solving abilities
Structured in analyzing equipment, with an eye towards constructability and ease of operation
Ability to empathize, build relationships, and effectively communicate with people from a diverse set of backgrounds
Reviews field requirements, changes to meet operations’ needs, and is flexible
Takes ownership of projects and is proactive in resolving issues

Nice To Haves

E.I.T. certification preferred; Professional Engineering Certification is a plus

Responsibilities

Review and analyze equipment faults and failures, as-built information, operations history, and data. Scrutinize based on downtime, cost, safety, and manpower. Capture technical, safety, and budgetary risks and assess them
Coordinate BESS collection requirements amongst teams to ensure Availability, Capacity, SOC, cycling/throughput, ramp rates, standby, discharge, and charging metrics are met
Ensure tracking, monitoring, and alarming of all warranty requirements are met, and understand the differences across OEMs
Analyze the current portfolio together with the data analysts and determine upgrades and improvements to the power generation fleet to increase output and improve safety. Provide detailed recommendations for increased analysis and reporting to operations and data analytics teams
Perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA) of failure modes in the RWECE BESS fleet with subsequent analysis of potential improvements to increase reliability and production
Understands site-specific requirements and interconnection agreements, evaluates and selects alternatives, documenting the rationale and lessons learned along the way. Provides lessons learned to internal engineering for continuous improvement
Interacts with Operations teams throughout the asset’s life to provide guidance on means and methods as needed. Travels to site to see equipment conditions, observe means and methods, and provide feedback.
Engage external vendors. Research and apply new industry innovations to technical issues
Independently support operations where needed in immediate troubleshooting and issues
As needed, lead external and internal teams to independently produce design drawings, calculations, and procedures for internal and external teams