Lead Engineer (Electrical Planning and Design), Electrical Engineering

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National Grid is hiring a Lead Engineer (Electrical Planning and Design), Electrical Engineering for Waltham, MA. This is a hybrid role (MA, VT, ME, RI, CT, NH) with approximately 1-2 days per week in the office.

Job Purpose

As Lead Engineer – Integrated Energy Planning (IEP), you will provide dedicated electric system engineering support to the Integrated Energy Planning team. The Lead Engineer – IEP will be part of the Distribution Planning & Asset Management (DPAM) team, with dotted-line reporting to the Director of IEP, within Network Strategy & Regulation.

IEP is a coordinated approach to energy system planning that considers community and customer energy needs and co-optimizes gas and electric network investments and customer electrification adoption throughout Massachusetts. This is a new and unique engineering role that provides an exciting opportunity for an experienced electric system engineer to shape the future of energy networks in support of the Commonwealth’s pursuit of its climate mandates, while ensuring affordable, reliable energy delivery.

IEP is an emerging field of work. Gas and electric companies are working together to develop methods and processes for doing cross-network coordination and planning. The IEP Lead Engineer will play a key role in defining how integrated network planning will work in practice. This role will be responsible for building a set of IEP capabilities for electric system planning, leading the development and implementation of robust planning tools, standards, processes, and compliance frameworks that support technical and investment decision-making. The IEP Lead Engineer will be responsible for performing electric engineering analyses for Non-Pipeline Alternative projects proposed by a Gas utility, such as targeted electrification of gas loads, as well as strategic IEP studies. This work includes identifying system issues resulting from incremental electrification load and developing solutions to address identified issues.

This is a new and unique electrical engineering role. The IEP Lead Engineer must be entrepreneurial, able to work independently and driven to tackle novel challenges. In addition, this role must be able to learn and understand existing DPAM engineering systems and processes and then design and own novel process designs that address IEP-specific needs. Given the nature of IEP, the IEP Lead Engineer must have good relationship-building and stakeholder management skills to support cross-functional relationships, especially to counterpart Gas engineers (both at National Grid and at the four other non-affiliated Gas companies within the Commonwealth). Finally, the IEP Lead Engineer will need to communicate engineering concepts to non-engineering audiences, including in policy and regulatory contexts. A list of responsibilities follows.

Key Accountabilities

• Conduct electric engineering studies, analysis, and investigations related to Integrated Energy Planning using electric modeling software;
• Electric engineering lead on non-pipeline alternative (NPA) projects upon transition to the electric domain, including:
  • Conducting the engineering analysis related to electrification projects proposed as NPAs (i.e., developing electrification assumptions, estimating incremental load, conducting Step 0 (Zero) and detailed electric system study of load requests),
  • Provide engineering support for NPA pilots and leverage learnings to shape necessary IEP capabilities,
  • Collaborating and coordinating with National Grid gas company, as well as non-affiliate gas company engineers, to ensure alignment of assumptions and processes, as well as co-manage cross-utility projects;
• Provide engineering input into the research, conceptual development, design, and integration of new software tools that integrate gas, electric, and customer system data, and streamline cross-utility project analysis;
• Support ad hoc electric analyses and tasks that advance IEP research and pathfinding;
• Support engagements with municipalities related to energy system planning, as needed;
• Support compliance with cross-utility data protection procedures and auditing, to meet regulatory compliance standards;
• Engage in external stakeholder working groups related to IEP.
• In addition, you may be expected to contribute to storm events and other emergency response situations, requiring:
• Ability to travel overnight outside the normal work area for special events or emergencies, and
• Ability to work overtime including nights/weekend/holidays for special events or emergencies.
• This role will present a unique opportunity for an experienced engineer to lead a new function in energy planning. There is opportunity, depending on interest and time, to engage in policy development, external engagement, strategy development, and thought leadership as it relates to integrated system planning.

Knowledge & Experience Required:

• A Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Technology from an ABET accredited engineering school. Professional experience will determine appropriate engineering position.

Knowledge of relevant industry practice, standards and legislation.

• Knowledge of current trends within the industry and developments in legislation or regulation.
• Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record.
• Minimum 8 years of experience.

Qualifications

• Desired: familiarity with the concept of integrated energy planning and/or electrification and decarbonization strategies.
• Desired: familiarity with utility regulatory frameworks, and experience working within regulatory processes, including supporting filings and testimony.
• Additional desirable but not required skills include: a familiarity or proficiency in Python, SQL, and/or Typescript programming languages; an understanding of Data Modeling, Pipeline and Ontology setups; debugging proficiency; and software engineering fundamentals.
• Knowledge and experience in power systems software preferred (CYME, ASPEN, PSSE)
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously.
• Work in a Project Management team environment.
• Adapts approach and considers what is important to the audience and tailors message accordingly.
• Actively builds and maintains a network of relationships, outside normal business contacts.
• Takes personal responsibility for correcting problems promptly and nondefensively and communicates engineering customer expectations to monitor delivery of engineering projects and satisfaction.
• Proactively makes changes to improve performance, efficiency and effectiveness of processes, for example challenge existing engineering procedures and highlight areas for improvement.
• Possesses positive expectations for team members and expresses regard for them.
• Is receptive to change and is willing to change ideas or opinions based on new information or contrary evidence.

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