Senior Electrical Engineer Power Generation & Islanded Systems

Senior Electrical Engineer Power Generation & Islanded Systems
Dallas, TX 75219 Onsite 5 days/week
Direct Hire Full-Time

Job Description/Overview:
Our Client, a growing high-performance computing and cloud infrastructure company, is seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer to support the owner-side engineering of primary power generation systems for new data center developments.

These facilities use gas turbines, reciprocating engines, or a combination of both as their primary power source, operating independently of the utility grid with an N+1 redundancy target.

The technical focus is the reliable operation of dissimilar generators on a shared islanded bus, including load sharing, frequency and voltage control, transient stability, and load shedding.

Working under the direction of the Design Authority / Subject Matter Expert (SME), this engineer will independently review EPC and vendor engineering, perform verification calculations and owner-scope design work, and support construction, startup, commissioning, and acceptance testing.

The ideal candidate combines hands-on power system analysis with practical experience delivering continuously operating generation projects. Experience limited to standby generation or grid-connected operation will not satisfy the core technical requirements.

Key Responsibilities
• Engineering Review & Technical Verification
o Review contractor engineering and vendor submittals, including single-line diagrams, load lists, equipment specifications, cable ampacity, grounding, relay settings, and PMS/SCADA architecture.
o Evaluate load-flow, short-circuit, motor-starting, protective device coordination, arc-flash, and electromagnetic transient/dynamic studies.
o Perform independent calculations and dynamic modeling using ETAP.
o Verify that studies use appropriate contingency cases and vendor-validated machine, governor, and exciter models.
o Confirm code compliance and equipment listing documentation before recommending procurement release.
o Prepare clear technical findings and recommended dispositions for the Design Authority / SME.
• Islanded Generation & Controls Integration
o Evaluate operating philosophies for dissimilar generators running in parallel.
o Review droop and isochronous control, governor and automatic voltage regulator (AVR) response, real/reactive power sharing, and reactive droop compensation.
o Assess system behavior during generator loss, load rejection, step-load events, black start, and re-synchronization.
o Review IEC 61850 GOOSE-based load-shedding and load-sharing schemes implemented through microgrid controllers.
o Verify configuration file control, message performance requirements, PRP/HSR network redundancy, controller failover, and degraded operating modes.
o Confirm that end-to-end load-shedding timing supports the stability margins assumed in the engineering studies.
• Protection, Redundancy & Reliability
o Verify protection coordination and arc-flash analysis across credible operating conditions, including all-units-online, N-1, black start, re-synchronization, and temporary power.
o Review Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to confirm that loss of a single generating unit can be managed without interrupting IT loads.
o Assess electrical and controls interfaces across generation packages and balance-of-plant equipment.
o Identify safety, code, cybersecurity, and reliability concerns and escalate critical findings promptly.
• Owner-Scope Design & Construction Support
o Perform detailed engineering for owner-retained and owner-furnished scope, including interfaces, tie-ins, and temporary power systems.
o Respond to RFIs, field change requests, proposed deviations, and construction-stage technical issues.
o Support witness and hold points established in approved Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs).
o Route deviations through formal engineering review and change-control processes.
o Provide technical assessments distinguishing owner-directed changes, design development, and contractor rework.
• Commissioning & Acceptance
o Review commissioning plans, test procedures, and acceptance criteria.
o Witness Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) at vendor facilities.
o Support Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), protection and relay functional testing, energization, startup troubleshooting, and Integrated Systems Testing (IST).
o Witness load-shedding and load-sharing tests, including measured GOOSE performance, end-to-end shedding time, controller failover, and dissimilar-generator response.
o Verify live N+1 failover performance under operating load.
o Review as-built documentation, final relay settings, spare parts, and operator training before recommending acceptance or withholding acceptance.
• Technical Governance & Documentation
o Maintain written technical objections, queries, nonconformance reports, and verified closure records.
o Escalate blocking safety, code, and cybersecurity issues to the SME the same business day.
o Communicate independent technical conclusions clearly to contractors, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
o Preserve the EPC contractor’s design responsibility and Engineer of Record obligations.
o Follow formal approval and change-order processes for requirements, scope, cost, and schedule changes.
• Final technical dispositions, requirement waivers, and gate Go/Hold decisions remain with the Design Authority / SME. This role does not direct contractor construction means and methods.

Required Qualifications
• Education & Experience
o Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program or equivalent internationally accredited program.
o Typically 10+ years of electrical power systems experience.
o Hands-on experience with continuously operating, paralleled generation serving as a primary power source.
o Direct experience with islanded operation of dissimilar generators, where the generating units maintain system frequency and voltage.
o Experience working within an EPC or design-build organization, including active construction, startup, and commissioning assignments.
• Power System Analysis
o Hands-on ETAP proficiency, including personally building and running:
Load-flow and short-circuit studies.
Motor-starting analysis.
Protective device coordination.
Arc-flash analysis.
Transient stability studies.
o Ability to evaluate machine models, governor/exciter parameters, and contingency assumptions in contractor studies.
• Generation, Protection & Controls
o Strong understanding of gas turbine and reciprocating engine packages and their electrical and control interfaces.
o Experience evaluating generators with different inertia, governor response, and load-acceptance characteristics.
o Knowledge of IEC 61850 GOOSE-based load-shedding and load-sharing schemes, including configuration, performance, redundancy, and failure modes.
o Familiarity with balance-of-plant equipment, including fuel gas compressors, heaters, pumps, and fans.
o Working command of high-, medium-, and low-voltage switchgear, motor control centers, generator step-up transformers, and step-down transformers.
o Strong knowledge of applicable ANSI, IEEE, and NEC requirements.
• Project Execution & Communication
o Practical understanding of engineering deliverable lifecycles, Issued for Construction (IFC) releases, vendor data cycles, submittals, RFIs, and turnover.
o Ability to develop and defend an independent technical position while collaborating effectively with contractors, vendors, and engineering leadership.
o Strong technical writing, documentation, troubleshooting, and engineering judgment.

Preferred Qualifications
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• NFPA 70E training.
• Commissioning credential through ACG, NEBB, or an equivalent organization.
• Direct configuration review and site testing experience with IEC 61850 schemes.
• Gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) experience.
• Data center or other mission-critical facility experience.
• Strong experience maintaining auditable engineering decisions, test evidence, and acceptance records.

Working Environment:
This Dallas-based role includes extended field assignments during construction and commissioning, supporting installation, startup, testing, and operational handover.