Senior NERC Compliance Analyst

About the Role

The Senior NERC Regulatory Compliance Analyst will implement NERC compliance activities for NorthStar Clean Energy's gas, solar, and wind generation facilities. This role serves as the site's subject matter expert on NERC regulatory standards applicable to Generator Owners and Generator Operators. The position provides management, oversight, and coordination for compliance activities related to equipment testing, configuration, operations, reliability, system protection, and electrical analyses. The analyst will play a key role in reliability and regulatory compliance at existing facilities and provide NERC-related commissioning oversight for new facilities.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate, interpret, and manage the implementation of compliance processes and procedures related to NERC regulatory standards and requirements.
• Assess the relevance of NERC requirements for each plant, focusing on topics such as inverters, generator operation, plant protection systems, substation, and transmission interconnections.
• Provide subject matter expertise and support for NERC regulatory standards, with a primary focus on Protection and Control (PRC), Facilities Design, Connection and Maintenance (FAC), Transmission Operations (TOP), Modeling Data and Analysis (MOD), and Voltage and Reactive Power (VAR).
• Lead on-site interpretation, education, and implementation of NERC regulatory standards to ensure facility compliance through testing, modeling, condition assessment, maintenance activities, and procedure/process implementation.
• Conduct analysis of plant processes, testing results, reliability conditions, and equipment configuration to determine compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Implement necessary procedure and process changes through plant management, overseeing and coordinating activities such as testing, evaluations, modeling, and reporting.
• Prepare, track, manage, and analyze records as compliance evidence, and communicate with regulators regarding technical analysis, modeling reports, information submittals, forms, and databases.
• Assist in assembling information and documentation to demonstrate compliance.
• Perform reporting actions to the Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and other regulatory agencies.
• Perform internal assessments of processes, procedures, and documentation for regulatory adherence; communicate results and lead or assist in developing and implementing corrective action plans.
• Monitor, oversee, or implement corrective actions to ensure site compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Perform or oversee complex assessments of facility generation electrical equipment, including:
  • Protection relay function and coordination with controls.
  • Generating unit capabilities with voltage regulation and controls.
  • Generator real and reactive power capabilities and control.
  • Modeling for generator excitation and control systems.
• Provide scope and quality oversight of contractors for work related to NERC requirements, such as equipment testing, system modeling, engineering analysis, and report creation.
• Perform and coordinate NERC regulatory compliance adherence evaluations, reporting, and monitoring of maintenance for electric/electric inverter generators, substation and transmission interconnection equipment, their protection systems, and electric ancillary support processes.
• Manage and consult on complex activities to support electrical generation systems in the engineering analytical space.
• Provide electrical engineering technical support services.
• Perform other duties as needed, such as reporting obligations or site troubleshooting of system performance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience operating, maintaining, and/or designing utility-scale gas/turbine generators, transformers, substation interconnection equipment, and their protection systems.
• Knowledgeable in NERC reliability standards and their associated requirements.
• Knowledgeable in generation protective relay coordination and settings principles.
• 5+ years of applicable electrical experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• In lieu of a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, a Bachelor’s degree in a scientific/technical field or extensive industry experience in positions demonstrating required abilities may be considered.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with 5+ years of overall relevant work experience OR 8+ years of applicable electrical experience with an Associate degree in a scientific/technical field.
• 5+ years of experience operating, maintaining, and/or designing utility-scale gas/turbine generators, transformers, substation interconnection equipment, and their protection systems, including compliance requirements.
• 5+ years of applicable industry experience in electrical-based positions demonstrating required abilities and performance.

Benefits

• Healthcare Insurance: Eligible employees and dependents receive healthcare coverage through BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois. Eligibility begins on the 1st day of the calendar month following 60 days of continuous full-time employment. Premiums are subsidized by Synectics.
• Dental Insurance: Eligible employees and dependents receive a dental plan through MetLife. Eligibility begins on the 1st day of the calendar month following 60 days of continuous full-time employment.
• Vision Insurance: Eligible employees receive vision insurance through VSP. Eligibility begins on the 1st day of the calendar month following 60 days of continuous full-time employment.
• 401(k) Plan: Synectics offers all employees aged 21 or older the opportunity to invest in the 401(k) Plan on the first of the month following at least one calendar year of employment.