Distribution Engineer I

Northcentral Electric Cooperative is an equal opportunity employer and recruits, advertises, employs, promotes, transfers, disciplines, and discharges without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, or veteran status.

Northcentral Electric Cooperative

Job Description
Distribution Engineer I

I. Introduction:
The purpose of this position is to assist in the preparation of plans and studies relating to sectionalizing, overcurrent and overvoltage protection, protective device coordination, voltage and power factor correction, and load balancing to improve system performance and reliability for the cooperative.

II. Supervisor: Planning Engineer

III. Knowledge/Education Requirements:

A. Bachelor’s Degree of Engineering, preferably Electrical Engineering
B. Must be able to gain work knowledge of applicable codes, regulations and standards, both national and local.
C. Must be able to solve problems and able to organize work to meet deadlines.
D. Must be proficient in the use of personal computers, handheld devices, and standard office equipment.
E. Must have good communication skills and be able to deal with the public and employees in a courteous and effective manner both orally and in writing.
F. Must have a working knowledge of engineering-related information systems.
G. Must have and maintain a valid Driver’s License.

IV. Duties/Responsibilities:

A. Essential Functions:

1. Interprets staking instructions, wire sag charts, fuse charts, voltage drop charts and construction specifications to prepare staking sheets. Performs necessary calculations for sizing service, transformation capacity, conductor, and protection.
2. Meets with members, contractors, developers, and consultants to determine line extension and service requirements and provide information pertaining to line locations, project needs and to discuss and resolve conflicts with proposed installations.
3. Operates surveyor transit (or total station) to survey, prepare plans, stake, and provide specifications for line construction and system improvements.
4. With assistance, determines assemblies and materials required for work orders and inform other departments of special material requirements.
5. Obtains right-of-way easements from landowners as required for construction and/or service changes.
6. Creates, maintains and updates databases for system equipment, operations, and maintenance.
7. Records, reviews, and assists in analyzing system data and creating recommendations for and/or executing recommendations for system improvements and system performance enhancements.
8. Assists with commissioning of solar installations, troubleshooting metering issues and high bill complaints and investigating voltage anomalies and power quality concerns.
9. Assists Planning Engineer or Director of Engineering and Operations, with system improvements for substations and distribution, SCADA and fiber communications, protection layers and coordination, auto-restoration schemes, and system planning.
10. Assists to evaluate existing overhead and underground specifications, make recommendations, revises and/or creates new specifications, and performs crew time studies as needed.
11. Assists with the creation and maintenance of the system model, based upon provided GIS database, to determine available fault current for device coordination, fault location, arc flash exposures, and to perform system optimization studies.
12. Prepares and executes switching orders required for load transfers, system and reliability improvements, and system maintenance.

B. Non-Essential Functions:

1. Performs other duties as required.

V. Physical Demands:

Must be able to lift 50 lbs. maximum with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing up to 20 lbs. Must be able to stoop; kneel; crouch’ and crawl. Must be able to reach; handle; work primarily with fingers; and feel. Must be able to talk and hear. Must be able to obtain impressions through the eyes of the shape, size, distance, motion, and color or other characteristics of objects. Must possess acuity, far and near, depth perception, field of vision, accommodation, and color vision. Must be able to speak clearly and communicate effectively in order to interact with company employees and members.