Assistant Planning Engineer Jobs in Arkansas (NOW HIRING)

Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is about more than power. We’re about the power of relationships. Our employees have the opportunity to work together to ensure electricity is delivered reliably and affordably to the millions of people living in our service territory. We have been voted one of Arkansas’ Best Places to work by Arkansas Business, and we are looking for a member of our team who is passionate about our mission to keep the lights on!

We have a core ideology here at SPP that we stand by: Do the right thing, for the right reason, in the right way.

We believe in supporting our employees through a fantastic benefits package:

• Competitive and transparent pay with bonus opportunities
• Excellent insurance package including three great medical plans for selection, employer-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Relocation bonus (if applicable)
• Hybrid working environment for positions that are eligible
• Fantastic contributions to your retirement through a 401(k) savings plan with employer-match benefits and a pension (defined benefit plan) fully funded by SPP

PLEASE NOTE: SPP is not able to sponsor employment visas or student-work authorizations (STEM OPT) for this position. Please ensure you are eligible to work in the U.S. without sponsorship prior to applying.

COMPENSATION INFORMATION
The salary range(s) represents our good faith estimate for the role at this time. While we strive to provide competitive and transparent compensation, there may be circumstances where an offer is above or outside of the listed range. We are open to discussing salary expectations with qualified candidates considering factors such as the candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, experience, and geographic location will all be considered during the hiring process.

• Engineer I Pay Range: $80,000 - $87,000
• Engineer II Pay Range: $90,000 - $99,000

Engineers at Southwest Power Pool are highly motivated and driven individuals with the desire to work on teams that are instrumental to maintaining reliability and advancements on the world’s largest machine, Bulk Electric System (BES). As the industry looks for new and exciting ways to combine the advantages of renewables while maintaining the reliability our members have come to rely on, it will require skilled Engineers of the next generation to achieve these goals.

We offer exciting and challenging level I and II Engineering roles in the Planning Coordinator Assessments area:

Planning Coordinator Assessments Engineers performs critical tasks in completing studies for NERC Compliance, Tariff requirements, and other duties as assigned. Depending on primary tasks, this engineering position requires an intermediate knowledge of power flow analysis, loss of load expectation studies, and knowledge with transient stability and short circuit analysis is preferred. Additionally, knowledge of NERC standards and how they relate to the relevant studies requirements must be developed.

As an Engineer you will:

• Enthusiastically complete specific assignments directed by ad hoc stakeholders/committees, transmission planning services, tariff studies, or network modeling and engineering data coordination efforts.
• Exercise basic technical decision-making under the oversight of more experienced engineers.
• Provide essential technical support to assist project groups in meeting aggressive timelines.
• Develop a have a basic familiarity with the content and concepts of the SPP Open Access Transmission Tariff, FERC & NERC governing documents, SPP By-Laws, SPP Criteria, and the SPP Committee structure. A more detailed understanding of specific governing documents and processes may be required based on support needs.

To be successful in the role we're looking for:

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering, this degree should:
• Be from a university that meets the requirements to sit for the Professional Engineering exam (in Arkansas, that is most typically a degree from an ABET accredited university or a graduate degree from a college that has an ABET accreditation),
• Degree should be in a calculus-based engineering field and preferred degree programs are Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Systems Engineering
• Engineer I - No experience required
• Engineer II – 2 years of experience.
• Competent with the administrative and communication tools for word processing, spread sheet development and time keeping, as a minimum
• Intermediate proficiency with most SPP power systems analysis tools with a solid command of several SPP tools and/or processes
• Practical understanding of the SPP Open Access Transmission Tariff, FERC & NERC governing documents, SPP By-Laws, SPP Criteria and the SPP Committee structure
• Intermediate knowledge of several power systems analysis tools applicable to power system steady state, dynamic, short circuit, or database management systems
• Strong inter-personal and team work skills along with excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Competent working skills with communication and data handling software such as Microsoft Office© Word, Excel, Access

Preferred:

• Advanced degree in related field of study

Work Environment:

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time position. Days and hours of workweek are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Working extended hours may be required.

Travel Requirement:

This position requires moderate travel (approximately 0-10%).

SPP is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans and is committed to excellence. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us at HR@spp.org and let us know the nature of your request. We will only respond to messages left that involve a request for a reasonable accommodation in the application process. We will accommodate the needs of any qualified candidate who requests a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

At SPP we believe in a culture of belonging. Learn more here: Culture of Belonging - Southwest Power Pool.