Senior Reliability Assessments Engineer

Be a Part of Something that Matters

At WECC, we enhance the lives of 80 million people by identifying and mitigating risks to the Bulk Power System (BPS) in the West. The grid is changing quickly as environmental regulations, economics, technology, and customer demands continue to push the power industry to new limits. The Senior Reliability Assessments Engineer promotes BPS reliability by providing technical expertise, leadership, and support to key programs at WECC.

Working in the Reliability Assessments department, the Senior Reliability Assessments Engineer is proficient with various system analysis applications and can use them to analyze potential effects on the reliability of the grid. The Senior Reliability Assessments Engineer is fully aware of emerging issues and trends affecting the BPS in the Western Interconnection and works with industry groups to address power system reliability needs.

The Senior Reliability Assessments Engineer works with industry groups to find and use state-of-the-art technology to help ensure reliability and proposes new methods for conducting reliability assessments.

You will—

- Propose, lead, and conduct WECC/NERC reliability assessments based on emerging issues and trends using commercially available modeling and analysis software.

- Apply deterministic, probabilistic, and system stability, or other model types to support adequacy studies and other reliability assessments.

- Provide technical leadership and partnership with industry groups such as national labs; regulators; federal, state, and provincial government organizations; non-governmental organizations; and academia to identify potential reliability risks and mitigation options.

- Identify the need for, and support the development of, new software tools and processes to assess data and power system reliability.

- Deliver clear, concise presentations to a variety of technical and non-technical audiences.

- Support and provide technical leadership to WECC and NERC committees, task forces, and work groups.

- Engage stakeholders to identify and assess reliability challenges in the short-term to long-term time frames.

- Provide technical expertise and support for other activities at WECC (e.g., standards development, oversight, event analysis, situation awareness).

- Work with colleagues in the ERO Enterprise to plan reliability assessments, identify the lessons learned, and apply best practices.

- Mentor other engineers and analysts and work with management to find opportunities for others to take part in industry initiatives.

You will enjoy this role if you—

- Hold a bachelor’s degree in engineering, statistics, economics, or a related technical field, or have an equivalent combination of education and professional work experience. An advanced degree in engineering, statistics, economics, or business administration is preferred.

- Have at least eight years of experience in areas such as production cost modeling, resource adequacy modeling, resource planning, power flow analysis, stability analysis, or capacity expansion modeling. You also have a history of identifying emerging reliability risks and leading reliability-related analyses.

- Have extensive experience using power system, production cost, or resource adequacy tools such as: Astrape SERVM, Energy Exemplar Plexos, ABB GridView, GE MARS, or GE PSLF, Siemens PSS/E, PowerWorld, PowerGem TARA.

- Have a record of conducting assessments and developing technical reports with a strong understanding of reliability risks to the BPS.

- Possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with stakeholder and member groups with differing interests.

- Have proven decision-making and problem-solving skills.

- Are excited to advocate for reliability in industry groups, bringing back vital information for WECC's strategic decision-making.

- Have excellent spoken and written communication skills.

- Possess high levels of self-motivation, initiative, intellectual curiosity, and accountability.

- Desire to act as a knowledge leader, sharing expertise with staff and other departments at WECC.

Our Culture and Values

- Our people and our work matter;

- Everyone is invited to be a leader;

- Independence, perspective, and partnership are how we add value;

- Intellectual curiosity, empowerment, and accountability fuel meaningful results;

- Continuous improvement and innovation are essential; and

- We act with intention and focused urgency in everything we do.

Benefits and Compensation

The base salary range for this full-time position is $127,900 - $159,900 + discretionary pay + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and mid-point for the position across all locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter will share more details during the hiring process.

WECC offers an excellent benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, health reimbursement and flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan, and generous paid personal time.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We foster an organizational culture that values the visible and invisible qualities that make individuals who they are. When individuals bring their whole selves to work, without apprehension, we, as WECC, will meet our mission now and in the future.

WECC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

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Be a part of something that matters!