Gas Fired Power Plant Commissioning Manager

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily commissioning execution across mechanical, electrical, controls, and process systems, ensuring safe and coordinated system energization and testing.
• In collaboration with engineering leadership and applicable 3rd parties, review system boundaries and develop a project start-up and turnover sequence for each system.
• Provide input and value to 3rd party commissioning plans, procedures, system readiness checklists, and turnover strategies aligned with project milestones.
• Oversee commissioning of major equipment including gas turbines, steam turbines, generators, HRSG/boiler systems, pumps, compressors, fans, heat exchangers, condensers, cooling towers, and auxiliary balance-of-plant systems.
• Oversee direct system flushing, cleaning, chemical cleaning, lube oil flushing, hydrotesting verification, steam blows, air blows, and other pre-operational activities.
• Cookordinate with construction teams to validate mechanical completion, punch list closure, and system turnover packages (ITRs, MC certificates, redlines, and as-built documentation).
• Validate pre-commissioning and commissioning activities by 3rd parties vendors, OEMs, commissioning agents and contractors to ensure project expectations are met.
• Review and validate first fill, commissioning consumables, and spares strategies against commissioning strategy and with allowance for foreseeable risk scenarios which could impact project schedule and outcomes.
• Oversee multi-discipline subcontractors performing commissioning of fuel gas systems, steam and condensate systems, feedwater systems, cooling water systems, substations, switchgear, instrumentation, DCS/PLC controls, and protective relays.
• Ensure compliance with commissioning procedures, OEM requirements, project specifications, and applicable industry standards.
• Where appropriate, lead system walkdowns, equipment inspections, functional testing, loop checks, logic verification, and performance testing.
• Collaborate closely with engineering to resolve technical issues, RFIs, control logic discrepancies, and system integration challenges.
• Maintain strict adherence to safety protocols, including lockout/tagout, system isolation, energized work controls, and commissioning-specific risk assessments.
• Track progress, identify constraints, support schedule development, and provide accurate reporting on system readiness, testing status, and commissioning risks.
• Serve as primary interface with client representatives, OEMs, and regulatory bodies during testing, performance runs, and acceptance activities where stated in the commissioning phase RACI.
• Ensure the maintenance and management of a Punch-list of outstanding items and work, and expedite closure of Punch-list items.
• Drive final turnover and documentation for commercial operation, including test reports, commissioning records, and system acceptance packages.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Controls Engineering; Construction Management; or equivalent field experience in power plant commissioning or startup.
• 15+ years of experience leading commissioning, startup, or operations readiness activities on thermal power generation or heavy industrial facilities.
• Strong safety culture – ability to intervene and correct unsafe situations.
• Collaborative, agile, and resilient mindset.
• Experience of successfully leading commissioning activities on multiple fast-track/schedule-driven projects.
• Experience of integrated simultaneous operations (SIMOPs) phased projects where construction, commissioning, and operation of adjacent systems is common.
• Strong working knowledge of thermal power plant systems, including gas turbines, rotating equipment, HRSG/boiler systems, steam cycle components, fuel gas systems, cooling water systems, electrical distribution, and control systems.
• Ability to interpret P&IDs, control logic diagrams, electrical one-lines, equipment specifications, commissioning procedures, and system turnover documentation.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-discipline commissioning teams and coordinating with construction, engineering, and OEM representatives.
• Strong understanding of commissioning safety practices, system isolation, LOTO, QA/QC processes, and applicable codes and standards.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills in a dynamic field environment.