Senior Gas System Planning Engineer

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy knows job number one is to keep the lights on for customers. We are committed to delivering reliable, clean, and affordable energy to our customers 24/7.

Location

This is a hybrid (virtual/onsite) position with required onsite days on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday assigned to the Parnall Office located in Jackson, MI.  The selected candidate must be within a commutable distance or willing to relocate (relocation package is available for those that qualify).

General Summary Of Job Responsibilities

The Senior Gas System Planning Engineer is responsible for coordinating and providing project oversight for interconnection agreements between the Company’s gas system and other pipelines, gas utilities, large end-use customers, local natural gas producers, and Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) producers. This role includes offering insight and support for third-party interconnection agreements, as well as assistance with maintenance service agreements. The engineer provides technical expertise on gas quality issues and conducts gas interchangeability and hydrocarbon dew point analyses to ensure gas quality specifications are met and gas supplies remain interchangeable. Additionally, the position assists Principal, Senior Principal, and Engineering leadership with MPSC and other regulatory filing exhibits, supporting the Company’s position on gas issues, particularly those related to gas quality.

The Gas System Planning Engineer has a thorough knowledge of the gas transmission system and is a subject matter expert on gas transmission system capacity, total system resilience, transmission customer value, and the Gas Cost Recovery Plan modeling process. They identify opportunities and risks that inform engineering decisions using creative techniques and methods to provide potential resolutions to complex and ambiguous issues that affect the gas business' ability to provide customers with energy.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

- Manage total transmission system design and performance by applying advanced knowledge of hydraulic system modeling, system capacity, system constraints, and the analysis and extrapolation of historical data that may be ambiguous or limited.

- Apply creative techniques and a variety of analysis tools to define the optimal design criteria for gas transmission assets.

- Perform complex modeling processes used to develop regulatory required testimony filed as part of the Gas Cost Recover Plan.

- Identify risks and opportunities to improve testimony supporting processes. Successful candidate may eventually file Subject Matter Expert testimony to support the Gas Cost Recovery Plan.

- Develop and implement key system model assumptions used to support full utilization of the Company’s gas storage inventory and to support gas purchase decisions.

- Apply engineering judgement and system knowledge of current & projected transmission capacity and to evaluate the impact of required maintenance outages and the feasibility of large customer attachments.

- Develop studies to support customer value for large transmission capital improvements by leveraging system models, gas supply knowledge, and Net Present Value (NPV) methods.

- Lead cross-functional efforts with other departments to establish Company’s natural gas storage and compressor station operational capacities. This involves the development and analysis of storage field and compressor station capability models to identify, monitor, and address potential deviations in performance.

- Develop and improve gas system resilience models and system planning tools used in resilience risk identification, mitigation, and acceptance processes.

- Serve as the Company representative for existing interconnection agreements. Work to address third-party needs while clearly communicating the Company’s position, acting as the primary point of contact for third-party interconnecting parties. Safeguard the interests of the Company’s existing customers by engaging MPSC Staff as needed to resolve disputes. Provide input for testimony in regulatory complaint cases, if necessary. Support interconnecting billing and addressing billing inquiries.

- Act as the Gas Management Services advocate and subject matter expert for renewable natural gas (RNG) interconnections. Collaborate with other departments to ensure appropriate focus is given to RNG interconnections, work to remove barriers for RNG projects when appropriate, and coordinate with other gas departments to resolve RNG interconnection issues.

- Assist with natural gas interconnection and maintenance service agreements for the Company. Work in partnership with the Legal, Gas Operations, and Gas Engineering departments to consider regulatory requirements and maintain consistency among different interconnecting parties.

- Engage third parties and coordinate payments from them until a dedicated interconnect project manager is assigned to new interconnection sites. Support other Company stakeholders (Operations, Engineering, Legal, etc.) by responding to questions and coordinating activities at existing interconnect facilities. Provide input for updating existing agreements, including changes prompted by regulatory updates.

- Collaborate with Gas Control on alarm set points; provide analysis of various natural gas attributes using data from Producers, Gas Asset Management, and Gas Operations; and engage third-party interconnecting parties to ensure gas compliance with established standards. Identify gas quality risks and opportunities and escalate issues to leadership as appropriate.

- Perform other duties as assigned or as necessary.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

- Proficient in contract negotiation.

- Exceptional oral and written communication abilities.

- Demonstrated skill in leading projects and cross-departmental teams.

- Strong capacity for creative and collaborative problem-solving.

- Comprehensive understanding of legal agreements.

- In-depth knowledge of gas systems.

- Expertise in gas supply management.

- Extensive knowledge of natural gas quality, including compatibility, constituents, safety standards, and BTU calculations.

- Ability to interpret engineering documents effectively.

Education And Experience

- Bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET accredited program with a minimum of four (4) years of experience in project management, contract negotiation, gas composition analysis, leading multidepartment projects or other project engineering work.

- (OR) Bachelor's degree in engineering from a non-ABET accredited program plus a Professional Engineering license with a minimum of four (4) years of experience in project management, contract negotiation, gas composition analysis, leading multidepartment projects or other project engineering work.

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Why should you join our team?

At Consumers Energy, we offer more than just a place to work. We foster a culture that supports career development, growth, and stability, and we take pride in offering our co-workers excellent benefits and compensation packages. We are deliberately creating an inclusive culture that makes our diverse team of co-workers feel valued, supported, and empowered every day. We're a company made up of thousands of people, all with different stories to share and work to do, but we stand united in our company purpose: world class performance delivering hometown service.

What We Offer

- Competitive compensation packages

- Medical, Dental and Vision

- 401k with company match

- Paid parental leave

- Up to 13 paid Holidays

- Paid time off

- Educational Assistance Program

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We, at CMS Energy, value Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. It is part of our DNA. We treat our employees with respect, we treat each other fairly and we value the opinions of others. We are passionate about building and nurturing an environment where everyone feels included. We don’t discriminate. We seek to learn about each other and better understand our unique differences. Our uniqueness makes us authentic. We create safe spaces where everyone can be who they truly are. We invite difficult conversations and uncomfortable topics. We value diverse perspectives; this is what makes us great together. We harbor an inclusive environment where employees feel empowered to share their backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. Our Employee Resource Groups, Women in Energy (WE), Minority Advisory Panel (MAP), Pride Alliance of Consumers Energy (PACE), GENERGY, capABLE, Interfaith and Veterans Advisory Panel (VAP) are key enablers to living the values of our company culture: Caring, Empowered, Deliberate, Agility, and Ownership.

All qualified applicants will not be discriminated against and will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected veteran status, disability, race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.