Substation and Transmission Standards Engineer III

This job is eligible for relocation assistance to the Colorado Springs, CO area

The Energy Standards Engineering team at Colorado Springs Utilities ensures that our equipment, materials, and construction standards meet both the current and future needs of our customers, our community, and our organization.  Our team’s mission is to strategically and collaboratively support the future of safe, reliable, and competitively priced energy for the Colorado Springs community. Our team is hiring a Substation and Transmission Standards Engineer III to support technical standards requests for electric substations and transmission lines. You will work with a dynamic team of individuals on constantly changing and intellectually challenging work. In this job, you will have the opportunity to learn and contribute to our electric standards, including the design and construction of transmission lines, distribution lines, and substations, as well as failure analysis, system reliability, materials review, and cost analysis. 

If you enjoy working with teams, have a background in substations, transmission, or electric construction standards, a passion for problem-solving, and a desire to help others, we want to hear from you!

Key Areas of Focus: 

• Lead standards support for 115kV and 230kV transmission lines
• Lead standards support for 12.5kV, 34.5kV, 115kV, and 230kV substations
• Occasional standards support for low-voltage secondary up to 34.5kV distribution systems
• Review of the existing Colorado Springs Utilities substation and transmission standards
• Chair and oversee the substation and transmission standards committees
• Maintain and update substation and transmission standards
• Prepare, review, and approve technical specifications and documentation
• Collaborate with vendors to evaluate emerging technologies and products
• Evaluate products and alternate manufacturers for the lowest system lifecycle costs
• Ensure conformance of standards to applicable laws, codes, and regulations
• Perform failure investigations and analysis
• Prepare information and reports, communicate findings, and provide recommendations
• Coordinate field trials and testing of new products
• Monitor industry trends and regulatory changes 
• Review and update guidelines for utility engineering practices
• Identify opportunities for process improvements and efficiency gains 
• Coordinate the technical efforts of strategic alliance teams to leverage effectiveness
• Guide construction standards for designers, construction crews, and suppliers
• Coordinate project assignments with engineering support staff

Who You Are:
A bachelor’s degree in Engineering is required, with a preference for Electrical, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering. Ideal candidates will have solid hands-on engineering experience in the electric utility industry, substation engineering, and transmission engineering. Possession of an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification is valued, and a Professional Engineer (PE) license is preferred.

Professional accomplishments in the following are desired:

• Substation, transmission, and distribution engineering, design, construction, maintenance, or modeling
• Identifying standards in need of development and identifying enhancements to designs, materials, or practices
• Applying knowledge of national and industry standards to electric construction projects and materials selection
• Troubleshooting material or design issues with substations and transmission lines, and conducting detailed investigations
• Performing cost-benefit analysis and evaluation of materials to be used in substations or transmission lines
• Working with construction crews and engineering teams to develop construction standards

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS: 

• Mostly - Exerts up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally and/or a small amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.
• Occasionally - Exerts up to 20 lbs. of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 lbs. of force frequently, and/or a small amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those required for Sedentary Work. Even though the weight lifted may be only a small amount, a job should be rated Light Work when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree or when it requires sitting most of the time, but entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg controls and/or when the job requires working at a production rate pace entailing the constant pushing and/or pulling of materials even though the weight of those materials is small. NOTE: The constant stress and strain of maintaining a production rate pace, especially in an industrial setting, can be and is physically demanding work even though the amount of force exerted is negligible.
• Positions in this class typically require talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions within an office working environment.

Who We Are:

• Check us out on our YouTube channel. (https://www.youtube.com/@SpringsUtilities)
• One of the largest four-service public utilities in the nation (over 500,000 customers)
• A national leader in reliability (power on an average of 99.991% of the time)
• Diamond Designation recipient from the American Public Power Association – a utility sector leader in reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvements

Our Commitment to Our Employees:
Our people are the heart and soul of Colorado Springs Utilities.  They keep the lights on, gas flowing, water coming in, and wastewater leaving.  We do not just say people are important – we prove it!  That’s why we are honored to invest in protecting the health and financial security of our employees and their families through our rich benefits program.

• Time Off – Because everybody needs time off to recharge
  • Vacation – New employees accrue 13 days of paid time off to start, while our more tenured employees accrue 24 days per year
  • Personal Leave –3 days per year of personal leave
  • Paid Holidays –12 paid holidays per year
  • Sick Leave – Accrue 12 days of sick leave annually for those days when you or a family member is feeling under the weather
  • Vacation Buy – Purchase up to 40 hours of additional vacation time
• Pension Plan – Looking forward to a comfortable lifestyle once you’re done working? The Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA) provides you with retirement benefits and peace of mind when you retire 
• Medical – Select from three comprehensive medical plans, starting at $0 per month.  Employees also enjoy access to a Health Savings Account (HSA) and a Flexible Spending Account (FSA). (effective the 1st of the month following your start date)
• Wellness Program – Voluntary wellness program that allows you and your spouse to each earn up to $500 to use towards healthcare expenses, $100 in Visa gift cards, and up to $400 in gym membership reimbursements
• Dental – Select from two dental plans, with in-network PPO preventive care covered at 100% and access to orthodontia coverage (effective the 1st of the month following your start date)
• Vision – Voluntary plan that covers full vision care services and discounts on LASIK eye surgery (effective the 1st of the month following your start date)
• Retirement Saving Programs – Supplement your pension plan with voluntary retirement programs such as the PERAPlus 401(k) and MissionSquare’s Roth IRA and 457 plans
• Disability Coverage – Short-Term (STD) and Long-Term Disability (LTD) insurance available for purchase (effective the 1st of the month following your start date)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Makes the going a little easier by aiding with mental health, stress management, work-life balance, financial and legal matters, and much more
• Long-Term Care Insurance (LTC) – Whether it's due to an accident or a serious illness, LTC insurance is available for purchase to help you and your loved ones (effective the 1st of the month following your start date)
• Life Insurance – Company-paid life insurance and supplemental coverage available (effective the 1st of the month following your start date)
• Tuition Reimbursement – Employees are eligible to receive up to $5,250 annually for Tuition Reimbursement
• Qualifying Public Service Employer – Payments made towards student loans may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program