Engineer II - Operations Reliability

Energize your future by joining our team at Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC)! NOVEC's mission is to create value for its members, employees and communities by providing safe, reliable electricity and quality products at competitive prices.

NOVEC is a locally owned electric distribution system headquartered in Manassas, VA. NOVEC provides reliable electric service to more than 180,000 homes and businesses in Clarke, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William and Stafford counties, the City of Manassas Park, and the Town of Clifton. NOVEC's service reliability is the best in the region with a 99.99% average system reliability.

As a leader on the high-tech frontier, NOVEC is using proven, cost-effective technology to improve productivity and reliability, reduce expenses, and increase cybersecurity – a national priority. Today’s technology includes what the industry calls "smart grid", as well as fiber optics, and mobile workforce.

OVERVIEW:

NOVEC is unable to provide work authorization or sponsorship for this position.

The Operations Reliability Engineer supports the cooperative’s mission to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electric service by analyzing system performance, improving operational practices, and implementing reliability-centered strategies. This role focuses on identifying risks to service reliability, developing preventive and predictive maintenance programs, and ensuring compliance with industry standards.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Other related duties may be assigned. An individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily and effectively. Reasonable accommodation may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

- Monitor system performance and reliability metrics (SAIDI, SAIFI, CAIDI) and recommend strategies to improve service continuity.

- Analyze outage data to identify root causes, trends, and opportunities for system improvements.

- Work with Operations, Engineering, and IT to develop predictive models for asset health and reliability planning.

- Support preventive and corrective maintenance programs for substations, distribution, and transmission assets.

- Recommend upgrades, technology adoption, and operational changes to improve resilience and system performance.

- Serve as a technical resource for vegetation management, protective relays, and switching operations related to reliability.

- Assist with storm response planning, mutual aid coordination, and post-event reliability assessments.

- Ensure compliance with NERC reliability standards, RUS guidelines, and cooperative policies.

- Support the cooperative’s safety culture by incorporating safety considerations into all reliability planning and operational practices.

- Provide reports and recommendations to senior leadership and the Board on reliability performance and improvement initiatives.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field from an accredited institution is required.

- 2+ years of related experience is required.

- Experience and/or training in the design, construction, and operation of electrical substations is preferred.

- Knowledge of electric utility systems, outage management systems (OMS), SCADA, GIS, and reliability analysis tools.

SKILLS & ABILITIES:

- Strong analytical skills with ability to interpret system performance data and translate into actionable recommendations.

- Effective communication skills with the ability to collaborate across departments and present technical findings to non-technical audiences.

- Commitment to the cooperative principles of service, community, and member satisfaction.

- Demonstrated ability to function independently in a multi-task environment, as well as part of a team.

- Demonstrated knowledge of all company policies and procedures as well as all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

- Demonstrated knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles and mathematical skills.

- Demonstrated proficiency with general computer operation and Microsoft Office applications.

- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and efficiently with all levels within the organization.

- Demonstrated ability to anticipate and meet rapidly changing customer and business needs by quickly refocusing and realigning strategic and operational direction.

- Demonstrated knowledge of power engineering and planning concepts and industry standards and practices.

- Demonstrated ability to learn and apply knowledge of NOVEC’s electrical distribution, transmission, and substation facilities.

- Demonstrated ability to review, interpret and analyze maps, plans, drawings, data, and field information.

- Demonstrated project management skills.

- Demonstrated ability to reason analytically and relate theoretical concepts to practical applications.

- Demonstrated ability to use prudent problem solving and decision-making techniques.

WHAT WE OFFER:

Competitive salary and Incentive plan

Premier health benefits, including an onsite wellness center.

Survivor and Disability benefits

401(k) retirement plan with a 4% base salary match and an additional match of your contribution at a rate of 50% up to the first 12%

Life insurance

Vacation, Sick and Holiday Leave

Educational Assistance

Annual Company Events

If you're ready to take the next step towards advancing your career, apply today! NOVEC is an equal opportunity employer and participates in E-Verify. We do not provide sponsorship for this position.