Engineer II -Transmission Planning Policy at Southwest Power Pool in Little Rock, Arkansas

Job Description:

Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is about more than power. We’re about the power of relationships. Our employees have the opportunity to work together to ensure electricity is delivered reliably and affordably to the millions of people living in our service territory. We have been voted one of Arkansas’ Best Places to work by Arkansas Business and we are looking for a member of our team who is passionate about our mission to keep the lights on!

We have a core ideology here at SPP that we stand by: Do the right thing, for the right reason, in the right way.

We believe in supporting our employees through a fantastic benefits package:

• Competitive and transparent pay with bonus opportunities


• Excellent insurance package including three great medical plans to choose from, employer-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance


• Relocation bonus (if applicable)


• Hybrid working environment for positions that are eligible


• Fantastic contributions to your retirement through a 401(k) savings plan with employer-match benefits and a pension (defined benefit plan) fully funded by SPP

 COMPENSATION INFORMATION

The salary range(s) represents our good faith estimate for the role at this time. While we strive to provide competitive and transparent compensation, there may be circumstances where an offer is above or outside of the listed range. We are open to discussing salary expectations with qualified candidates considering factors such as the candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, experience and geographic location will all be considered during the hiring process.

Engineer II Pay Range: $88,000 - $98,000

 Join our team as an Engineer II on Transmission Planning Policy team!

Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is seeking an experienced and dynamic Engineer II for our Transmission Planning Policy team. This key position is responsible for the development, support, and analysis of transmission planning functions, as well as potentially acting as a subject matter expert to team members. The role requires support of multiple stakeholder working groups and the ability to collaborate across departments to achieve results. You will play a critical role in ensuring the reliability and resilience of the grid as we work toward meeting future demands.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the overall objectives, critical issues, new concepts, policy matters, and any other relevant issues to the planning policy process.


• Contribute to the development and support of new planning techniques, process improvements, and engineering measurements.


• Coordinate with SPP membership on key transmission planning issues.


• Facilitate complex technical processes, including those directed by ad hoc stakeholder/committees, Integrated Transmission Planning, or engineering data coordination efforts.


• Develop, maintain, and improve technical engineering processes, procedures, and documentation used in Transmission Planning.


• Work with neighboring ISOs, RTOs, and other Planning Authorities to coordinate the SPP transmission planning process, results and analysis with neighboring seams entities.


• Ensure that the planning process aligns with Industry or Tariff requirements and update governing documents as needed.


• Develop and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders, technical staff, and leadership to accomplish SPP objectives.


• Facilitate feedback discussions to reach positive stakeholder consensus to the fullest extent possible.


• Participate in technical working groups and task forces, providing technical and logistical support to active staff secretaries by documenting meeting minutes and action items.


• Assist with technical decision-making and independent project management as directed by more experienced engineers.


• Proactively identify inefficiencies and help resolve them through leadership initiatives.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Moderate understanding of the SPP transmission grid, OATT, and planning process.


• Experience with transmission planning tools and software such as PROMOD, Powerbase, PAT, PSS/E, Capacity Expansion software, and Microsoft Office.


• Understanding of the SPP By-Laws, Planning Criteria, and Working Group structures.


• Strong communication skills for both written and oral interactions, including analysis, coordination, and presentations.


• Intermediate decision-making skills for technical studies and services.


• Basic project management skills, with the ability to independently handle technical processes, studies, or tasks.


• Ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment and provide key technical support.


• Leadership potential and the ability to develop fundamental leadership skills through observation and experience.

To be successful as Engineer II we're looking for:

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering, this degree should:

• Be from a university that meets the requirements to sit for the Professional Engineering exam (in Arkansas, that is most typically a degree from an ABET accredited university or a graduate degree from a college that has an ABET accreditation),


• Degree should be in a calculus-based engineering field and preferred degree programs are Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Systems Engineering

• Engineer II - Two (2) years of job-related work experience


• Competent with the administrative and communication tools for word processing, spread sheet development and time keeping, as a minimum


• Intermediate proficiency of several SPP tools and/or processes


• Practical understanding of the SPP Open Access Transmission Tariff, FERC & NERC governing documents, SPP By-Laws, SPP Criteria and the SPP Committee structure


• Strong inter-personal and teamwork skills along with good written and verbal communication skills


• Good to excellent working skills with communication and data handling software such as Microsoft Office© Word, Excel, Access


• Understanding of and compliance with SPP Policies and Procedures      

Preferred:

• A Professional Engineer License


• Advanced degree in related field of study


• Electric Utility Industry experience

Position Type, Location, and Hours:

This is a full-time, hybrid position based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The standard workweek is Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with extended hours potentially required.

Travel Requirement:

This position requires minimal travel (0 – 15%).

SPP is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans and is committed to excellence. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us at HR@spp.org and let us know the nature of your request. We will only respond to messages left that involve a request for a reasonable accommodation in the application process. We will accommodate the needs of any qualified candidate who requests a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

At SPP we believe in a culture of belonging. Learn more here: Culture of Belonging - Southwest Power Pool .

Full job descriptions will be made available to those selected for an interview.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

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