Staff or Principal, Div Engineer

Southern Company•Virginia Beach, VA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position manages and trains junior engineers and technicians who design capital improvements for natural gas distribution and transmission facilities within an assigned Division, while also performing design work on selected projects. Design work includes regulator stations, public works relocations, pressure improvements, system renewal projects, and meter sets. As a shared-service provider, the role coordinates engineering, new business, and construction activities to support effective design, execution, and reporting, and provides engineering support to assigned service center areas. Direct reports may include junior engineers, design technicians, and engineering technicians. The position provides technical leadership and project management throughout project development and construction. It reviews and approves designs, guides team members through difficult technical issues, develops design options and recommendations, assesses engineering feasibility, coordinates project activities across operating units, and monitors progress against project objectives. The role also contributes to annual capital budgeting, staff performance and development, project risk mitigation, budget variance accounting, and monthly Division metrics reporting. The position requires knowledge of natural gas engineering principles, distribution system operations, pipeline design, meters, regulators, relief valves and sizing procedures, and applicable codes and standards, including DOT 192 and the Operations Procedure Manual. The role is based in a hybrid office environment, with four days onsite and one day remote; the schedule may change according to business needs.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in a recognized engineering specialty from an ABET-accredited institution, or equivalent academic education and experience.
For Level 6: at least 5 years of gas engineering or operations experience.
For Level 7: at least 7 years of gas engineering or operations experience.
Engineering background with knowledge of gas engineering principles and theories, operation of gas distribution systems, and financial and statistical analysis.
Knowledge of DOT pipeline safety regulations.
Good technical and computer skills.
Ability to act with a sense of urgency.
Strong leadership skills.
Ability to communicate with all levels of the organization.
Basic proficiency in CAD/GIS.
Basic proficiency in MS Office.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineering (PE) license.
Certified Project Manager.
MS Project.
SynerGEE experience.
AutoCAD or MicroStation experience.

Responsibilities

Manage and train junior engineers and technicians designing capital improvements to natural gas distribution and transmission facilities.
Perform design duties on selected projects, including regulator station design, public works relocations, pressure improvements, system renewal projects, and meter set designs.
Coordinate engineering, new business, and construction activities to support design, execution, and reporting, and provide engineering support for assigned service center areas.
Train and mentor less senior engineers and technicians and provide technical direction to team members.
Systematically review and approve designs and answer questions on difficult technical issues.
Work with the Engineering Manager to prepare project prioritization lists for the annual capital budgeting process.
Direct less senior staff in preparing designs, proposals, graphs, planning layouts, and summaries that communicate project plans, progress, or results.
Serve as project manager by helping establish objectives, developing comprehensive project designs, outlining requirements, assigning tasks, coordinating activities with operating units, and monitoring progress.
Develop design options and recommendations to improve system optimization and assess the feasibility of engineering solutions.
Review engineering designs to identify cost-effective long-term solutions.
Collaborate with construction management, operations managers, and technical services to produce effective designs.
Manage staff performance and development using IPOs and SuccessFactors.
Anticipate and identify project risks and implement corrective action; identify and resolve obstacles that may put projects at risk.
Provide technical guidance to less senior staff and track projects from concept through construction.
Account for budget variances and report monthly Division metrics to the Engineering Manager.