Job Description

Renewables M&D Engineer/Engineering Analyst

Birmingham, AL, United States

This position will function as part of the Performance Monitoring & Diagnostic Center, which provides remote monitoring and support to the Southern Power Company (SPC) generation and storage fleet. This position is responsible for providing advanced condition monitoring and analysis of data important to the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of SPC’s solar, wind, and energy storage assets. Incumbents in this position will utilize advanced pattern recognition software and other tools to identify and analyze potential failure and degradation anomalies. They will also closely support and work with Renewable Operations, M&D Analysts, Performance Engineers, third party developers, and the SPC Technology Organization to further the development of SPC’s internal automated issue identification tool, iSight, and lead the development of all renewable monitoring processes.

This position will be located in Birmingham, AL. Though fully remote work is not an option, the work schedule is currently four days in the office and one day remote per week..

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

EXPERIENCE:

• Hands-on experience building trends and analyzing data required
• Interest in Operations and the failure modes of assets (transformers, solar inverters, combiners, trackers, wind turbines, and batteries) and ability to verbally communicate these issues to business partners once identified
• Knowledge and experience in monitoring transformers highly preferred
• Experience in organizing and managing multiple projects at the same time. Proven ability to plan and prioritize work, including discerning problems that need immediate attention versus those that allow more time to resolve
• Experience with operations and maintenance in renewable energy technologies highly preferred
• Experience with AVEVA PI Systems preferred
• Experience with performance/reliability monitoring tools preferred
• Experience with AVEVA Predictive Analytics or similar predictive monitoring tools preferred

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, renewable energy, business administration, or a related field preferred; or relevant experience in power plant operations and equipment support
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret time-series data
• Proven interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to produce business cases to justify financial investment decisions, technology tools / upgrades, etc.
• Ability to think strategically and tactically
• Capacity to collaborate effectively with various technical teams
• Ability to lead developmental efforts and work on daily monitoring tasks simultaneously
• Proficiency in Excel, Visio, Word, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft applications

BEHAVIORAL ATTRIBUTES:

• Must be able to make timely decisions, apply seasoned judgment, and display personal responsibility
• Displays and models Our Values
• Be a team player and able to quickly build good, working relationships
• Staying current on relevant industry trends and technology developments
• Promote teamwork
• Creatively solve issues, think outside the box, find innovative ways to meet current & emerging fleet issues

MAJOR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Monitor SPC’s solar, wind, and energy storage assets with AVEVA Predictive Analytics, iSight, or other performance monitoring tools
• Monitor and communicate the health of SPC’s renewable fleet transformers
• Lead and improve the development of SPC’s renewable energy monitoring processes
• Collaborate with performance engineers to bring performance and reliability insights to customers
• Develop and improve the reliability portion of SPC’s internal automated issue identification tool, iSight
• Manage renewable model health of all renewable pattern recognition / predictive models
• Track and report KPIs and renewable observations for M&D and Renewable Performance
• Build strong working relationships with key customers

Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, is a leading U.S. wholesale energy provider meeting the electricity needs of municipalities, electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, and other energy customers. Southern Power and its subsidiaries own 55 facilities operating or under construction in 14 states with more than 12,500 MW of generating capacity in Alabama, California, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Washington.

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com

Southern Company invests in the well-being of its employees and their families through a comprehensive total rewards strategy that includes competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees and health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being. This position may also be eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s). A summary of the benefits offered for this position can be found here https://seo.nlx.org/southernco/pdf/SOCO-Benefits.pdf Additional and specific details about total compensation and benefits will also be provided during the hiring process.

Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.