Operation & Maintenance Engineer

About PROENERGY

PROENERGY is an engineering, R&D, and manufacturing powerhouse. The company addresses every need for fast-start power generation: turbine and package manufacturing, turnkey project execution, power purchase agreements, and asset lifecycle care for turbines and plants. Where others see impossible energy challenges, PROENERGY provides innovative aeroderivative solutions.

Our Footprint

PROENERGY delivers fast-start, dispatchable power solutions from worldwide centers for aeroderivative excellence. We are investing more than $1 billion through 2028 in infrastructure to serve our customers.

• In Sedalia, Missouri, our 600,000 sq ft Center for Excellence in Manufacturing—a world-class investment in fast-start power and the only campus of its kind in the world—is growing by 40 percent.
• In Houston, Texas, our 500,000 sq ft Center for Excellence in Lifecycle Care features a Level-IV depot and aero repair facility, which executes comprehensive services for aeroderivative engines under one roof.
• In Kansas City, we have an office with an Engineering team that supports our sought-after solutions for turnkey projects and contracted power.
• Our worldwide service centers ensure local service expertise near our customers. Our expanding service footprint includes Phoenix, Buenos Aires, New Brunswick, and additional locations in Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia.

Our Philosophy

We take care of our people and strive to make a positive difference for the world. We offer competitive pay, excellent benefits that include Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life/Disability Insurance at minimal cost to the employee, 10 paid holidays, paid time off, and a 401K plan.

Position Summary

The Operation & Maintenance Engineer's role requires managing WattBridge capital and major maintenance project portfolio, developing a comprehensive five-year project plan, and conducting ROI calculations. Engineering support is provided to plant operations, focusing on technical improvements, process optimization, and safety measures. The successful candidate will lead and execute critical project development, manage third-party contractors, and collaborate with PROENERGY Field Services. Strong project management skills, technical expertise, and effective communication across teams are essential for success in the position.

Reports To: General Manager

Work Location: 6246 McHard Road, Houston, TX 77053

Responsibilities

• Working with each Plant Superintendent, establish ownership of the capital and major maintenance project portfolio to ensure long term project and asset goals.
• Assist plant personnel in developing viable projects.
• Perform project ROI calculations to support inclusion in the budget as necessary.
• Provide analysis and linkage between lost margin drivers and projects in the portfolio.
• Provide variance analysis and forecasting for projects under engineer’s control.
• Performs Engine Data tracking across a fleet of 34 engines:
  • Track engine failures and swaps across the fleet.
  • Track engine starts, failed starts, fired hours, breaker to breaker hours.
  • Track outages, failed starts, fuel usage.
• Performs GADS level 2 data validation.
• Provides NERC support to plant operations:
  • Schedules testing as needed according to NERC 693 standards.
  • Creates testing work scope and reviews contractor bids for NERC testing.
  • Has the technical background necessary to respond to Texas RE RFIs (requests for information).
  • Edit and maintain Plant Device List for relay testing.
  • Communicates with QSE and transmission operator before and during testing.
• Provide engineering support to plant operations:
  • Proactively evaluate and identify areas where operations can be optimized across a fleet of 34 LM6000 package units with a focus on water injection, power output, emissions, and hardware life implications.
  • Proactively identify and solve safety and environmental issues across the portfolio in conjunction with PROENERGY engineering, field service, compliance, operations, and maintenance personnel.
  • Develop a process to provide proactive risk identification and mitigation that identifies potential issues that may impact availability, reliability, or financial performance across a growing portfolio of assets.
  • Become a resource for plant personnel to solve and document technical problems.
  • Actively improve PI data feeds and monitoring screens.
  • Support the PROENERGY Advanced Monitoring and Predictive Solutions analysis process to monitor critical asset parameters and protect critical equipment.
  • Actively review unit control settings and provide additional support to PROENERGY Controls personnel.
  • Support incident investigations and root cause analysis efforts across the fleet.
  • Develop a technical lessons learned database and communicate items across the portfolio.
  • Identify plant drawings and documentation needing updates.
• Working with PROENERGY engineering, support critical project development and execution, provide project management support at the operating sites to ensure successful execution of plant projects:
  • Lead critical projects for the fleet, developing scope of work and evaluating third-party engineering and construction contractors.
  • Work with third-party or PROENERGY engineers to establish project engineering, drawings, and narratives.
  • Create or ensure project scope of work, plans and schedules are developed for plant projects.
  • Provide oversight and management during project execution.
  • Identify and correct issues and roadblocks to successful project implementation developing mitigation strategies as needed.
  • Track costs and manage supply chain for projects.
  • Provide routine reporting on project status.
  • Lead a post project and post outage review process to ensure projects are delivering results as modeled.

Required Qualifications

• BS degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Five years of power generation experience.
• LM6000 technology experience preferred.
• Quantitative thinker with a technical background in plant equipment operations and maintenance.
• Strong background in project finance analysis.
• Demonstrated track record in delivering internal improvement projects in a growing organization.
• Technical Acumen – will have the ability to quickly conceptualize, assimilate data, and perform analysis to make decisions and take appropriate action around complex problems.
• Organizer – will have the ability to simplify technical processes across an organization, including various reporting layers from plant and office teams to the business leadership team.
• Communicator – very strong written and verbal communication skills are required. This will be demonstrated across large and small groups of peers or superiors. Will be interfacing, training, and coaching plant personnel and senior leadership on analysis, reporting and recommendations.
• Skilled multi-tasker – will be highly organized and able to prioritize deadlines in work-intensive environments.
• Handles pressure well – will remain focused and calm in the face of distractions and changing priorities and will have the ability to influence others to do the same.
• US work authorization is a precondition of employment. The company will not consider candidates who require sponsorship for a work-authorized visa.
• Successful candidate will need to satisfactorily complete pre-employment drug screen and background check.

Desired Qualifications

• Preference will be given to candidates with ten plus years of experience, additional education, or certificates in power plant asset management.
• Project Management specialization is a plus.
• Preference will be given to candidates with NERC regulatory experience.
• Valid US passport and willingness to travel domestically and internationally.
• Experience in performing duties to support compliance including NERC, Seasonal Readiness, environmental or any other regulatory requirement.
• Willing to define work scope and track LM6000 overhauls, hot section and repair visits.

Additional Information

• Travel will normally be in the Houston area, about 70% of the time, to plant sites and occasionally to the corporate depot in Sedalia, MO.
• Office located at the McHard Road office location.
• Willingness to work outside normal business hours as necessary, especially during critical issue resolution and to achieve project milestones.