Engineer I - Outage Coordinator

SPP is about more than power. We’re about the power of relationships. Our employees have the opportunity to work together to ensure electricity is delivered reliably and affordably to the millions of people living in our service territory. We have been voted one of Arkansas’ Best Places to work by Arkansas Business and we are looking for a member of our team who is passionate about our mission to keep the lights on!

We have a core ideology here at SPP that we stand by: Do the right thing, for the right reason, in the right way.

We believe in supporting our employees through a fantastic benefits package:

• Competitive and transparent pay with bonus opportunities
• Excellent insurance package including three great medical plans to choose from, employer-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Relocation bonus (if applicable)
• Hybrid working environment for positions that are eligible
• Fantastic contributions to your retirement through a 401(k) savings plan with employer-match benefits and a pension (defined benefit plan) fully funded by SPP
  
  

PLEASE NOTE: SPP is not able to sponsor employment visas or student-work authorizations (STEM OPT) for this position. Please ensure you are eligible to work in the U.S. without sponsorship prior to applying.

COMPENSATION INFORMATION The salary range(s) represents our good faith estimate for the role at this time. While we strive to provide competitive and transparent compensation, there may be circumstances where an offer is above or outside of the listed range. We are open to discussing salary expectations with qualified candidates considering factors such as the candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, experience and geographic location will all be considered during the hiring process.

Engineer I - Outage Coordination: Salary range: $70,320 – $87,895

Overview

Outage Coordination Engineers are tasked with performing analysis for the SPP footprint within the Outage Coordination horizon to ensure that appropriate operating plans and mitigations are in place to support reliable real-time system operations. To accomplish this, the engineer is tasked with developing forward looking models utilizing data from several sources, evaluating the models for any potential concerns, and mitigating any concerns using market congestion management tools, the development of operating guides, rescheduling/denial of outage requests, or other appropriate actions. This position interacts with multiple internal and external parties to communicate study results, develop operating guides, and coordinate outages.

What You Will Do

• Build/develop power flow models which utilized projected generation, topology, and load patterns for the timeframe of study
• Perform analysis on the developed models to identify any potential SOL or IROL exceedances
• Develop Operating Plans to resolve potential SOL or IROL exceedances. This may include the use of market flow gates, the establishment of an operating guide, rescheduling/denial of planned outages, or other appropriate actions.
• Communicate Operating Plans with SPP Reliability Coordinators, SPP Shift Engineers, and impacted entities
• Approve planned outages which can be accomplished without compromising the integrity of the Bulk Electric System
• Serve as subject matter expert for assigned area and tools
• Develop or maintain process documents associated with required tasks
• Provide on-call support on a rotating basis
• Ensure compliance with SPP Policies and Procedures, NERC standards, and FERC requirements
• Perform projects as assigned. These projects typically center around process enhancements, data collection, or stakeholder relations, but vary as need arises.
• Provide on-the-job training for newer staff member
• Complete studies and project work with the direction of more senior staff members
• Automate processes using Python, SQL, and PowerShell. This includes retrieving data from databases, and using PowerWorld, PSSE, and DSATools APIs for case building, analysis, and reporting.
• Create ad-hoc tools to support Operational Planning processes as needed.
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor's of Science degree in Engineering from an ABET accredited university. Degree should be in a calculus-based engineering field such as: Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Systems Engineering
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience coding in Python or another object-oriented language
• An emphasis on power system analysis and electric utility operations is preferred
• An advanced degree
• Completion of Fundamentals of Engineering exam, Professional Engineering License, or NERC Certification
  
  

Other Requirements

• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Strong inter-personal and team work skills
• Understanding of and compliance with SPP Policies and Procedures
  
  

Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position. Working hours are flexible and there are on-call responsibilities every 8-12 weeks.

Travel Requirement

These positions require minimal travel (0–20%).

Southwest Power Pool is an equal opportunity employer that makes employment decisions without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, age, disability status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Further, Southwest Power Pool makes good faith efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans and qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact us at HR@spp.org and let us know the nature of your request. We will only respond to messages left that involve a request for a reasonable accommodation in the application process.

At SPP we believe in a culture of belonging. Learn more here: Culture of Belonging - Southwest Power Pool.