Senior P&C Engineer I

Summary

 Join NYPA as a Senior Protection & Control Engineer and play a key role in safeguarding the reliability of New York’s power infrastructure. In this role, you’ll design and enhance protection, control, and communication systems that keep our grid resilient and support NYPA’s mission to deliver clean, dependable energy to millions of New Yorkers.

You’ll take the lead on analyzing system disturbances, identifying root causes, and developing smart, forward‑looking solutions. Your work will directly influence system performance by recommending improvements to protective relaying schemes and ensuring full compliance with North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) standards.If you’re driven by technical excellence, energized by complex challenges, and eager to contribute to the future of the state’s electric grid, we’d love to hear from you. #LI-AE1

Responsibilities

• Provide lead engineer function for a wide range of large or complex projects. Develop equipment specifications and design packages and provide technical oversight for all, in accordance with applicable industry standards. 
• Perform factory or field visits to support design reviews, inspections, evaluations, and testing.
• Coordinate with vendors during the manufacturing process.
• Perform site visits to complete field inspections, condition assessments, and equipment evaluations and develop technical recommendations for complex scenarios with limited oversight.  
• Perform occasional emergency response, including outside of normal business hours.
• Independently coordinate cross disciplinary activities for the successful development and execution of projects.
• Provide expertise in the selection, interpretation and application of codes, standards and procedures. Set internal standards and procedures. 
• Perform inspections and evaluations of existing conditions for various protection system equipment and systems for proper installation, problem identification and troubleshooting.  Recommend improvements to the design and construction.
• Manage the technical and commercial aspects of engineering projects performed by external design entities.
• Represent the Authority at industry conferences, committees, or task forces.
• Provide direction and review for the electrical design and drafting personnel in the development of the project drawings.
• Review designs, calculations, specifications, and reports produced by other internal engineers and external consultants.
• Mentor and provide guidance for junior engineers.
• Perform advanced relaying system and power system analysis including system short circuit and relay coordination analysis.
• Develop relay setting calculations for advanced programmable numerical relay systems and provide support for field installation, testing, and commissioning of these systems. 
• Review, analyze, and report power generation and transmission system disturbances for protective relaying performance utilizing field data, including digital fault recorder, sequence of events recorder, and relay event records – make recommendations for corrective action if required.
• Perform review of existing protection and control systems for improved performance and replacement of obsolete electromechanical and solid-state systems.
• Prepare protection system application documents and technical specifications for procurement of new protective relays, instrument transformers, and teleprotection systems.
• Interface with other engineering disciplines to develop solutions to problems.
• Apply standard engineering techniques to support and develop methods to improve continued efficient operation of NYPA plants and facilities.
• Develop complex engineering specifications and perform intricate studies.
• Develop and evaluate plans and criteria for a variety of projects and activities.
• Assess feasibility and soundness of proposed engineering evaluation tests and equipment.
• Keep abreast of changes and advancements in the industry.
• For assigned work and projects, provide supervision of maintenance department(s) staff, and contractors, and prepare and monitor the day-to-day work activities of the crafts. Work with planners in scheduling work activities; oversee the safety of employees. Review job packages to ensure they are complete and current prior to performance of the work. Review completed work, job packages, and work orders to verify all steps are complete and to ensure that all data/information is recorded.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Expertise in the design, operation, and maintenance of Protection and Control system components with projects related to power generating plant and substation facilities.
• Proficiency in design and operation of protective relaying systems and their various components. 
• Ability to utilize communication systems including power line carrier, leased telephone circuits, microwave links and fiber optic technology to develop protective relaying systems.
• Extensive knowledge of applicable codes, standards, regulations.
• Ability to apply diverse technical principles and practices, with the understanding of the NYPA’s policies, operations and objectives, to complex engineering deliverables.
• Proven success in the management of technical and commercial aspects of complex projects.
• Competent in the use of Microsoft Office applications.
• Proficiency  in engineering software such as ASPEN and relay manufacturing software preferred.
• Ability to adapt communication style and content to effectively convey the desired message to the target audience.
• Ability to effectively manage and prioritize multiple complex projects.
• Collaborative and team-oriented with ability to build relationships with vendors and stakeholders.
• Ability to perform complex engineering calculations, and establish new standard specifications, scopes of work, reports, and interdisciplinary design packages.
• Substantial technical expertise with a broad perspective across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Ability to handle all engineering tasks and draw conclusions from data and make recommendations.
• Diverse knowledge of engineering principles
• Ability to work the engineering work planner to develop and update, coordinate the activities of other engineers by creating project schedules and job scopes.
• Responsible for technical content, reviewing the unit's work prior to being forwarded to the Manager/Director. 
• Prepared to assume the Director's role in his/her absence.

Education, Experience and Certifications

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering, or equivalent, from an accredited college or university.
• Master’s Degree in Engineering preferred.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of applicable experience, with extensive experience in Protective Relaying applied to Electrical Power Systems preferred.
• Experience in a lead engineer function in the electric utility industry, preferred.
• New York State P.E. License required, or P.E License from another state with New York State endorsement within 12 months of start date.

Physical Requirements

Approximately 25% travel primarily within NY State.