Careers

Lead Electrical Engineer – Renewable Energy

KS-Overland Park

Req#: 18209BR

Date published: 31-Jul-2014

Opportunity: Experienced Hire

Business Line: Energy

Business Plan: ENG

Level: 131

Black & Veatch has been actively engaged in the solar industry for
decades, including involvement in nearly half of the utility-scale
photovoltaic (PV) plants currently operating in North America.
Our deep industry experience, coupled with our proven track record
of delivering projects, means we have the right people and tools
to provide high-quality, comprehensive consulting, engineering,
procurement, construction, and operations and maintenance services.

EOE - M/D/V/F

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:
This position will serve in a lead capacity for electrical engineering services on Black & Veatch’s Kansas City based renewable energy team. Key application areas will include solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage projects. Work will support these, and at times other renewable, distributed energy, and micro-grid technologies.

This position will involve a variety of responsibilities including:
• Contribute to business development with key clients including identification of market drivers, scoping, proposal development, and relationship management
• Lead and contribute to proposals and projects for due diligence, interconnection, feasibility studies, new technology evaluation, component and system modeling, project proposal evaluation, conceptual design, detailed design, and design review.
• Guide clients through the renewable generation interconnection process including identification of potential sites, preparation of applications, assistance with studies, and implementation support through design and construction activities.
• Provide conceptual design of solar PV and energy storage electrical infrastructure, such as batteries, inverters, transformers, trackers, racking, modules, combiner boxes, grounding, switchgear, and controllers/SCADA.
• Provide design optimization for cost reduction and performance improvement.
• Manage and oversee electrical systems analysis including power flow, transient analysis, component modeling, short circuit, and system protection.
• Manage and oversee solar PV and energy storage detailed design, procurement specification, design review, and potentially construction oversight.
• Management of junior staff including supervision, career development, mentoring, recognition, and any corrective actions required leadership expectations include knowledge sharing and advancement of business value proposition and team technology excellence as follows:
• Identify, manage, and grow new market opportunities.
• Represent Black & Veatch through speaking engagements and participation in industry meetings.
• Serve as a technical specialist with relevant knowledge and skills to provide expert consultation and guidance to project teams.
• Actively foster knowledge management and provide mentoring to others.
• Provide development and direction on design guides, engineering standards, systems, applicable engineering codes and B&V policies.
• Lead development initiatives to create new product/service offerings, improve processes, and advance marketing initiatives.
• Review and guide the work of junior staff.

Minimum Qualifications:
Requires a bachelor's degree in engineering from either a recognized accredited program in their home country or the country in which the professional is practicing. Minimum of 8 years related work experience.

Preferred Job Qualifications:
Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to communicate clearly and succinctly through formal reports, presentations, memoranda and email. Must be able to function equally well in collaborative, multi-discipline teams, and self-directed independent assignments. Must be self-motivated, with an ability to balance multiple projects while working under tight deadlines.

Proven industry and project leadership experience related to solar photovoltaic and energy storage technologies is highly desired. Experience with electrical interconnection requirements, monitoring and protective relaying, and SCADA systems is also valued. Utility substation design and/or distribution system analysis, planning, and design experience is a plus.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, personal organization, and team collaboration software are critical. Understanding and application of software for power system modeling and design as well as PV and battery system modeling are strongly desired. Fundamental knowledge of methods for project economic analysis is important.