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Southern Company

Area Reliability Engineer - Valdosta

Company: 
Southern Company
City: 
Valdosta
State: 
Georgia
Occupational fields: 
Architecture and Engineering
Employment type: 
Full time
Remote Position: 
No
Required degree level: 
Other

Reliability Engineer - Area Responsibility -

Valdosta Reliability Engineer Location: The successful candidate will report to an Operating Headquarters within the Macon Distribution Area and must live within a reasonable commuting distance to the Operating Headquarters in those areas. Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates if needed.

The Area Reliability Engineer's primary responsibilities are to support distribution reliability needs in his or her assigned area(s) and to also support GPC distribution reliability initiatives by assisting with corporate reliability projects throughout the state. The successful candidate must be a champion of Safety Excellence. Safety and attention to detail are paramount in this position. Therefore, the successful candidate will be expected to incorporate appropriate safety measures into all aspects of their job. He or she will be expected to engineer and manage their projects efficiently, on schedule, and without service interruptions.

The Area Reliability Engineer will be required to perform field investigations, analyze outage management system data, SCADA data, and metering data to determine root causes impacting distribution reliability and then engineer solutions to optimize system performance. This position will perform circuit studies within their assigned area(s) and in other areas around the state based on priority of corporate reliability objectives. All reliability projects must be thoroughly evaluated to ensure maximize effectiveness.

The responsibilities of this position also include working with the Distribution Automation team on commissioning, testing, and maintaining distribution automation equipment, protective relays, controls, and communication equipment. The Area Reliability Engineer will perform, in conjunction with the Distribution Automation group, all work needed to program and commission electronic devices installed on the distribution system. Duties also include working with and around low voltage.

The successful candidate will be considered the subject matter expert on protection and coordination in their assigned area(s). He or she will work closely with area engineering, Distribution Planning, Area Planning, Renewables, and the TMC organization, providing them with technical expertise, breaker relay settings and protective device relay settings as needed. This will require interaction with multiple work groups including P&C Applications, Operations Support and P&C Field Services &/or Distribution Automation. He or she will be responsible for proper implementation of Company reliability strategies and ensuring proper coordination of protective schemes. When system upgrades occur, the Area Reliability Engineer must also ensure that protective equipment is sized appropriately, both in terms of continuous load carrying capacity and fault interrupting capability.

The Area Reliability Engineer will be utilized as a technical resource and is required to demonstrate the skills obtained in GPC Level II Distribution Certification courses. He or she will provide guidance on customer related inquiries and distributed generation interconnection evaluations as needed. This position will review outage data regularly for quality assurance and monitor trends in performance. Periodically, he or she will be required to investigate device operations to ensure proper coordination and take corrective action(s) if necessary.

The Area Reliability Engineer must maintain visibility, communicate effectively, promptly respond to concerns, and provide SERP & Supervisor On-Call support for their assigned area(s). The successful candidate must be capable of building rapport and establishing professional working relationships with all GPC stakeholders.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education Requirements:

  • Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a degree in a related field (i.e. Mathematics, Science); 4-year ABET accredited degree is required
  • Engineer in Training (EIT) certification is a plus
  • Professional Engineer (PE) license is preferred


Experience Requirements:

  • Minimum of 3 years operations experience required in one or more of the following areas: Electric Power Distribution Operations, Electric Power Transmission Operations, Protection & Control (P&C) Field Services, P&C Applications.


This position has been identified as a role that will require the use of a Georgia Power fleet vehicle. The following will be required if you are selected for this position:
• Must have at least one year of verifiable driving experience (Must hold a valid driver's license for the class vehicle to be operated. Driving permits are not typically considered a valid driver's license).
• Must have no revocation of driving privileges within the 36 months prior to application, no convictions of major traffic violations (DUI, hit and run, reckless driving, etc.) within the 12 months prior to application, or any pending charges for a major traffic violation at the time of application.
• Must consent to a continuous monitoring of your Motor Vehicle Record

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

  • Candidate must have knowledge of Section 0 and demonstrate Safety Excellence at all times.
  • Candidate must model all aspects of Our Values - Safety First, Unquestionable Trust, Superior Performance and Total Commitment.
  • Candidate should possess knowledge of Southern Company engineering and construction best practices.
  • Candidate must possess knowledge of Southern Company distribution operating procedures.
  • Must be a self-starter, able to work independently, and capable of prioritizing multiple work assignments
  • Knowledge of electric utility distribution system operations, overhead and underground distribution design, distribution automation, and coordination of protective devices is preferred.
  • Must be capable of producing designs that will enhance system reliability performance.
  • Must be able to articulate and enforce applicable Company policies while providing excellent service for internal & external customers.
  • Must have working knowledge of the NESC.
  • Must be capable of creating quality distribution work orders, estimates and construction prints.
  • Knowledge of Microsoft office products and other related engineering software systems is preferred.
  • Working knowledge of CymTCC and CymDist is preferred.
  • Proven experience in writing and executing switching orders.
  • Must possess effective project management and organizational skills.
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet strict deadlines.
  • Ability to work well with internal and external customers.
  • Effective communication skills.
  • Capable of working in a team environment that supports multiple organizations such as Sales, Customer Service, Area & Distribution Planning and Renewables.
  • Knowledge of Georgia Power Company Distribution Bulletins, the Engineering Handbook & other relevant Company guidelines is preferred.
  • Must be capable of meeting the Official Transmission and Distribution Switching & Clearance List criteria.


Other Requirements:

  • Candidate must be able to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
  • Position requires walking through rough and uneven terrain.
  • Candidate must be able to lift or move approximately 25 pounds of equipment and materials.
  • Familiarity with hand tools and test equipment to repair mechanical and/or electrical equipment is desired.
  • Must be willing to serve in the supervisor on-call rotation at the assigned work location.
  • Availability for local area emergency assistance after hours, nights, weekends and holidays is required.
  • Ability to support restoration efforts in state and out of state is required.
  • Must be available to travel overnight and provide statewide support while working alone and driving to remote locations.
  • Candidate must currently hold a valid Driver's License.
  • Strong technical aptitude and problem-solving skills


Behavioral Attributes:

  • Candidate must be committed to Safety Excellence as a core value
  • Demonstrates "Our Values": Safety First, Unquestionable Trust, Superior Performance and Total Commitment
  • Maintains a "Questioning Attitude" continuously seeking opportunities for improvement
  • Demonstrates a genuine interest to understand and respect different perspectives
  • Supports continual learning and Human Performance principles
  • Takes full ownership and proactively takes the initiative to resolve issues in a timely manner
  • Ability to function and contribute in an inclusive team environment
  • Self-motivated with the ability to work independently
  • Looks for opportunities to develop themselves and others


Power Delivery's Vision for Equity

  • Represent all individuals in the communities we serve
  • Expand belonging and inclusion among all teams
  • Value all teammates for their contributions
  • Treat all teammates equitably in compensation, development, and opportunities

Together with our subsidiaries, we deliver clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to our 9 million customers. Our focus is doing so with service excellence.

That means we are leaders who take action to meet our customers’ and communities’ needs while advancing our commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. We create community value through energy, social, economic, and environmental progress.

We do this through electric operating companies in three states and natural gas distribution companies in four. Our family of companies draw on diverse energy sources to create the best mix for our service areas, including electricity, natural gas, solar power, carbon-free nuclear, and other sustainable sources.

We leverage our leading distributed energy infrastructure company and other innovative technology to better serve every customer. Our competitive, national generation company serves wholesale customers, and our family includes a fiber optics network, and telecommunications services.

We have positioned diversity and inclusion as critical to our success enabling us to put the needs and well-being of the people we serve at the center of all that we do.

Southern Company believes all employees should feel welcome, valued, respected and heard. Our goal is a workplace in which all employees contribute to their fullest and a workforce that reflects our customers and communities. We accomplish this by valuing and leveraging the full range of differences and similarities we bring to our teams, customers and communities.

Workplace Awards

  • 2023 100% Corporate Equality Index Score - Human Rights Campaign (7th consecutive year)
  • 2023 America's Best-In-State Employers – Forbes
    • Southern Company (No. 1 in Alabama, No. 5 in Georgia)
  • 2023 Best Employers for Women (No. 9) - Forbes
  • 2023 America’s Greatest Workplaces – Newsweek
  • 2023 Best Companies for Multicultural Women – Seramount
  • 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity - DiversityInc (8th consecutive year)
    • No. 1 Top Company for Black executives
    • No. 3 Top Company for Veterans
    • No. 5 Top Company for Supplier Diversity
    • No. 14 - Top Company for Executive Diversity Councils
  • 2022 Global 200 – Forbes
  • 2022 Best Employers for Women - Forbes
  • 2023 America’s Best Employers for Diversity - Forbes
  • 2023 America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity - Newsweek
  • 2023 America’s Best Large Employers – Forbes
    • No. 15 overall, top utility
  • 2023 Top 100 Military-Friendly Employer (No. 2) - GI Jobs magazine
Accommodations:
Vision Accommodations, Hearing Accommodations, Mobility