Freelance Power System Study Engineer Jobs in Virginia

NRTC is Member Driven and Technology Focused – providing solutions that help our 1,500 electric and telephone members bring all the advantages of today’s evolving technology to rural America. NRTC’s solutions are developed specifically to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers, and include integrated broadband, managed services, smart grid, mobile solutions. We are a dynamic, growing cooperative with more than 800 employees operating out of eight office locations.
Job Summary
We are looking to add experienced staff to our Smart Grid team to help our utility cooperative members develop smart grid technology roadmaps. Our approach is to educate and support our members as we work with them through a consultative process.
The Power Systems Advisory Engineer supports NRTC member electric cooperatives by providing practical engineering insight, planning support, and implementation guidance that complements NRTC’s smart grid advisory services. This role helps cooperatives translate strategy into action by supporting system studies, planning activities, and project execution while recognizing the operational realities and resource constraints common across the cooperative network. This position operates in a dynamic environment, working across multiple member cooperatives and partnering closely with NRTC advisory teams to deliver exceptional member value.
Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted engineering advisor to member cooperatives by clarifying objectives, understanding operational constraints, and translating needs into practical engineering approaches and phased roadmaps
• Lead discovery conversations with engineering, operations, and leadership stakeholders to define problems, constraints, decision criteria, and success measures; document findings in clear, action-oriented summaries
• Communicate complex technical concepts in decision-ready language for both technical and non-technical audiences, including executive-level briefings and board-ready materials
• Execute and/or review distribution planning and power system studies, including protection and coordination, arc-flash, fault duty, voltage management and optimization, and power quality assessments, with clear mitigation recommendations
• Develop study scopes, assumptions, and methodologies that reflect cooperative realities and align recommendations with implementable next steps
• Provide distributed generation and interconnection planning support, including screening, system impact evaluations, and mitigation options for generators, batteries, and behind-the-meter resources.
• Support the development and improvement of member DG processes by creating repeatable engineering screens, standard work, data requirements, timelines, and templates
• Lead reliability and system modernization planning, including feeder improvement concepts, device strategies (reclosers, sectionalizers, DA devices), and integration considerations for SCADA and field automation
• Partner with member teams to translate reliability goals (e.g., SAIDI/SAIFI) into prioritized, fundable portfolios of projects and operational improvements
• Contribute to wildfire risk mitigation planning by aligning engineering approaches to risk reduction outcomes, coordinating with internal advisory resources and external partners as needed
• Provide owner’s engineer support on select projects, including design and study reviews, validation of assumptions, procurement/specification input, and implementation oversight
• Own end-to-end delivery of assigned projects, including scoping, scheduling, internal coordination, quality assurance, and timely completion of deliverables
• Produce high-quality, defensible technical deliverables such as models, memoranda, reports, and diagrams suitable for reuse and audit
• Support development and refinement of engineering service offerings through standard scopes, estimating tools, reusable templates, and “starter packages” that improve consistency, utilization, and speed to launch
• Identify opportunities to extend or deepen member engagements and coordinate with advisory teams to support continuity from assessment through planning, engineering, and implementation
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities     

• Strong knowledge of electric distribution system planning, including load forecasting, circuit performance, voltage and reactive power management, capacity constraints, and contingency analysis
• Experience performing and/or reviewing power system studies such as load flow, short circuit, protection and coordination, and reliability or resiliency assessments
• Working knowledge of distributed energy resources (DER) and distributed generation (DG) integration, including interconnection screening, system impact evaluation, mitigation strategies, and hosting capacity–style approaches
• Familiarity with grid modernization and field automation concepts, including distribution automation devices and SCADA considerations
• Proficiency in distribution system modeling and analysis tools and the ability to apply results to real‑world operational and planning decisions
• Ability to structure, document, and defend engineering analysis, including defining assumptions, validating data, and clearly explaining results
• Strong advisory skills, including the ability to lead discovery, diagnose root causes, and translate ambiguous issues into well‑defined engineering problems
• Ability to develop and communicate multiple solution options with clear tradeoffs related to cost, risk, timeline, and operational impact
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences
• Ability to self‑manage and support multiple member utilities in a shared‑services or remote environment while delivering high‑quality, defensible work products

Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering from an ABET‑accredited institution or equivalent combination of technical education and relevant experience required
• Six (6) or more years of experience working with electric utilities; experience with electric cooperatives strongly preferred
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred
• Demonstrated proficiency with engineering modeling software and Microsoft Office tools
• Proven experience applying engineering expertise in a client‑facing, advisory, or shared‑services context

Physical Demands

• Work is typically performed in a remote office setting
• Occasionally travel may be required up to 30%

Disclaimer:  The above job description summary is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position.  It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills.  The order in which responsibilities, duties and skills are listed is not significant.
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NRTC – Member Driven and Technology Focused
NRTC provides solutions that help our 1,500 electric and telephone members bring all the advantages of today’s evolving technology to rural America. NRTC’s solutions are developed specifically to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers, and include integrated smart grid solutions, advanced metering networks, next-generation energy, grid intelligence, broadband, managed services, mobile and video. We are a dynamic, growing cooperative with more than 800 employees operating out of eight office locations. We are looking to add experienced staff to our growing company to help our rural cooperative members develop their technology. Our approach is to educate and support our members as we work with them through a consultative process.
Mission
NRTC provides solutions that help our telecommunications and electric members bring all of the advantages of today’s evolving technology to rural America
Vision
We will be our members’ most trusted technology partner
Values
Our members are our reason for being
We put the needs of our members first.
We focus on delivering impactful solutions to them.
Our team is the foundation of our success
We trust each other. We cooperate with each other.
We unite to accomplish our goals together.
Our passion is supporting rural communities
We are dedicated to our members and the communities they serve.
IDEA Committee
At NRTC, we are committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Awareness in the broadest sense to honor our company values. We believe an inclusive work environment provides an atmosphere that allows all employees to attain their greatest potential and achieve the greatest benefits for our Members. The IDEA Committee is committed to furthering a supportive and welcoming workplace environment in which employees of all backgrounds and demographic characteristics can productively and cohesively work together.
Total Rewards
We are proud to offer our employees an appealing total rewards package including competitive pay and a matching 401(k) plan, along with medical (with HSA contributions from NRTC), dental, vision, and short/long term disability insurance. We also offer 12 paid company holidays, paid-time off and paid training, as well as an employee assistance program, discounted wireless plan, and so much more.
Growth and Development
At NRTC, we pride ourselves in promoting from within and developing careers through our mentorship, Educational Assistance programs, NRTC University webinars, and a learning management platform. Most of our positions are posted internally first, where we give our existing employees the opportunity to elevate their careers. NRTC also provides a mentorship program that helps employees find experienced mentors who can lead them on their professional journeys. Our educational assistance program offers an annual reimbursement of up to $5,250 per calendar year for educational costs to promote professional growth with continued education outside of NRTC. Monthly NRTC University webinars are hosted to educate our employees on other business units and departments. NRTC provides a robust learning management platform including thousands of courses for continued self-education.
Transparent Leadership
Our Executive and Senior Leadership Teams provide frequent updates with our quarterly “All Hands Meetings” both company-wide and within each one of our four business units. These meetings consist of important company updates, candid financial information, employee milestones, Employee Excellence Awards, special guests, IDEA updates and on-the-spot employee Q&A. To help encourage open communication, feedback and discussions, NRTC leadership also has an “open door policy,” and conducts numerous employee surveys which allows our employees to help shape the culture and future of NRTC.