Job description

Platte River Power Authority is a not-for-profit, community-owned public power utility that generates and delivers safe, reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services to Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland, Colorado, for delivery to their utility customers.

At Platte River, we share a sense of purpose and pride in the value we add to our communities, our region and the energy industry. We rely on our staff to sustain our leadership role in the region and to help us work toward our goal to achieve a 100% noncarbon energy mix within the next decade. To accomplish this, we offer competitive pay and benefits, state-of-the-art workplaces at both headquarters and the Rawhide Energy Station, and the following unique benefits:

• Onsite, fully-equipped gym facilities
• Fleet cars for use by staff for local business travel
• Employee rewards, health and financial wellness programs
• Volunteer days and opportunities to participate in community events
• Culture of respect, commitment and camaraderie

If you’re searching for a collaborative working environment within a mid-sized organization that values innovative ideas, diverse perspectives and provides opportunities to make a difference, consider joining the Platte River team.

Job summary
Responsible for electric transmission system protection relay settings and coordination, fault studies, disturbance analysis, meter settings, automation controller programming, and associated NERC compliance. Other responsibilities include detailed design, design review, coordination, construction and inspection of 115 kV and 230 kV substations and/or transmission lines and generation facilities.

Platte River is seeking to hire one system electrical engineer for placement at either this senior, or junior level (separate posting - see Electrical Engineer job posting).

This position is eligible for hybrid/remote work in select states. If you do not permanently reside in the state of Colorado, please indicate work state preference on your resume and cover letter. Platte River cannot employ hybrid or remote workers in the following states: California, New York, Vermont

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Models the mission, vision, values, and culture of the organization
• Creates, updates, and reviews relay and meter settings
• Programs and configures automation controllers and digital fault recording devices
• Conducts system fault studies
• Performs system fault disturbance analysis
• Ensures compliance with NERC and WECC reliability standards
• Assists with bench and field-testing protection, metering, and control schemes with relay test equipment
• Assists with the detailed design, coordination and construction of electric substations, transmission lines, protection systems and related electric system facilities
• Assists with ensuring compliance with internal work processes for authorizations, contracts, change orders, purchasing, inventory, finance, and project management
• Assists with developing specifications, cost estimates, cash flow, budgets, and schedules for substation design projects
• Provides review of detailed design and technical support
• Conducts AC/DC electrical function testing
• Designs Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) installations
• Assists with substation construction inspections and commissioning

Other functions

• Mentors other engineers in the department and acts as the subject matter expert for other departments in the organization
• Performs other duties as assigned

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Ability to develop design criteria, specifications, cost estimates, cash flows, budgets, and schedules
• Knowledge of design and construction of transmission lines and or substations and protection systems
• Ability to provide excellent interpersonal, verbal, written and listening communication skills
• Ability to apply advanced problem-solving, critical thinking and independent decision-making skills, with consistent attention to detail
• Ability to effectively manage projects of considerable scope and complexity, on schedule and budget, within the designated project management framework
• In-depth knowledge of design and construction of transmission lines and or substations and protection systems
• In-depth knowledge of SEL relay settings and applications
• In-depth knowledge of NERC Reliability Standards
• Solid understanding of metering
• Familiarity with programming and using SEL RTAC (Real-time Automation Controller)
• Solid understanding of NESC, NEC, IEEE, ANSI design and construction codes
• Ability to establish work priorities, coordinate assignment for self and others and handle multiple tasks under pressure, while maintaining composure with minimal supervision
• Ability to make sound decisions, considering potential impacts of decisions to the organization
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint)
• Proficient in other software such as Aspen OneLiner, MathCAD, AutoCAD or similar software to perform engineering responsibilities

Qualifications
Education, licenses and work experience

• Current valid driver’s license and ability to remain insurable under the vehicle liability policy
• Possess one of the following:
• Professional Engineering Certification or
• Master’s Degree related to Platte River’s core business (MS, MBA, etc.) and a minimum of seven years of professional experience in the detailed design of electrical substations or transmission line engineering or
• Seven years of professional experience in the detailed design of electrical substations or transmission line engineering plus Project Management Professional (PMP) certification

Preferred work experience and education

• Knowledge of distribution substation design and construction
• Experience with relay test sets including Omicron CMC 356
• Experience with Orion RTU’s and/or General Electric RTU’s such as the D20MX and D400 series
• Experience with setting meters including SEL-735 and Itron Q1000 series
• Experience with digital fault recording devices and transducers including Bitronics M871
• Experience with physical designs such as substation plan and section views, foundation layout, ground grid design, conduit layout and sizing design
• Proficient in PSS/E, EMTP, or Powerworld software

Physical demands

• Light to moderate physical effort that includes frequent standing or walking or maintaining arms and hands in the same position for repetitive tasks. Frequently works with light objects and light hand tools.

Hazards

• Occasional hazards that are predictable or well protected against

Work environment

• Potentially exposed to hazardous conditions that my lead to workplace injury such as working in heights, exposure to fly ash and/or energized electrical equipment

Bi-weekly salary range for position: $4,760 - $6,545 (placement DOQ)
(range if annualized: $123,765 - $170,169)

Platte River Power Authority offers employees an outstanding benefits package. Benefits offered for this position may include the following:

• Health insurance options including a PPO and high deductible health savings account with prescription drug coverage
• Telemedicine
• Benefit advocacy
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Flexible spending plan
• Basic life insurance
• Basic accidental death and disability
• Dependent life and supplemental life insurance options (voluntary)
• Accidental death and disability insurance (voluntary)
• Long-term disability insurance
• Retirement plans 401a defined contribution plan 457b deferred compensation plan
• Paid holidays (12 annually)
• Paid time off: personal and sick leave
• Wellness program
• In-house training opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement Employee assistance program

For additional information, please see our website careers page at: https://www.prpa.org/careers/benefits/

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Platte River endeavors to make our careers site accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please call us at 970-229-5323 or email recruiting@prpa.org.

Must be legally eligible to work in the United States. Platte River cannot provide employment to applicants who will require sponsorship now or in the future (i.e. H1B visa, OPT status).

abouteureka.com is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, abouteureka.com provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, abouteureka.com is the ideal place to find your next job.