Expert Grid Innovation Engineer
Requisition ID # 166507
Job Category: Engineering / Science
Job Level: Individual Contributor
Business Unit: Electric Engineering
Work Type: Hybrid
Job Location: Oakland
Department Overview and Position Summary
The System Performance, Reliability and Resiliency Strategy department within the overall Electric Transmission and Distribution Engineering organization is responsible for planning, organizing, and managing the resources necessary to successfully execute PG&E’s Electric Reliability Strategy and initiatives. This team of forward–thinking individuals will be tasked with deploying technology and infrastructure and influencing the organization to achieve the company’s reliability goals. The team is responsible for implementing programs required to modernize the electric grid allowing for safe, resilient and efficient operations. The department participates in a cross-functional team of internal and consulting participants being tasked with leading the transition of a project from development and testing to being operational for each phase of each project.
The summary provided is a description of the overall work that is being completed in this department. This is to provide the candidate with an understanding of what type of work this department is responsible for producing for the organization/ and enterprise. As such, the summary describes both represented and not represented work, but the specific work and responsibilities for the position is only the work listed below under Job duties/ and tasks.
PG&E is providing the salary range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job. The actual salary paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, and internal equity. Although we estimate the successful candidate hired into this role will be placed towards the middle or entry point of the range, the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis related to these factors.
A reasonable salary range is:
Minimum Base Salary (Bay Area) $140,000.00
Mid Base Salary (Bay Area) $189,000.00
Maximum Base Salary (Bay Area) $238,000.00
Job Responsibilities
• Support the reliability command center with various analysis, assignments and data requests.
• Assist customers in assessing the viability of distributed technology and/or resource interconnection projects
• Collaborate with other utilities, manufacturers, engineering IT, and standards departments on advancing new distributed energy resources applications, such as smart inverters, and reducing interconnection costs
• Understand the various data streams that are needed to model grid impacts
• Meet with stakeholders to better understand their issues and inform them of the potential grid impacts
• Explore, innovate, and demonstrate technologies that facilitate easier grid integration
• Identify conditions when DER may provide more benefits to the customers and the grid
• Assist in assessments of potential distributed energy resources risks at higher penetration levels
• Represent PG&E as its technical expert integrating distributed resources and technologies onto the electric grid in industry working groups.
• Responsible for identifying, developing and implementing new standards and guidelines, in collaboration with Distribution Standards Department, to facilitate distributed energy resources integration while minimizing potential grid impacts
• Contribute to the development of data science strategies aligned with department and system performance goals.
• Lead research and development of state-of-the-art methodologies to detect potential system failures, develop a long-term strategy for all PG&E grids to improve the electric transmission and distribution grid.
• Prepares and presents regular updates to senior management, addressing issues and gaining buy in on solutions.
• Attend IEEE and related technical conferences to maintain technical knowledge, explore and bring best industry practices
• Assesses business implications associated with modeling assumptions, inputs, methodologies technical implementation, analytic procedures and processes, and advanced data analysis.
• Works with sponsor departments and company technical experts to understand the application and potential of data science solutions that create value.
Qualifications
Minimum:
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or equivalent experience
• Experience with grid modeling software (e.g. CYMDIST, PSLF, Aspen, etc.)
• 7 years of electric utility related experience
Desired:
• Electrical Engineering Degree with Power Systems emphasis
• PhD or master’s in engineering, preferably Electrical Engineering discipline with Power Systems emphasis
• Proficient with data processing tools such as Excel, Access, SQL, etc.
• Experience in Program Management
• Expert in electric distribution program development and execution preferably in areas of reliability, resiliency and grid modernization.
• Expert in working on grid modernization tools or products.
• Expert in Transmission or Distribution System Planning, power flow, distribution engineering or operations, substation engineering, transmission or distribution protection, distribution operations.
• Familiarity with relevant federal, state, and local regulations and laws as needed to perform at the job level
• Excellent skills in communication, interpersonal/collaboration influence and negotiation and process management.
• Competency in planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals
• Competency in using compelling arguments to gain support and commitment of others
• Competency to work cohesively in fast-paced team environments
• Competency in making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward
• Competency in effectively building formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization