Substation Design Standards Engineer
FirstEnergy Corp

Job Info

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JOB DESCRIPTION

FirstEnergy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers' lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.

About the Opportunity

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Co., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. [FEU]

The job of Substation Design Engineer (Standards) requires an individual to be self-directed with an interest and / or ability to create and manage engineering standards and specifications used by others to produce designs, order equipment, and construct FirstEnergy substation facilities. This position will work within a staff of engineers, drafters / designers, both internal and external, and engaged in a wide variety of engineering design to support standard engineering designs that are used to efficiently estimate, design, and construct FirstEnergy substations. This position will report on the progress of assigned tasks and advise of any issues that could impair the successful completion of the task on a proactive basis. This position must provide technical support to Substation and Transmission personnel, Real Estate, Project Management and Construction crews verifying that no safety standards are compromised and confirming accuracy of all standard work products.

Responsibilities include:

• Ensuring designs support a safe environment for transmission lines and substations personnel, contractors and the general public.
• Creating standard substation engineering designs for use by internal and external staff. Possible tasks include design of steel structures, foundations, clearances, layout drawings, grounding, oil containment, lightning protection, schematics, and wiring diagrams.
• Strong technical writing skills for preparing material, service, and equipment specifications.
• Preparing bills-of-material for the development of material lists to support standard designs, including the creation and maintenance of compatible units (CU's) for material forecasting and estimating.
• Reviewing NESC clearance requirements to ensure maintenance personnel and the public are safely protected.
• Developing minimum fenced area size requirements for standard substation layouts and expansions used to support Substation property acquisition.
• Directing technical personnel to gather and record data for substation projects.
• Working with outside engineering firms, vendors, equipment manufacturers and consultants.
• Providing engineering support to employees to assist in their learning of standards, procedures, designs, and specifications.
• Analyzing engineering, construction, and maintenance feedback related to standard designs, equipment, etc., and developing appropriate solutions and alternate design options.
• Foresight and general construction aptitude to anticipate and eliminate design and construction issues when creating standard substation design modules and compatible units.
• Preparing estimates for standard compatible units used to estimate substation projects.
• Reviewing manufacturer drawings for compliance with specifications.
• Conducting design reviews, plant audits, and test witnessing at manufacturer's facilities as necessary.
• Evaluating equipment ratings and requirements, and project schedules to facilitate the accurate ordering of equipment to support project in service dates.
• Managing equipment orders for Substation projects from the initial request for equipment through delivery (technical details, bid evaluation, schedule, drawing review, design review, action items testing, and delivery).
• Supporting communication across business units regarding project needs.
• Researching and exploring new technologies that will effectively enable work processes to be automated increasing efficiencies while decreasing the risk of human error.
• Ensuring standards and equipment specifications are up to date and accurate, reviewing against industry standards and best practices.
• Reviewing existing materials, components, and design standards for process improvement and cost savings.
• Participating in industry meetings to confirm FirstEnergy has a voice in direction of industry (i.e. IEEE, EPRI, CIGRE, NERC, NEC, ASCE, ACI, etc.).
• Ability to obtain Engineer in Training and Professional Engineering license is preferred and supported by FirstEnergy. Advancement likely linked to ability to stamp and seal engineering design drawings as a Professional Engineer.
• Supporting and sustaining FirstEnergy as a high performing organization by contributing to excellent organizational performance and values of FirstEnergy through responsible effective work performance.
• Preparing and delivering training to support knowledge transfer between both internal and external design staff.
• Executing engineering studies in support of developing strong substation design standards.
• Preparing scope documents and overseeing detailed engineering studies by third parties.
• Oversight and directions of consultants as required.
• Knowledge of substation site development, structural load calculations, and foundation design is a plus, but not a requirement.
• Performing other substation standards related duties as requested or assigned including storm roles.

Qualifications include:

• Bachelors of Science degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering (BSEE, BSCE, BSME) from an ABET accredited institution is required. Acceptable alternatives are: (1) a Professional Engineer's (PE) License (2) a Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering or technical field of study (non-ABET) plus an advanced degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering from a university with an ABET accredited Bachelor's program.
• A Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Certificate is preferred.
• Minimum of 2 (two) years of Engineering experience is required.
• Working knowledge of applicable computer software necessary to fulfill job duties including but not limited to Microsoft Office, computer aided design (AutoCAD preferred or Microstation, Inventor 3D, AutoCAD Electrical, or Civil 3D) 3D design experience preferred, Knowledge of FileNet, SAP, Cascade, SharePoint design & maintenance, and programing experience a plus but not a requirement.
• Valid driver's license and have access to reliable transportation.
• Must embrace a safety culture and maintain a safe work environment for co-workers and the public.
• Must be able to manage "multiple projects simultaneously" and be able to work effectively under the pressure of deadlines, unexpected developments, changes in project scope, budget constraints, unforeseen field problems and demands on time for work assignments outside of the normal duties.
• Must have strong interpersonal skills and develop and maintain relationships across FE, with outside firms and manufacturers that further facilitate the cooperation needed to complete assigned tasks and that will inspire others to achieve, or exceed, goals.
• Must be able to work independently as well as in teams to coordinate designs with other FirstEnergy areas of responsibility including Siting and Permitting, Project Management, Maintenance, Forestry, Real Estate and Construction, as well as the Regional operating companies
• Ability to make practical decisions without undue delay and based on the best information available at the time that the decision must be made.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with good verbal skills and writing skills, providing comprehensive project status reports, clear and concise correspondence, and accurate information.
• Must possess strong organizational, computer, and problem-solving skills.
• Must be self-directed and not dependent on detailed instruction from others.
• Ability to support numerous locations, must be willing to travel throughout the service area and to manufacturer locations, and to work extra and irregular hours.

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at www.firstenergycorp.com to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H-1B visas at this time.

Safety

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all of our business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information, and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co-workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, to maintain an accident-free, injury-free workplace, and to promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals, we dedicate ourselves to achieving world-class safety standards.

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