Sr. Power Systems Engineer, P.E.

Quanta Services•Baton Rouge, LA

About The Position

NorthStar Energy Services is seeking an experienced Senior Power Systems Engineer, P.E. for its Professional Engineering Consulting team. The role supports the design and execution of electrical systems for energy, petrochemical, industrial, and data center projects. The engineer develops electrical design concepts, performs advanced engineering analyses, and ensures compliance with applicable codes, standards, and client requirements throughout the project lifecycle. The position works with multidisciplinary engineering and design teams to deliver safe, reliable, and constructible power electrical designs for complex facilities. The role includes power system modeling and studies; design and specification of low- and medium-voltage distribution systems; equipment sizing, protection calculations, and relay coordination; grounding and bonding design; and evaluation of system performance, arc-flash hazards, and integration of new loads and generation. It also includes QA/QC of studies and design deliverables, coordination with project stakeholders, review of vendor and third-party submittals, field assessments, RFI support, and maintenance of power system models through design, construction, commissioning, and operation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
10–15 years of electrical engineering experience supporting midstream energy, petrochemical, or industrial facilities.
Advanced experience with ETAP, SKM, or equivalent electrical analysis software.
Working knowledge of AutoCAD, PLS-CADD, PLS-Pole, or equivalent tools.
Strong familiarity with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
Experience applying NFPA 70 (NEC), NESC, IEEE, NEMA, IES, UL, API RP 500, AGA XL101, and Title 49 CFR Parts 190–199.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.
Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer (P.E.) license in the State of Texas (preferred).

Responsibilities

Perform power system studies, including load flow, short-circuit, arc-flash, protective device coordination, motor-starting, voltage-drop, and equipment duty evaluations using ETAP or equivalent software.
Develop and maintain electrical power system models and prepare one-line diagrams, protection and control schematics, three-line diagrams, motor control schematics, grounding plans, cable and conduit schedules, and point-to-point wiring diagrams.
Engineer and specify low- and medium-voltage power distribution systems and associated control and protection equipment.
Perform equipment sizing, application, and protection calculations, including transformer, conductor, cable, breaker, fuse, CT/PT, grounding conductor, and protective relay settings calculations.
Develop protective relay coordination and settings for selective system protection, considering time-current coordination, equipment damage curves, transformer inrush, motor-starting characteristics, and applicable protection functions.
Evaluate electrical system performance under normal, contingency, starting, and fault conditions, and recommend modifications to improve reliability, protection, voltage performance, and operational flexibility.
Support arc-flash hazard analyses and recommend incident-energy reduction and other mitigation strategies.
Design and evaluate grounding and bonding systems, including equipment grounding, grounding electrode systems, and ground grids.
Support specialized power system designs, including overhead and underground distribution, substations, area classification, raceway systems, generator integration, renewable generation, and BESS integration.
Evaluate integration of new electrical loads and generation sources into existing systems, including effects on loading, fault current, equipment ratings, voltage regulation, capacity, and protection coordination.
Apply applicable codes, standards, utility and municipal requirements, company standards, and project design criteria to electrical designs and studies.
Perform QA/QC reviews of power system studies, calculations, models, drawings, and technical specifications for accuracy and compliance.
Review power system studies to verify modeling assumptions, equipment ratings, protective device settings, and recommended modifications.
Coordinate engineering deliverables with electrical engineers, designers, project managers, utilities, vendors, and other disciplines.
Review vendor and third-party diagrams, equipment drawings, protection schemes, data sheets, and submittals for compatibility with the electrical system design.
Verify equipment ratings, protective device characteristics, and system interfaces against study results and project requirements.
Support project execution through field site assessments, RFI responses, and development of electrical design basis documentation.
Review process and mechanical documents, including PFDs, P&IDs, and PPFDs, to align electrical designs with facility requirements.
Maintain and update power system models to reflect equipment selections, vendor data, design changes, and as-built configurations.
Provide technical recommendations to resolve equipment duty, coordination, voltage performance, capacity, arc-flash, reliability, and power quality issues.