Technical Specialist Turbine Controls

APS•Phoenix, AZ

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Turbine Controls Technical Specialist is a subject matter expert who provides onsite technical support to APS and contractor employees working on turbine control systems and associated plant automation equipment. The specialist ensures work follows original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications, industry best practices and standards, cybersecurity requirements, and safety practices. Working with engineering, operations, and maintenance, the specialist recommends control system modifications, upgrades, and maintenance based on equipment performance, system diagnostics, and operating experience. The role also supports troubleshooting emergent issues and may serve as a liaison among plant personnel, engineering, and turbine control system OEMs. The position leads and coordinates control system maintenance, upgrades, software migrations, testing, and commissioning; provides technical oversight of vendors and contractors; and supports turbine outage and control system project planning. It also includes preparing technical reports, training and mentoring plant personnel, and staying current on developments in turbine controls, automation, and control system lifecycle management. This is a hybrid role, with employees expected to work about 40% of their time in person at an APS or other non-home-office location. Employees are expected to reside in Arizona, or in New Mexico if based at Four Corners. Working from home requires adequate technology and an appropriate ergonomic setup. Role types may change based on business need. The position requires obtaining and maintaining Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) access under NERC standards, including a seven-year criminal history background check before employment and an additional background check every seven years. Applicants must confirm their U.S. person or non-U.S. person status for export-control compliance; positions at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station require applicants to be U.S. persons.

Requirements

15 years of experience as a Technical Field Advisor in the industry. A two-year associate degree in engineering, applied sciences, or another technical field from an accredited college may substitute for two years of experience; a four-year bachelor's degree in engineering, applied sciences, or another technical field from an accredited college or university may substitute for four years of experience.
Experience and qualifications working with aeroderivative turbines, including General Electric LMS100, LM6000, LM5000, or LM2500 turbines.
Ability to obtain and maintain Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) access, including the required background checks.
Applicants must confirm their U.S. person or non-U.S. person status for export-control compliance. For positions at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, applicants must be U.S. persons.
Arizona residency is expected, except employees based at Four Corners may reside in New Mexico.
For hybrid work from home, adequate technology and an appropriate ergonomic setup are required.

Nice To Haves

General Electric (GE) Mark VIe turbine control system experience and training.
Experience with turbine instrumentation, control valves, sensors, vibration monitoring, and auxiliary system controls.
Experience with programmable logic controllers (PLCs), distributed control systems (DCS), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), industrial networks, and communication protocols.
Knowledge of applicable cybersecurity requirements and industrial control system cybersecurity practices.
Strong problem analysis, troubleshooting, and root cause resolution techniques.
Knowledge of applicable codes, standards, practices, methods, and safety standards for turbine control systems and associated components.
Good communication and technical documentation skills.
Experience in the utility industry.
Understanding of project management.
In-depth understanding of construction, operating, and sound engineering practices; safety rules; company policies; and union agreements.

Responsibilities

Provide technical guidance and recommendations based on OEM procedures, control philosophies, software documentation, system drawings, configuration files, and engineering standards.
Identify and help resolve technical issues involving turbine control systems, instrumentation, communication networks, protection interfaces, and auxiliary control equipment during operation or maintenance.
Diagnose root causes, analyze system performance, and determine corrective actions to improve reliability and equipment availability.
Ensure compliance with Environmental, Health and Safety procedures, cybersecurity requirements, and applicable regulations.
Lead and coordinate control system maintenance, upgrades, software migrations, testing, and commissioning activities.
Prepare technical reports on control system modifications, commissioning, troubleshooting, and other maintenance events.
Provide technical oversight of OEM representatives, vendors, and contractors performing work on turbine control systems and associated equipment.
Assist in planning and executing turbine outages and control system projects, including writing scopes of work, planning upgrades, reviewing outage schedules, planning budgets, preparing job and commissioning plans, conducting technical evaluations, and reviewing contracts.
Train and technically mentor plant personnel on turbine controls, instrumentation, system operation, troubleshooting techniques, and maintenance best practices as needed.
Stay current on technology and industry and competitive developments related to turbine controls, automation systems, and control system lifecycle management.
Provide onsite technical support to APS and contractor employees working on turbine control systems and associated plant automation equipment.
Work with engineering, operations, and maintenance to recommend control system modifications, upgrades, and maintenance based on equipment performance, diagnostics, and operating experience.
Assist plants in troubleshooting emergent issues and, when needed, liaise among plant personnel, engineering, and turbine control system OEMs.