Lead Systems Engineer

This role is designed to interpret the customers technical enquiry and to design the most cost-effective overall solution for an HVDC installation utilising the PES power electronics solutions, aiming to minimising the total cost, and to specify the main (high-value) items of bought-out equipment for HVDC Projects.

The successful candidate will also be involved in the development and industrialisation of tools and processes and will have technical knowledge and experience in the field of power system engineering (academic and professional).

The successful candidate will be part of an established team of experienced power systems engineer which will provide them with various opportunities to develop their skills in the field of high voltage AC and DC power system design via mentoring by Systems Expert, on-the-job training, classroom training (such as the HVDC university training modules), placement in other engineering departments etc.

Job Description

As part of the role, the candidate will be required to represent GE in front of external stakeholders such as clients, third party suppliers, professional bodies (IEC, Cigr, etc). You will also interact with GE stakeholders within the HVDC business and the wider GE renewables organisation.

The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to develop innovative ideas and publish their work internationally in scientific papers and patents.

Internal Interfaces:

• Solution Centre
• Operations (for Customer projects)
• Technology (for R&D projects)
• Strategic Sourcing
• Quality
• Other engineering departments

External Interfaces

• Major Suppliers
• Customers
• Consultants
• Professional Organizations
• Statutory Bodies
• Competitors

Essential responsibilities:

The successful candidate may be involved in any of the following areas and is expected to have experience in a number of these areas:

Main Circuit Design

Develop an integrated scheme design that meets the Customers needs, by developing requirements on the ratings and functionalities of the different HVDC systems subsystems, in an optimised and cost-effective manner.

Insulation Coordination Studies

• Determine the temporary and transient overvoltage stresses on HV equipment and provide the protective level requirements for the surge arresters.

Equipment Lifecycle Management

• Manage the lifecycle of high economic value High Voltage equipment such as power transformers, instrument transformers, reactors, capacitors, and surge arresters, covering the development of its requirements, specification, supplier management and the validation and verification (testing) of design, manufacturing and commissioning.

Reliability, Availability and Maintainability Studies and Management

• Create, verify, and validate the reliability, availability and maintainability models for HVDC systems and subsystems, providing insight to customers and leaders and managing the risks, issues and opportunities that affect the systems throughout their lifecycle.

Losses Management

• Create, verify, and validate the electrical power losses models for HVDC systems and subsystems, providing insight to customers and leaders and managing the risks, issues and opportunities that affect the systems throughout their lifecycle.

Technical Leadership

• Lead Project activities within the Systems department and co-ordination with other engineering department

Quality

• Take part in the development and deployment of engineering processes, working methods and best practices within the Department.
• Enforce engineering discipline and set processes across all work tasks and adherence to company policies, quality procedures and work instructions (e.g., through trainings, technical reviews).
• Report or resolve any non-conformances in a timely manner.

Development and Industrialisation

• Develop and industrialise solutions tools and processes associated with the engineering activities identified above.

Health and Safety

• Identify and evaluate EHS risks in own area and implement practical measures.
• Set the example by demonstrating the proper acts and actively observe work conditions and behaviours, giving constructive feedback and celebrating EHS effective prevention.
• Actively participate in defining corrective actions when work is unsafe or when an uncontrolled risk is observed.
• Routinely observe routines and behaviours of others and provide immediate feedback regarding unsafe behaviour and celebrates achievements or safe behaviours.
• Actively and routinely promote the identification of hazards and near misses to their team/s.

Desired additional skills:

Network Studies

• Confirmation of the correct interaction between the equipment, its control system, and the rest of the network. Transient Stability studies, Load Flow Studies, Short Circuit Studies, Interaction Studies.

Transient Studies

• Determination (by simulation) of temporary and transient overvoltage stresses on equipment and surge arrester energy ratings.

Harmonic Analysis and Power Quality

• Conducting AC and DC harmonic performance and harmonic stability studies for HVDC converter stations for VSC and LCC HVDC schemes.
• Radio Frequency Interference studies and Electromagnetic Compatibility studies.
• Power Line Carrier Interference studies and filters. Design of AC, DC, and High Frequency harmonic filters and screening.
• Calculations of filter performance and rating.
• Creation of project-specific equipment specifications for filter reactors / capacitors / resistors.

Tools

• PSCAD, PSS/E, DigSilent, Python and MATLAB.

Desired Candidate Profile

Qualifications and Experience:

Preferably educated with a Master in Power Systems Engineering from an accredited institution (or equivalent knowledge) and proven professional experience and technical expertise in the field of Power Systems Engineering and preferably in HVDC System Design.

Technical Domain Competencies

At least AWARE of the following areas, and PROFICIENT in some of them:

• Power System Design
• Circuit analysis
• Power control
• Reactive power design
• HVAC domain knowledge
• HVDC domain knowledge
• High voltage equipment specification, design, and testing (E.g., power transformers, reactors, capacitors, switchgear, instrumentation transformers and transducers, surge arresters, bushings and insulators)
• Reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) assessment and management
• Electrical power systems modelling and analysis
• Insulation co-ordination
• Audible noise assessment and mitigation

AWARE of:

• Network Studies
• Harmonic Analysis and Power Quality
• EMC assessment and mitigation
• HVDC valves and their control systems

Technical Domain Tools

AWARE of:

• Power Network Analysis (PSS/E, DigSilent, Eurostag)
• EMT Software (PSCAD, EMTP-RV, ATP)
• Reliability assessment (Reliasoft, Isograph)
• Audible Noise (SoundPLAN)
• Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
• Python
• MATLAB & Simulink
• Requirements Management (DOORS)

Professional Competencies

• Communications: Exceptional oral and written communication skills in English.
• Critical Thinking: Capable of structuring defendable arguments, evidence, assumptions, and decisions.
• Ethics and Professionalism: Personal commitment to professional standards, recognising obligations to society, the profession, and the environment.
• Technical Leadership: understanding of customer need, problem solving, creativity and innovation, relationship management, operational oversight and accountability, engineering instinct.
• Negotiation: capable of resolving points of difference, to gain advantage for an individual or collective, or crafting outcomes to satisfy various interests.
• Team Dynamics and Facilitation: Ability to be a team player and to facilitate groups interactions.

Engineering Management Competencies

• Planning: Ability to plan and manage own work.
• Risk and Opportunity Management: Proactively identifies and manages risks, issues, and opportunities.
• Acquisition and Supply: Generation of work products associated with acquiring or providing products or services.
• Knowledge Management: capable of deploying training, coaching, and mentoring to customers and colleagues. Proactively records and disseminates return of experience.