Senior electrical project engineer (mission-critical power systems)

The Senior Electrical Project Engineer provides technical oversight, field construction support, and engineering management for mission-critical electrical power generation, distribution, and redundancy projects. This role oversees complex utility and backup infrastructure upgrades- including Interim Power Plants (IPP), Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems, Environmental Control Units (ECU), Chiller replacements, switchgear control, and Power Control & Monitoring Systems (PCMS).

The engineer will serve as the technical authority ensuring contractor compliance, managing outage risk, safeguarding operational continuity of mission-critical assets, and driving continuous improvement to maximize system Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM).

1. Construction Oversight & Technical Reviews

Capital Project Support: Provide field engineering oversight and construction coordination for key site projects, including:

• Interim Power Plant (IPP) installation and staging.
• UPS system replacements and upgrades.
• Environmental Control Unit (ECU) and central chiller replacement projects.
• Missile Field Power Redundancy installations and infrastructure modernization.
• Control & Monitoring Systems: Oversee installation, modifications, and quality verification of switchgear control wiring and Plant/Power Control and Monitoring System (PCMS) integration.

2. Outage Planning & Power Quality Assurance

Outage Coordination: Plan, coordinate, and lead scheduled utility and facility electrical outages to prevent unplanned downtime of mission-critical systems.

Switching Orders & Procedures: Review, de-conflict, and approve switching orders, lockout/tagout (LOTO) protocols, and operational transition plans.

Temporary & Alternate Power Execution: Develop and monitor alternate temporary power plans (such as temporary generation) to maintain continuous operational readiness and prevent project schedule slips.

Power Quality Monitoring: Monitor real-time electrical performance, harmonic distortion, voltage/frequency stability, and power quality parameters during cutovers, load transfers, and testing phases.

3. Testing, Commissioning & Quality Assurance

Performance Verification Testing (PVT): Witness and oversee contractor factory acceptance testing (FAT), site acceptance testing (SAT), and PVT execution for generators, switchgear, UPS units, and controls.

Integration Planning: Review and validate comprehensive system integration plans to verify seamless failover between primary utility feeds, interim generation, and uninterruptible battery reserves.

System Reliability (RAM): Incorporate lessons learned and operational feedback into site design standards to systematically improve system Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability.

4. Stakeholder Coordination & Project Administration

Inter-Agency Collaboration: Lead technical interface and represent project status at regular stakeholder meetings, including weekly MDA/USACE Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (SRM) tag-ups.

Contractor Management: Maintain active alignment with general contractors, specialized electrical subcontractors, and equipment manufacturers to resolve field clashes and expedite milestones.

Continuous Improvement: Document and apply engineering best practices across projects, standardizing design consistency and operational handover packages across the site.

Requirements

Education: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BS/BA EE) or closely related engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited institution.

Experience: Minimum of 13 years of progressive engineering experience in high-reliability, mission-critical, industrial, or defense facility electrical power systems.

Technical Expertise:

• Demonstrated hands-on knowledge of medium- and low-voltage power distribution, paralleling switchgear, diesel/gas turbine generation, static/rotary UPS topologies, and emergency power supply systems (EPSS).
• In-depth understanding of control wiring, protection relays, and PCMS/SCADA architectures.
• Proven track record developing and executing switching orders, MOPS (Methods of Procedure), and facility outage sequences.
• Clearance: Ability to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Government security clearance (Secret or higher) and site badge credentials.

Preferred Qualifications

• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) or Certified Energy Manager (CEM).
• Prior experience supporting U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) or Missile Defense Agency (MDA) projects, contracts, and SRM tag-up frameworks.
• Experience with military standards (UFC - Unified Facilities Criteria), NFPA 70 (NEC), NFPA 70E, and IEEE standard practices for industrial and commercial power systems. Familiarity with Commissioning (Cx) guidelines and specialized testing protocols for defense operations.

Core Competencies:

• Risk Mitigation: Adept at identifying single-point vulnerabilities and architecting resilient temporary/permanent power workarounds.
• Technical Communication: Capable of translating complex electrical operational constraints to executive leadership, military stakeholders, and technical field crews.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Proven ability to facilitate consensus among regulatory bodies, base operations, and commercial contractors under tight operational constraints.