Lead Engineer – Instrumentation & Controls - Instrumentation & Controls, Gas Power Generation

A DAY IN THE LIFE 

As a Lead Engineer – Instrumentation & Controls within the Gas Power Generation Team, you will serve as the subject matter expert for instrumentation and controls design for the gas plant (reciprocating engines and gas turbines) and associated Balance of Plant (BOP) Systems and Equipment. A typical day involves developing or reviewing instrumentation and controls design, collaborating with OEM and Owners on design, designing controls for BOP systems, and mentoring junior engineers. You will collaborate with internal project teams, utilities, vendors, and third-party engineering firms to deliver instrumentation and controls designs that are safe, reliable, and compliant with company, state, and federal regulations. 

The Lead Engineer – Instrumentation & Controls will develop metrics and set objectives related to equipment protection and controls engineering obligations.

STEP INTO THE ROLE  

• Understand client design criteria and intent, and determine how clients and the energy market are evolving on design trends, philosophy, and criteria on gas generation plant design.
• Will travel to Client office and/or project sites as required to foster client relationships, idea propagation, and problem solving.
• Travel will increase for construction and commissioning evolutions.
• Root cause analysis support for Engineering and Instrumentation and Controls items of the Company.
• Ensures safety standards are adhered to for the gas generation Engineering program and Company by verifying equipment controls and protection are implemented per design and employing Management of Change (MOC) as needed.
• Ensures projects are implemented in compliance with all applicable and prudent industry standards, including those provisions specific to reciprocating engine and combustion turbine installations and fuel gas systems.
• Verifies the design basis for all power block instrumentation and controls via commissioning processes and documentation. Supports development of commissioning processes and documentation.
• Collaborates and ensures integration with Blattner Business Units responsible for electrical design and commissioning. This includes protection and generation control, generator step-up and auxiliary transformers, medium voltage switchgear and collection, generator protection and synchronizing, station service and emergency power, grounding and lightning protection, cable and raceway systems, and lighting.
• Reviews electrical interface design for balance of plant equipment, including fuel gas conditioning and compression, inlet air and filtration systems, lube oil and cooling systems, water treatment, emissions control equipment, fire protection and detection, and plant control system integration.
• Stays current on new technologies and industry practices. Seeks opportunities to add value to projects with application of best available technology for specific projects.
• Supports creation and maintenance of library of design basis documents for all segments within Company. Must ensure Managers of Procurement are current with design basis for client and scope of work prior to kick-off meeting of estimating new project.
• Be an available technical resource to support engineering leads review of owner, contractor, and company scopes for completeness, and note gaps or overlaps, with particular attention to the interface points between the generating equipment supplier, balance of plant vendors, and company scope.
• Supports constructability reviews of engine and turbine power block layouts, modular and skid-mounted equipment, and pre-assembled cable and conduit systems to reduce field labor and improve installation quality.
• Supports the onsite instrumentation and controls requirements of plant startup, first fire, synchronization, and performance testing, and ensures commissioning requirements are understood and adhered to. Reviews all commissioning documents.
• Verifies complete equipment protection and controls for power block and BOP.
• Acts as the escalation point for instrumentation and controls commissioning issues, including protection and control settings, monitoring systems, controls testing, and controller interfaces.
• Preliminary engineering to final review of design, installation, and commissioning for power generation block and BOP instrumentation and controls.
• Review design for redundancy of instrumentation, controls hardware, and logic design
• Review winterization for instrumentation and control devices
• Review Control Loop Diagrams
• Review Instrument Loop Diagrams
• Review Controls narratives and logic
• Owner of all controller communication protocol and interface implementation, including distributed control system (DCS) at power block level and OEM controllers.
• Verification of data historian configuration and representation of available data points, including internally configured points. This includes ensuring DCS provides points for historian.
• Mentors junior engineers and supports the development of internal Instrumentation and Controls engineering standards and design practices. 
• Reads and understands the instrumentation and controls scope of projects in early project phases. Develops plans incorporating redundancy, reliability, and cost efficiency into each proposal. 
• Works with internal and external stakeholders to develop a clear and concise instrumentation and controls scope of work. Reviews implications of changes, provides recommendations, and serves as a technical resource for Preconstruction and Operations teams throughout the project lifecycle. 
• Provides contract and subcontract review, including suppliers, and comments related to instrumentation and controls scope, and identifies opportunities for streamlining work and reducing waste. 
• Adheres to the company’s cultural basics and the National Society of Professional Engineer’s code of conduct. Must prioritize ‘We’ over ‘Me.’ 
• Position is estimated to require travel up to 25% of the time pre-construction and 70% during construction to project sites, client offices, and utility offices, subject to fluctuations as needs dictate. 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 10+ years of progressive engineering experience in instrumentation and controls design for industrial projects, with strong preference for power generation.  
• 5+ years experience with instrumentation/controls/communications specification, procurement, install, and commissioning.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, or related field, from an ABET-accredited college required, or relevant equivalent industry experience. 
• A Professional Engineering (PE) license is preferred but not required. 

WHAT SETS YOU APART

• Knowledge of reciprocating engine and gas turbine equipment and the associated balance of plant equipment and their applications.
• Knowledge of multiple communication protocols and integration of same – MODBUS, Profi-Bus, Foundation Field-Bus, etc.
• Familiarity with computer tools/programs used for instrumentation and controls programming and commissioning of BOP equipment – communications protocols, vibrations monitoring, instrumentation programming and calibration, transformer monitoring.
• Familiarity with Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) specifications, regulatory protocols, equipment, commissioning, and certification.
• Familiarity with Emissions Control Systems – primarily Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) specifications, regulatory requirements, equipment, controls design, commissioning, and safety compliance.
• Familiarity with engineering standards/best practices related to power generation.
• Interpersonal skills – ability to influence and persuade groups toward common objectives.
• Effective communication skills (oral, written, listening, presentation) to work with owners, vendors, and employees.

HOW WE INVEST IN YOU

• Competitive pay
• 100% employer paid HDHP insurance premiums for employees
• 401(k) with company match
• HSA and FSA options
• Dental and Vision insurance
• Education Assistance (Tuition Reimbursement)
• Work/Life balance
• Employee/Family focused culture
• Gym on site
• And more!

Blattner is not able to sponsor H-1B visas or permanent residency for this or any position. We are able to consider candidates who hold valid, independent work authorization (e.g., U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or other valid, non-expired work authorization). 

#LI-Remote

$121,680.00 - $176,436.00 Individual Compensation to be determined based on the applicant's applicable experience and qualifications balanced against internal equity.

WHO ARE WE? 

With more than 115 years of construction experience, Blattner has played a vital role in building America’s critical infrastructure, ranging from railroads and highways to dams and mines. Since 1997, the company has focused on renewable energy solutions and is responsible for some of the most significant solar, wind and storage projects in the U.S. Today, Blattner has installed over 20% of America’s utility-scale wind, solar and energy storage capacity. Blattner Company is the parent company of Blattner Energy and D.H. Blattner & Sons, of which all are members of the Quanta Services family of companies. Company headquarters are in Avon, Minnesota.

Blattner is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Blattner will not tolerate discrimination against any applicant for employment or employee on the basis of age (40 and over), ancestry, color, religious creed, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, mental disability, military or veteran status, national origin, physical disability, race, receipt of public assistance, sex, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. This commitment governs all aspects of employment including, but not limited to: hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, layoff, termination, compensation, discipline, and access to benefits and training. Additionally, Blattner is committed, in accordance with applicable law, to making reasonable accommodations for job applicants and employees based on a qualifying disability, a sincerely held religious belief or practice, and for pregnancy, childbirth or related health conditions. Applicants and employees who feel they have experienced or witnessed discrimination or who wishes to request a reasonable accommodation should contact the Human Resources Department. Blattner prohibits retaliation against any individual for making a complaint under this policy, for opposing discrimination, for participating in an investigation pursuant to this policy, or for requesting a reasonable accommodation.