Expert, Grid Innovation Engineer - Reliability, Strategy, and Partnerships

Location: Oakland, CA, US

Employment Type: Full-time

Requisition ID # 172357 

Job Category: Engineering / Science 

Job Level: Individual Contributor

Business Unit: Strategy & Growth

Work Type: Hybrid

Job Location: Oakland

Department Overview

The System Performance, Reliability and Resiliency Strategy team within the overall Electric Transmission and Distribution Engineering organization is responsible for planning, organizing, and managing the resources necessary to successfully execute PG&E’s Electric Reliability Strategy and initiatives. Within this department the Resiliency Strategy and Partnerships team will lead the long-term reliability and resiliency strategy. This work will include driving the development of related IEEE/IEC, FERC/NERC, EEI/IUNG/AEIC standards.

Position Summary

Leads enterprise reliability and resilience strategy, setting the technical vision and direction for reliability engineering across the organization. Serves as a recognized industry leader, driving standards development through active engagement with IEEE, IEC, FERC/NERC, and key utility associations. Represents the company in technical committees and external forums, influencing industry best practices while advising leadership on reliability performance, risks, and long-term strategy.

This position follows a hybrid work model, requiring employees to report to their assigned office location at least two or three days per week. The remaining days may be worked remotely, depending on business needs. The headquarters is located in the Oakland General Office.

PG&E is providing the salary range that the company, in good faith, believes it may pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the job's locality. The actual salary paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, collective bargaining agreements, and internal equity. Although we estimate the successful candidate hired for this role will be placed toward the middle or entry point of the range, the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis based on these factors. This job is also eligible to participate in PG&E’s discretionary incentive compensation programs.
 
A reasonable salary range is:
Bay Area Minimum: $140,000
Bay Area Mid-Point: $189,000
Bay Area Maximum: $238,000

Job Responsibilities

• Assist customers in assessing the viability of distributed technology and/or resource interconnection projects
• Collaborate with other utilities, manufacturers, engineering, IT, and standards departments on advancing new distributed energy resources applications, such as smart inverters, and reducing interconnection costs
• Understand the various data streams that are needed to model grid impacts
• Meet with stakeholders to better understand their issues and inform them of the potential grid impacts
• Explore, innovate, and demonstrate technologies that facilitate easier grid integration
• Identify conditions when DER may provide more benefits to the customers and the grid
• Assess potential distributed energy resources risks at higher penetration levels and communicate to upper management
• Represent PG&E as its technical expert, integrating distributed resources and technologies onto the electric grid in regulatory proceedings and industry working groups
• Responsible for identifying, developing, and implementing new standards and guidelines, in collaboration with the Distribution Standards Department, to facilitate distributed energy resources integration while minimizing potential grid impacts

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Bachelor’s Degree in engineering or equivalent experience.
• Experience with grid modeling software (e.g., CYMDIST, PSLF, Aspen, etc.).
• 7 years of electric utility-related experience.

Desired:

• Electrical Engineering Degree with Power Systems emphasis
• Master of Science in Engineering, preferably Electrical Engineering
• Licensed Engineer in the State of California
• Experience with data processing tools such as Excel, Access, SQL, etc.
• Protection System Engineering experience
• Experience in Transmission or Distribution System Planning
• Experience in Transmission or Distribution Operations

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Competencies: 

• Competency in planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals 
• Competency in using compelling arguments to gain support and commitment of others
• Competency to work cohesively in fast-paced team environments
• Competency in making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward
• Competency in effectively building formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization 
• Knowledge of relevant federal, state, and local regulations and laws as needed to perform at the job level 
• Knowledge of the technical impact of distributed generation to grid operations