Principal Engineer - Thermal Projects

Key Responsibilities

• Project Execution
• Support EPC engagement by preparing contract exhibits and supporting RFI’s during contract negotiations.
• Seek and evaluate proposals for engineering services.
• Manage engineering consultants and Engineer Procure Construct (EPC) contractors through development of project construction drawings and support materials.
• Perform technical project due diligence and project engineering design reviews to ensure compliance with company and industry standards.
• Lead external and internal design review meetings.
• Coordinate feedback from internal stakeholders and subject matter experts (SMEs) on design reviews.
• Value engineer system designs to maximize reliability and reduce overall project cost.
• Establish/review technical specifications of owner furnished equipment in coordination with Procurement and Sourcing.
• Manage Procore RFIs and submittals and ensure complete and timely responses in coordination with other internal teams.
• Technical support during construction including:
• Respond to contractor requests for information (RFIs).
• Support field quality assurance (QA)/quality control (QC).
• Review test reports for compliance with contract requirements and technical standards.
• Support the technical resolution of punch list items.
• Support startup, commissioning, performance testing, and commercial operation activities.
• Support internal Owner’s Engineering team through financing activities.
• Support Operations/Asset Management teams to resolve technical issues at operating sites.
• Assist Development and Project Management teams with development of key financial inputs.
• Develop and implement technical solutions to market specific requirements in coordination with market manager.
• Review and evaluate major equipment performance guarantees, reliability guarantees, availability guarantees, operating constraints, heat rate performance, emissions requirements, and project design assumptions.
• Support fuel supply and infrastructure evaluations, including natural gas and LNG systems, in coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support permitting, environmental, and interconnection activities by providing technical input related to plant design, equipment selection, operating profiles, and emissions characteristics.
• Growth and Leadership
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives for the execution of safe, quality, and high-performance projects.
• Provide timely feedback on EPC and external engineer performance, and document lessons learned to influence internal process enhancements.
• Mentor and educate team on changing trends in technology, best practices, code enforcement, and safety.
• Direct mentorship of other Engineers on job requirements and technical acumen.
• Support the team as a technical subject matter expert.
• Support evaluation of emerging technologies and companies for the Approved Vendor List.
• Lead technical evaluations of new thermal generation technologies and provide recommendations to support project development, technology selection, and long-term business strategy.
• Safety
• Attend site safety walks and identify jobsite hazards.
• Obtain and maintain safety training certifications (NFPA 70E, OSHA 10-hour, and CPR/first aid).
• Lead by example.
• Skills and Qualifications
• Primary Qualifications
• Undergraduate degree in engineering (mechanical preferred) or equivalent technical field.
• 10+ years professional experience in energy system design, project or land development, and/or construction. Advanced degrees in a related field may be credited towards years of experience.
• 5+ years of experience in project management, consulting, or as a project engineer.
• Engineering design experience with thermal power generation facilities, including gas turbines, RICE power plants, combined-cycle facilities, simple-cycle facilities, cogeneration systems, HRSGs, steam turbines, and associated balance-of-plant systems.
• Ability to evaluate technical decisions with consideration for cost, schedule, constructability, operability, maintainability, and project risk.
• Experience reviewing operations and maintenance requirements, maintenance philosophies, outage planning considerations, and long-term asset performance expectations.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to successfully work cross-functionally across a large organization.
• Self-starter with ability to work effectively in a remote and/or distributed team environment.
• Ability to effectively manage third party consultants, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
• Proficient with MS Office Suite.
• Direct project experience with Procore.
• Plus Qualifications
• Graduate degree in engineering
• EIT or PE qualifications
• Knowledge of thermal power plant codes, standards, and industry practices
• Experience with air permitting, emissions compliance, and environmental regulations applicable to thermal generation facilities
• Understanding of generator interconnection processes and grid compliance requirements
• Experience with fuel systems, including natural gas and LNG infrastructure
• Experience with ETAP, SKM, AspenTech, GT PRO, Thermoflow, or other advanced power system and thermal performance modeling tools
• Substation/High Voltage design experience
• Structural/SCADA/commissioning engineering design experience
• Experience with AutoCAD Civil3D
• Fluency in Spanish or Portuguese
• We offer a comprehensive benefits package including market competitive medical, dental, vision, life, market leading 401(K), generous Paid Time Off (PTO), and parental leave.

Skills and Qualifications