Requisition ID # 64465 

Job Category : Engineering / Science 

Job Level : Individual Contributor

Business Unit: Power Generation

Job Location : San Francisco; Angels Camp; Auberry; Auburn; Burney; Chico

Department Overview

PG&E’s Power Generation Department maintains and operates one of the largest privately-owned hydroelectric systems in the nation. These renewable electric generation resources, located mostly at high elevation in California’s Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade mountain ranges, provide nearly 4,000 megawatts of generating capacity for our customers. PG&E’s hydroelectric system includes 67 powerhouses, 184 miles of canals, 41 miles of flumes, 135 miles of tunnels, 19 miles of penstocks, 98 reservoirs, and 142,000 acres of watershed lands all covered by 25 operating licenses issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Job Summary

Potential headquarter locations are: San Francisco, Chico, Angels Camp, Auburn, Auberry, and Burney.

This is a senior-level project engineering position that supports Power Generation’s dam safety and asset management programs to ensure public and employee safety, maintain hydroelectric infrastructure, manage risk, and meet regulatory compliance requirements. The position requires mastery of Journey-level project engineering duties and involves leading, consulting, and implementing engineering solutions for the department’s most complex, highest risk, and highest profile projects and programs. As a designated subject matter expert (SME), the Senior Project Engineer is widely recognized as a technical resource and practice leader within the department, as well as by external partners, regulators, and stakeholders. The position requires the application of expert judgment, a thorough understanding of regulatory guidelines and expectations for dam safety and engineering, and extensive knowledge of the power generation industry.

The Senior Project Engineer:

• Provides guidance and direction for surveillance and monitoring, condition assessment, planning, alternatives analysis, engineering design, permitting, construction, and quality control for large and/or complex civil infrastructure projects
• Applies extensive technical knowledge, experience, expertise, and negotiation skills to resolve complex challenges
• Researches and develops new and unique engineering solutions
• Develops risk management and programmatic approaches to address high risk and/or system-wide issues
• Leads department-wide initiatives to develop, maintain, and improve engineering standards and processes
• Establishes and maintains internal guidelines for engineering analysis, design, and submittals to regulatory agencies
• Provides experienced leadership, coaching, and mentorship to support the development of less experienced engineers
• Prepares and delivers high-level technical briefings, advice, and recommendations to upper management. Internal contacts are primarily with Power Generation personnel, PG&E internal services organizations, and company management at the officer, director and manager level. External contacts include engineering consultants, contractors, and regulators. May serve as the most senior level technical expert on a team. May partner with internal or external stakeholders to solve problems or explore alternative solutions. Responsibilities may include privileged and confidential work. Job Responsibilities The Senior Project Engineer performs the functions of Journey- and Associate-level Project Engineers, but for larger, more complex, technically challenging, higher risk exposure, and higher profile projects. Jobs duties include, but are not limited to:

• Assisting teams of engineers, consultants, contract technical personnel, and support staff in collecting and evaluating data, conducting assessments and technical studies, performing engineering analyses, preparing reports, and developing recommendations to support the safe and reliable performance of PG&E's hydroelectric infrastructure, including dams, water conveyance, and appurtenant facilities
• Providing guidance and technical support for surveillance and monitoring, condition assessments, planning, engineering analyses and designs, code and regulatory compliance, asset management, project construction, quality assurance, operation, maintenance, and repair of dams, canals, tunnels, flumes, penstocks, and other civil hydroelectric infrastructure
• Supporting planning, alternatives analysis, engineering design, permitting, construction, and quality control for large and/or complex projects
• Overseeing and taking a leadership role in technically complex, high-visibility, and/or high-risk studies and projects involving PG&E’s dams and water conveyance facilities
• Reviewing and approving engineering calculations, designs, construction documents, regulatory submittals, and other work products
• Preparing and reviewing regulatory correspondence related to PG&E's dam safety, asset management, and project execution programs
• Consulting on multiple large and complex engineering tasks, construction projects, programs, outages, and contracts
• Researching and developing innovative and appropriate solutions to complex technical problems
• Presenting clear, concise, and well-reasoned positions for desired ideas and proposals
• Representing PG&E at external industry associations, committees, trade organizations, and other inter-utility groups
• Providing technical support in incident investigations and cause analyses and making recommendations to address local and system-wide problems
• Preparing and delivering high-level technical briefings, advice, and recommendations to upper management
• Developing technical standards and procedures and leading the development and revision of standards, specifications, construction documents, and guidelines
• Interpreting, clarifying, and educating others in applicable industry and company standards
• Developing and nurturing constructive relationships with internal and external individuals and teams, including regulators and representatives of technical organizations and other generation asset owners
• Regularly supporting Directors, Managers, Principals, and Supervising engineers on programmatic solutions, process improvements, and contracting strategies.
• Customarily and regularly using discretion and independent judgment in fulfilling these job functions

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Four-year BS Degree in Engineering from an accredited curriculum in the U.S. or equivalent from outside the U.S.
• 8 years of cumulative experience in engineering, design, construction or regulatory project management, including 5 years of experience in power generation or heavy industry project engineering and management
• Current and active California Professional Engineer (PE) license Desired:

• PMP Project Management Professional certification
• Bachelor’s Degree Civil Engineering
• Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering or job-related discipline or equivalent experience
• Structural or Geotechnical Engineer (SE or GE) license, California
• Demonstrated experience with:
  • Engineering design, evaluation, assessment, maintenance, and repair of water storage, conveyance, and control structures including dams, spillways, canals, flumes, tunnels, pipelines, and associated gates and valves
  • Flood hydrology and hydraulic engineering analysis, including open channel and pressurized flow and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling
  • Geotechnical engineering analysis, including seepage, stability, and dynamic response
  • Structural analysis, design, and assessment of penstocks, including dynamic/transient loading, non-destructive examination, and fracture mechanics
  • Engineering geology, geotechnical investigation, testing, and instrumentation
  • Metallurgical testing, evaluation, and development of welding procedures
  • Alternatives analysis, design, permitting, construction, and quality control for large civil infrastructure projects
  • Surveillance and monitoring of water storage and conveyance infrastructure and associated mechanical equipment
  • Potential failure modes analysis, risk assessment and mitigation, and probabilistic methods
• Demonstrated competency in:
  • Oral and written communication that reflects a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences in resolving technical issues
  • Leading, mentoring, and developing people to meet their career goals and organizational objectives
  • Providing direction, delegating, and removing obstacles to get work done
  • Working independently, with limited oversight
  • Consistently achieving results, even under difficult circumstances
  • Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments
  • Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people
  • Making sense of complex and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems
  • Knowing and applying effective and efficient processes to accomplish tasks, with a focus on continuous improvement
  • Maneuvering comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related organizational dynamics
  • Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals
  • Securing and deploying resources effectively and efficiently
  • Advocating on behalf of an organization to achieve positive outcomes
  • Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies
  • Facilitating discussions and meetings
  • Negotiating between stakeholders to reach an agreement
• Knowledge of power generating facility systems, structures, components, principles, and theories
• Knowledge of relevant federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines for dam safety and power generation, including those administered by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), California Department of Water Resources Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD), and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
• Knowledge of risk and compliance assessment and management theories, concepts, methods, techniques, and industry practices