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Associate Grid Operations Engineer (Spark Program)

Rensselaer, New York, United States

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) manages the efficient flow of electricity on more than 11,000 circuit-miles of high-voltage transmission lines, dispatching power from hundreds of generating units across the state.

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) applies cutting-edge technology to operating a reliable electricity system, managing competitive markets for wholesale electricity, and planning for the Empire State's energy future.  The Spark Rotational Program Participant in the Grid Operations group within the Operations department is expected to contribute as an Associate Grid Operations Engineer.

The NYISO’s Spark Rotational Program is a two-year, early-career development program designed to grow the next generation of power system and technology professionals through meaningful work, structured learning, and cross-functional exposure. The Spark Rotational Program Participant will be expected to develop and demonstrate technical expertise and strong leadership skills throughout their two year rotational program.

Participants are hired directly into a home department where they build strong technical and professional foundations while contributing to projects that support the reliability of New York’s power grid. Participants will also expand their organizational perspective through learning experiences, job shadowing, and partial rotations across multiple departments.

The primary responsibility of this position is to develop and maintain processes and procedures to maintain system reliability for use by the Grid Operations Department. In order to support the NYISO markets and security functions, the Associate Engineer is expected to possess working knowledge of NERC, NPCC, NYSRC Reliability Standards, the New York State high voltage transmission system and Energy and Business Management software. The Associate Engineer will provide support in the development of software and techniques to assist in analyzing Grid Operations functions. The Associate Engineer will also participate in process reviews, data gathering, and run reports to improve effectiveness and efficiency of the department. The Associate Engineer will attend meetings as the department representative as well as transmit information between the committee attendees and the Grid Operations management team.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES MAY INCLUDE:

  • Assist in the design and deploy cloud infrastructure solutions based on requirements, Develop and maintain processes and procedures, such as Running Orders and Operating Agreements, to assist Grid Operations in maintaining
  • Develop and maintain Grid Operations Reliability Standard Audit Worksheets which will be used to demonstrate compliance during NERC Compliance
  • Provide technical support to Grid Operations Shift Supervisors and Operators during Real Time
  • Perform daily review of previous day operations, identifying information of market or operational significance to be shared with other
  • Coordinate Grid Operations activities with all internal ISO staff including Scheduling, Market Operations, Market Monitoring, and IT
  • Develop and perform load flow studies and analysis to verify the reliable and efficient coordination of generation and transmission facility outages in coordination with the Scheduling
  • Provide technical support to Market Monitoring, IT Quality Assurance, and Customer Service by replying to Market Participant questions for all aspects of Grid
  • Act as liaison with the Power System Application Engineering Department to develop, maintain, and update Control Room visualization
  • Actively participate in evaluation and development of Phasor Monitoring Unit (PMU) application software, tools, and processes for integration of PMU data in real time operations.
  • Provide support to the Dispatcher Training department by developing and presenting training lectures and simulator
  • Support department processes to meet SSAE16 audit Ensure processes are executed correctly. Periodically gather and provide evidence of audit compliance.
  • Analyze reports and Operations performance data required to complete the Grid Operations Monthly Report portion of the Operations and Performance Metrics for monthly presentation to the NYISO Operating Committee, Board of Directors and NYS Reliability
  • Recommend changes to existing procedures when needed to improve accuracy and
  • Collaborate with other NYISO departments on market design and market rule changes; specifically identifying changes that have implications to Grid Operations and system

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor's Degree (BS) in Electrical Engineering and coursework in power systems, electrical engineering, power system components (generation and transmission equipment, concepts and principles), mathematical modeling of power system components required; Master’s Degree (MS) in Electrical Engineering
  • No prior industry related or professional experience required; six months of experience from a power related internship, co-op assignment or class project
  • Knowledge of industry criteria and practices regarding power system operation and planning helpful; or equivalent combination of education, training and
  • Ability to demonstrate an analytical approach to problem solving
  • Strong team and interpersonal skills with the ability to work cross functionally
  • Excellent communication skills and ability to clearly articulate technical problems and solutions

 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures or government regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence and p r o c e d u r e manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, vendors, Market Participants and the general public.
  • Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations.
  • Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems. Ability to deal with nonverbal symbolism (formulas, scientific equations, graphs, etc.) in its most difficult phases. Ability to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.
  • Intermediate competency in Windows operating environment using MS Office applications, database spreadsheets, e-mail and internet programs. Working knowledge of UNIX desired.
  • Excellent interpersonal, organizational and teamwork skills needed.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit and use hands to perform routine office tasks. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

At the NYISO, we realize the importance of balancing the availability of remote work with the inherent value of bringing people together to attain success in the areas of maximum collaboration, relationship building and growth, teamwork, innovation and problem solving, as well as professional development and mentoring. In this role, you will be required to work onsite from our Rensselaer, NY location several days per workweek, with the option to work remotely on the remaining days. You will also be expected to respond to all business needs that may require any increase to the regular onsite requirements.

The NYISO takes pride in recruiting, developing and retaining highly talented individuals. In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a comprehensive benefits package and innovative reward programs.

All offers of employment will be made contingent upon the successful completion of a drug screening and background check.

The NYISO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and as such, does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices.

Salary Range

$68,900 - $115,200 USD

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