Senior Project Engineer

The Senior Project Engineer will be responsible for Distribution Generation (DG) scale solar PV and battery storage projects in late-stage development, detailed design, construction and commissioning phases. Responsibilities include detailed and final electrical, civil and structural design, running Request for Information (RFI), Scope of Work (SOW) and Requests for Proposal (RFP) for engineering services, production analysis and energy models for solar and energy storage, field construction quality control, field punch list development and resolution and commissioning and performance testing review and approval. 

The position is based out of AES’s Louisville-Colorado office. The responsibilities will include up to 25% travel to project locations. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Project Scope of Work (SOW) and design standards development. 

• Seek and evaluate proposals for engineering services. 

• Handle engineering consultants to develop project construction drawings and support material. Ensure that project design adheres to AES CE’s design standard. 

• Review and comment on design work provided by consultants and contractors for the construction of projects. 

• Technical project due diligence and project engineering design review. 

• Coordinate review and feedback from internal team on design reviews. 

• Respond to contractor RFIs during course of design and construction. 

• Perform project site visit during the construction phase of the projects. Perform QA/QC field inspections and punch list development and resolution. 

• Perform Job Safety Assessments (JSA) and Safety Walks to identify job-site hazards. 

• Review commissioning reports and analyze system performance. 

• Prepare and support project turnover to O&M/Asset Management team. 

• Support the technical due diligence for project financing. 

• Act as the technical point of contact (POC) working closely with EPC and Engineering Design firms. 

• Support and coordinate Utility’s technical engineering needs for and during project construction and commissioning. 

• Design optimization to value engineer, improve reliability and performance, and reduce cost. 

• Collaborate with Asset Management team to troubleshoot existing systems or develop repair and remediation plans. 

• Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract support. 

• Support Project Management and Development teams with schedule and budget development. 

• Assessment of energy production and performance modeling for PV and energy storage systems. 

• Equipment review and selection. 

• Improve and develop processes for the execution of safe, quality and high-performance projects. 

• Mentor and educate team on changing trends in technology, standard methodologies and safety. 

Primary Qualifications 

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience in Engineering or technical field. Preference on Electrical or Civil. 

• 7+ years professional experience in solar design, development, construction and analysis 

• 3+ years experience with energy storage systems design and modeling 

• Solid understanding of major equipment in solar and BESS plants to include PV modules, central and string inverters, fixed tilt racking and trackers. 

• Proficiency in real-world PV system design, including 1-line and 3-line diagram conventions, NEC conductor sizing, over-current protection sizing, utility disconnecting means requirements, equipment selection, grounding methodologies and short circuit current analysis. 

• Experience with medium voltage and high voltage interconnection design including transformer specifications, pad mounted switchgear and pole mounted equipment. 

• Experience with SCADA and DAS system design including OT equipment specifications, basic network layout and instrumentation connectivity. 

• Civil design and construction knowledge, understanding of stormwater best management practices, design and installation implication of equipment to land/civil conditions. 

• Comfort with NEC code, as well as related codes such as IBC, NFPA 855, and NESC. 

• Strong proficiency with AutoCAD, PVsyst, and MS Office Suite. 

• Utility interconnection knowledge. 

• Strong collaboration attitude in team environment. 

• Team leader with strong self-motivation and drive, and ability to lead teams consisting of internal and external resources. 

Plus  

• Degree or equivalent experience in Engineering. 

• EIT or PE qualifications. 

• Experience with ETAP, SKM and other sophisticated modeling tools. 

• Substation/HV design experience. 

• NABCEP PV Installation Professional certification. 

• Spanish language skills. 

• OSHA 10-hr or OSHA 30-hr training. 

• Direct experience with Procore.