Job Information
NorthWestern Energy Energy Control Systems Engineer (Level I - Senior) in Tucker, Georgia
66900-127300 per year | Tucker, GA, USA | Salary | Full Time
This position is a member of the Energy Control Systems Department. This position leverages expertise in system administration, database administration, application support, and application development to maintain systems and applications critical to GSOC's system operations function. This position is responsible for the application and system administration of the Energy Control Systems (ECS), including Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and other associated applications. This position ensures the security and operational readiness of technology to support GSOC's real-time System Control Center, Energy Control Center, and Operational Technology Control Center Operators. This position is also responsible for application administration and support for other GSOC operational applications. Among others, these include applications used for Scheduling Member support, load forecasting, interchange scheduling, and generation dispatch.
This position responds to any and all problems that affect or may affect the ECS regardless of the time-of-day or the day-of-the-week. This position is responsible for supporting all matters related to the performance, backup, and maintainability of the ECS, the Scheduling Member System, and other crucial subsystems of the ECS to which they are assigned.
This position is required to maintain awareness of NERC Reliability standards including Critical Infrastructure Protection Standards. This position is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, industry standards, corporate policies, guidelines, and procedures, including but not limited to, RUS, OSHA, NERC, FERC and ITS requirements. Promotes an environment of security, compliance, and continuous improvement to meet the Corporation's goals and objectives.
Job Duties:
Engineer I & II:
Responsible for assisting Senior/Principal/Staff ECS Engineers in ensuring that all assigned applications and systems are secured and well protected within ECS guidelines. Responsible for ensuring their assigned applications and systems afford the maximum protection of all ECS systems and data. Assist with internal and external database administrators to ensure compliance with ECS Security policies. Monitors on a daily basis all assigned applications and systems for electronic intrusion. Assist Senior/Principal/Staff ECS Engineers on installation of all ECS vendor-related patches and ensures all vendor-related security patches are installed in a timely manner.
Assist Senior/Principal/Staff ECS Engineers in performing application and system support and/or problem resolution for any and all types of problems that are software related, to the ECS system for those applications or systems assigned and within the guidelines of the ECS Department.
Assist the ECS Senior/Principal/Staff Engineers, System Support Team and vendors in the installation of all application security patches, application software upgrades/fixes. Participates in the review and approval of all software changes, test plans, and software promotion requests.
Provides support to the software developers and users, for all assigned applications and systems, to ensure that all solutions meet the security, reliability, and performance requirements of the ECS Department. Provides configuration and system support for critically assigned ECS applications such as Inter Control Center Protocol (ICCP), Automatic Generation Control (AGC), Economic Dispatch (EDC), Alarms and Events logging, Historical Archive Server, and Dispatcher Training Simulator.
Provides support in managing all assigned ECS servers and workstations, ECS application installations, and all ECS Application setup in accordance with established guidelines. Ensures all assigned servers and workstations are functioning optimally so as not to impede Operator performance or system operations.
Provides support to System Operators, application users, and to other GSOC staff in the use of the assigned applications.
Assist in the backup of all data and all servers for all assigned application and systems are in accordance with ECS guidelines. Assist in the recovery of all assigned applications and systems can be completed in a timely matter after an ECS system event that requires a complete rebuild. Assist others ensuring that the objectives of the backup and security processes are met for assigned applications and systems.
Assist in preparing specifications and purchase requisitions.
Senior Engineer:
Perform application and system restoration and/or problem resolution for any and all types of problems, hardware and software related to the EMS system for those applications or systems assigned and within the guidelines of the ECS Department. This position is expected to make recommendations pertaining to performance and restoration. In concert with the ECS Principle/Staff Engineers will direct associates, contractors, and vendors through problem resolution in a manner that maximizes the availability of systems, applications, and data to the system operators.
Responsible for ensuring that all assigned applications and systems are secured and well protected within Vendor and Security Operations guidelines. Collaborates and coordinates with Security Operations to make recommendations to the Principal/Staff ECS Engineer(s) on the connection of all security devices such as firewalls and all external connections to their assigned applications and systems. Responsible for ensuring their assigned applications and systems afford the maximum protection of all ECS systems and data. Coordinates with internal and external database administrators to ensure compliance with Security Operations Security policies. Monitors on a daily basis all assigned applications and systems for electronic intrusion. Coordinates with the Principal/Staff ECS Engineer on installation of all patches and ensures all appropriate patches are installed in a timely manner. Ensures all internal and external groups and agencies, especially NERC and FERC, are contacted if a cyber security event occurs.
Coordinates with the ECS Principal Engineer and vendors in the installation of all security patches, software upgrades, and hardware upgrades for the assigned applications and systems. Participates in the review and approval of all software changes, test plans, and software promotions requests.
Provides training to System Operators, application users, and to other Family Of Companies (FOC) staff in the use of the assigned applications, as needed. Conducts application training as requested by ECS customers.
Supports the ECS Principal/Staff Engineers in the development and administration in tuning of all operational application systems to meet performance and security objectives, and to maximize the availability to the system operators. Recommends system tools that will be used to monitor and enhance system performance and security monitoring.
Ensures that the backup of all data and all servers for all assigned application and systems is in accordance with ECS guidelines. Ensures the recovery of all assigned applications and systems can be completed in a timely manner after an EMS system event that requires a complete rebuild/recovery. Directs others ensuring that the objectives of the backup and security processes are meet for assigned applications and systems.
Recommends hardware and software to the ECS Manager and/or ECS Principal/Staff Engineer(s) for all assigned applications and systems. Prepares specifications and purchase requisitions. Configures all vendor software.
Required Qualifications:
Education : Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
Experience :
Engineer I: Entry level up to 2 years of experience in EMS/SCADA system administration or related computer system support and development environment is preferable. Experience in software development with increasing degrees of responsibility for the continuous operation of software developed. Experience in database administration. Additional experience in Project Management, System Security, Application and System Design, Programming, Testing, Deployment, and Support is desirable.
Engineer II: Three years of experience in an on-call software and hardware support role for a Utility Energy Management System is required. Experience in related computer system support and development environment preferably. Also Experience in software development with increasing degrees of responsibility for the continuous operation of software developed. Additional experience in Project Management, System Security, Application and System Design, Programming, Testing, Deployment, and Support is desirable.
Senior Engineer: Eight years of experience in an on-call software and hardware support role for a Utility Energy Management System is required. Additional experience in related computer system support and development environment preferably. Individual should have four (4) years of experience in software development with increasing degrees of responsibility for the continuous operation of software developed. Additional experience in Project Management, System Security, Application and System Design, Programming, Testing, Deployment, and Support is desirable. Four (4) years of experience in System Administration and System Support including UNIX(Linux), Windows OS, and IP based Network environments is desirable.
Equivalent Experience :
Engineer I: Eight years of direct electric utility application development, support and system administration with direct and significant responsibilities related to industry specific applications and operations. Should have at least two years of significant utility related EMS project management experience and six years of Linux and Windows Server/Workstation administration.
Engineer II: Twelve years of direct electric utility application development, support and system administration with direct and significant responsibilities related to industry specific applications and operations. Should have at least four years of significant utility related EMS project management experience and eight years of UNIX and NT administration.
Senior Engineer: Sixteen years of direct electric utility application development, support and system administration with direct and significant responsibilities related to industry specific applications and operations. Should have at least six years of significant utility related real-time EMS experience and ten years of UNIX(Linux) and Windows OS administration.
Specialized Skills : Experience in "C" programming is desirable. Also experience in two or more of the following languages C++, VB, Linux, Unix shell programming, SQL, or Java is desirable. Experience in the two of the following is desirable: Object Oriented Design, Analysis, Software & Database modeling tools, XML, Windows Server and Workstation operating environment, Oracle administration or programming, Data Communications protocols, UDP and/or TCP/IP computer network communications. Experience in project management in application development related projects and knowledge of MS Project is desirable. Excellent organizational skills and customer/team communications skills are needed to be successful.
Unusual Hours: Due to the critical nature and continuous operation of the Control Center, this position will be subject to calls and occasionally may be placed on call. This position is required to assist with the resolution of problems whenever contacted. The on-call support staff is responsible for correcting the problem, implementing a work around, or devising a work around.