Engineer, Engineering and Security Integration

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is a not-for-profit regulatory authority responsible for reducing risks to the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system. NERC seeks an Engineer to provide technical leadership and support for transmission-level modeling, studies, event analysis, emerging grid technologies, industry guidance, and strategic initiatives related to grid transformation and reliability.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate and lead technical activities for NERC industry stakeholder groups, particularly the System Planning Impacts of Distributed Energy Resources Working Group
• Engage collaboratively with industry stakeholders to support proactive risk mitigation of emerging technologies or changes to the distribution system related to BPS reliability
• Support ERO Enterprise initiatives focused on risk mitigation focused on IBRs, DERs, and computational loads
• Work collaboratively with the ERO Enterprise Event Analysis teams to support the analysis of System Disturbances; develop disturbance reports documenting key findings and recommendations, as required
• Analyze transmission level modeling and study practices and provide industry with recommendations to address systemic modeling and study issues
• Conduct, lead, or support simulations focusing on BPS wide-area reliability issues in the near- and long-term horizon
• Support key stakeholders and industry activities, particularly concerning DERs, and engage in industry forums and other industry-leading initiatives to help ensure reliability aspects are addressed proactively
• Engage with equipment manufacturers, systems integrators, consultants, national laboratories, academia, research institutes, and other industry stakeholder groups in an effective and efficient manner that provides a safe, inclusive, and diverse environment
• Prepare engineering analysis, studies, and assessments on BPS reliability issues and develop reports, guidelines, or other technical documents to support NERC initiatives
• Other duties, as assigned

Requirements:

• Understanding of DER technology including IBRs such as wind, solar photovoltaic, battery energy storage, hybrid power plants, HVDC systems, and FACTS devices or synchronous DERs
• Conducting root cause analysis of performance issues and developing mitigating actions to address those reliability issues
• Understanding of power system fundamentals such as frequency control, balancing, ramping, voltage control, stability, inverter controls, and operation of the BPS
• Understanding of NERC Reliability Standards, particularly related to modeling, operations, and protection
• General knowledge of transmission planning, power system protection and control, power plant configuration and technologies, and grid operations
• General understanding of emerging technologies facing the electricity sector, and willingness to work collaboratively with industry security professionals to integrate security into inverter-based resource facilities
• Willingness to think “outside of the box” and work internally and externally with a diverse set of backgrounds and perspectives to develop novel and innovative ideas on difficult topics
• Ability to lead stakeholder groups in an effective, efficient, and inclusive manner
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare and publish technical reports and other documents on technical engineering topics
• A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year college or university
• 5 or more years of relevant utility expertise in transmission planning or operation departments
• Deep understanding and strong expertise in the areas of inverter technology, performance, and grid issues with growing levels of IBRs, DERs, or loads
• Detailed understanding and technical expertise of transmission, generation, and load models and studies
• Detailed understanding and technical expertise of DER models and studies
• Experience developing risk mitigation strategies to improve the performance of the BPS, particularly DER related risk mitigation
• Experience leading teams of industry experts in the area of generation integration, performance, modeling, or studies
• Experience and ability to tackle major industry-wide challenges and proactively develop initiatives and strategies to address those challenges collectively
• Experience coordinating, managing, or leading large teams of industry experts with diverse and conflicting opinions in a safe, inclusive, and collaborative environment
• Experience and detailed understanding of the ERO Enterprise processes, particularly related to NERC stakeholder groups, the NERC Standards Process, and other related activities
• A master's degree or higher education in power system engineering with specialization in the areas of transmission planning or protection