Engineer, Systems - Ld/Sr

Engineer, Systems - Ld/Sr

Title: Lead Engineer, Systems SCADA

Location: Boston, MA

Salary: The base salary range for this position is dependent upon experience and location, ranging from $136k to $160k.

Job Summary

Join a critical team within Offshore O&M Operations Engineering and lead the development and implementation of SCADA and control systems on our offshore assets. The role of the Lead Sr. Systems Engineer is to manage all aspects of Avangrid Renewable SCADA Systems for Offshore Operation as well as assigned areas of Data and Control Systems to ensure compliance with applicable standards and requirements. This role offers a unique opportunity to work alongside Avangrid’s extensive technical experts, delve into engineering topics, and collaborate with Iberdrola’s team in global SCADA initiatives.

The Lead Sr. Systems Engineer will be responsible for the management of the asset SCADA and technical integrity for a group of equipment within the different systems in the Avangrid Offshore renewable assets and support Control Centers activities. The primary focus of the role will be to maintain protection and compliance, and support the O&M requirements for future projects.

The Lead Sr. Systems Engineer is accountable for providing high-quality and consistent service across offshore projects for the Operations and Maintenance Group. The responsibilities include defining and delivering a scope of works for O&M, managing contractors and associated interfaces, and ensuring quality, best practices, and excellent H&S performance are applied.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead technical/engineering delivery of O&M scope of works with a number of interfaces and coordination to manage within one or more of Avangrid’s Offshore projects, including Control Center, providing O&M engineering support, assistance, and recommendations to ensure delivery of O&M work within time, to budget, and quality following industry best practices and observing the maximum focus on Health, Safety, and the Environment to ensure regulatory and legal compliance.
• Define the necessities, improvements, and maintenance strategy of the control and SCADA systems in the US Offshore Hub, to guarantee the highest assets availability, compliance with regulatory requirements, and the best service quality following industry best practices and standards.
• Identify the business technical risks related to the SCADA and control systems and propose the necessary actions/plans to mitigate those risks as much as reasonably possible.
• Implement and supervise the required corrective and preventive maintenance activities to maintain/recover the assets availability/reliability either on his/her own or through contractors.
• Assess any technical issue related to the SCADA and control systems, carry out the Root Cause Analysis and propose/implement the necessary action to avoid any re-occurrence.
• Deploy the necessary actions to comply with any regulatory requirements that may apply.
• Coordinate the related maintenance activities with the offshore site technical teams to guarantee the right execution timescales and works quality as long as the compliance of the applicable H&S rules.
• Extend any lessons learned and the identified best practices to the other Avangrid Offshore projects and the Iberdrola Offshore Hubs.
• Define, alongside the new Offshore project teams and the SCADA and Cybersecurity Manager, the best technical solutions for the new offshore projects under development and construction to guarantee the best performance and maintainability condition after the Commercial Operation Date starts.
• Coordinate the maintenance strategies for the control and SCADA systems with the other Offshore O&M Hubs (UK and Europe) so that uniformed, global, and standardized solutions are implemented.
• Prepare Scope of Works and Suppliers Technical Evaluations, playing an active role during the procurement processes to make sure that the most technically qualified providers are selected.
• Manage efficiently the maintenance contracts for which she/he is responsible, striving to reduce the maintenance costs and contribute to maximizing the business results.
• Broad range of technical scopes and problems to understand, assess, and assist in managing.

Required Qualifications

• A degree or equivalent in physics, mathematics, telecom, computer science, information systems, or an engineering discipline.
• 5+ years’ experience in design, programming, management of SCADAs, PLCs, and distributed control systems.
• 3+ years’ experience in the electric utility industry.
• Highly skilled in maintenance of industrial control systems (DCSs, PLCs, RTUs, SCADAS, HMIs, and Databases).
• Significant experience in the engineering industry. Renewables/power generation preferred.
• Problem-solving – dealing with conflicting requirements and overcoming obstacles.
• Experience and understanding of technical due diligence.
• Management of Suppliers and contractors to ensure scope of works/contract delivery.
• Management of Consultants/technical advisors to deliver key advice and compliance.
• Good organizational and operational skills with the ability to link this awareness to technical judgment and decision-making.
• Good planning and analysis skills with the ability to look forward and anticipate problems and thereafter plan and implement mitigating solutions to negate the effect of such problems.
• Ability to support the management of a scope of works which require interface and coordination.
• Advice on the impact of technical/specialist risks and issues and the viability of solutions recommended.
• Coordinate project members and key expertise from various departments to deliver project objectives and minimize costs/risks.
• Collaborate with Contract Managers to aid their procurement and management of key contracts and terms/specification to secure the best value and minimize costs/risks.
• Interaction with certification and regulatory bodies on technical matters.
• Coordinate with Corporate and Business functions to ensure compatibility of the asset integrity management systems with the wider business processes.
• Developed report writing, presentation skills, and ability to summarize parameters and drivers impacting the scope of works.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work, manage decision-making processes under pressure and to deadlines.
• Flexible to travel to Onshore and Offshore locations.
• Eligible to work in the U.S.
• Ability to complete GWO basic safety and sea survival training.
• Ability to complete HUET (Helicopter Underwater Escape Training).
• Ability to access Offshore substation and wind turbine assets.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the offshore sector. Knowledge of the equipment commonly found including Offshore substations and the wind turbines.
• Experience in contract management.
• Experience in leading international projects related to Control systems.
• Experience with high availability SCADA and control systems.
• Experience in SCADAs and PLC/RTUs from companies like Siemens, Schneider, SEL, Arc Informatique, or Bachmann.
• Experience in communication protocols such as Modbus, OPC, DNP3, IEC 60870-5-104.
• Experience of contracting, engineering design, or delivery.
• Postgraduate experience, preferably in the operation of wind farms.
• Knowledge of H&S and environmental legislation associated with marine/offshore operations projects.
• Foreign languages (Spanish).
• Knowledge and experience of engineering contracts.

Competencies (standard for all jobs)

• Growth & Continuous Improvement.
• Initiative & Change.
• Focused on Results.
• Customer Centric (internal and/or External).
• Communication.
• Collaboration.
• Leadership (people managers/leaders).

Disclaimer (standard for all jobs)

AVANGRID is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. AVANGRID is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, gender, gender identification, gender expression, race, color, religion, national origin, age, ancestry, genetic information, medical condition, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or other characteristics or conditions protected by law.