Engineer I, or II – Operational Planning

Southwest Power Pool (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

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 II Pay Range: $88,000 - $98,000

- Engineer I Pay Range: $80,000 - $85,000

Join our team as an Operational Planning Engineer!

The Operations Engineer plays a key role in providing engineering analysis, performing studies, and conducting data analysis in support of all Operations-related responsibilities within the SPP Regions. This position offers both real-time and forward engineering support, working closely with the Reliability, Market Operations, Tariff Administration, and Scheduling functions. The role involves coordinating these analyses and studies within the SPP Regions and across regions when necessary. The Operations Engineer will also offer coordination support for various SPP organizational committees, working groups, and task forces.

This is an independent role with minimal guidance required from the Manager, and will involve technical problem solving, project leadership, and collaboration across teams to ensure the smooth and reliable operation of the transmission network.

Key Responsibilities:

- Provide Engineering Support: Offer comprehensive engineering support, analysis, and training for all assigned Coordinated Operations functions.

- Lead Special Projects: Spearhead special projects based on experience and expertise, assisting senior engineers as necessary.

- Data Collection & Validation: Independently request, collect, prepare, and validate data for real-time, current-day, and next-day operational assessments.

- Operational Assessments: Execute computer runs for analysis of the transmission network and coordinate generation and transmission maintenance outage requests.

- Tools Utilization: Use advanced tools, including Alarming, Real-time Contingency Analysis, powerflow models, and constraint manager tools to perform system analyses and ensure reliable system operation.

- Mentoring & Training: Support and mentor junior staff members, sharing knowledge and enhancing team capabilities.

- System Operations Understanding: Maintain a high-level understanding of system operations and planning principles.

- Committee Involvement: Actively participate in SPP or NERC committees, working groups, or task forces, contributing expert knowledge.

- Operations Process Development: Lead the development and maintenance of Operations-related applications and processes, ensuring consistent operational efficiency.

- Compliance: Maintain compliance with SPP Policies and Procedures, as well as NERC and FERC standards or policies.

- Subject Matter Expertise: Be recognized as a subject matter expert in relevant areas, contributing insights to improve system operations and planning.

- Decision Making: Demonstrate strong decision-making and project management skills to adapt technical studies and services between standard and non-standard techniques.

To be successful as an Operational Planning Engineer we're looking for:

- Bachelor of Science in Engineering, this degree should:

- - Be from a university that meets the requirements to sit for the Professional Engineering exam (in Arkansas, that is most typically a degree from an ABET accredited university or a graduate degree from a college that has an ABET accreditation),

- Degree should be in a calculus-based engineering field and preferred degree programs are Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Systems Engineering

- Engineer II - Two (2) years of job-related work experience

- Engineer I - No experience required

- Competent with the administrative and communication tools for word processing, spread sheet development and time keeping, as a minimum

- Strong knowledge of several power systems analysis tools applicable to power system steady state, dynamic, short circuit, or database management systems

- Strong inter-personal and team work skills along with good written and verbal communication skills

- Excellent working skills with communication and data handling software such as Microsoft Office© Word, Excel, Access

- Understanding and comply with compliance with SPP Policies and Procedures

Preferred:

- A Professional Engineer License

- Advanced degree in related field of study

- Electric Utility Industry experience

- Proficient with most SPP power systems analysis tools with a solid command of several SPP tools and/or processes

- Sound understanding of the SPP Open Access Transmission Tariff, FERC & NERC governing documents, SPP By-Laws, SPP Criteria and the SPP Committee structure

Work Environment:

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time position. Days and hours of workweek are Monday through Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Working extended hours may be required.

Travel Requirement:

This position requires minimal travel (approximately 0-10%).

SPP is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans and is committed to excellence. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment 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. We will accommodate the needs of any qualified candidate who requests a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

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

Full job descriptions will be made available to those selected for an interview.

Education

Preferred

- Bachelors or better

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.