Senior Principal Engineer, Power Operations - Mission Support and Test Services, LLC

Mission Support and Test Services, LLC (MSTS) manages and operates the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).  Our MISSION is to help ensure the security of the United States and its allies by providing high-hazard experimentation and incident response capabilities through operations, engineering, education, field, and integration services and by acting as environmental stewards to the Site’s Cold War legacy.  Our VISION is to be the user site of choice for large-scale, high-hazard, national security experimentation, with premier facilities and capabilities below ground, on the ground, and in the air. (See NNSS.gov for our unique capabilities.) Our 2,750+ professional, craft, and support employees are called upon to innovate, collaborate, and deliver on some of the more difficult nuclear security challenges facing the world today.  In this environment, the best ideas need to be voiced and every opinion matters.  As such, MSTS places great value on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and is committed to a diverse and equitable workforce, with an inclusive culture that values and celebrates the diversity of our people, talents, ideas, and perspectives.

• MSTS offers our full-time employees highly competitive salaries and benefits packages including medical, dental, and vision; both a pension and a 401k; paid time off and 96 hours of paid holidays; relocation (if located more than 75 miles from work location); tuition assistance and reimbursement; and more.  
• MSTS is a limited liability company consisting of Honeywell International Inc. (Honeywell), Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Jacobs), and HII Nuclear Inc.

MSTS is seeking a Senior Principal Engineer for the Power Operations Department. The Power Operations department provides reliable high-power electrical distribution to facilities, projects and locations at the NNSS. The Senior Principal Engineer will report to the Power Operations Department Manager within the Fleet & Critical Site Infrastructure Division.  

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, provide comment to, and otherwise ensure power engineering aspects are accomplished for the department with focus on modernization efforts that ensure the NNSS power utility operates safely and effectively meets mission needs.
• Devise integrated solutions to the highly complex technical problems at all levels, including cross-disciplinary engineering fields. Not assigned direct reports, but mentors’ junior staff and management in methods, processes, and best practices.
• Provide strategic direction to senior management and others across the DOE Complex. Serves as expert advisor and consultant to internal and external senior management on existing configurations and new modifications.
• This position will not have singular design authority within the company, but will represent utility operational needs and clearly state requirements for any and all projects or designs that require electric utility service connection, as needed.
• Delegated care, custody, and control for commissioning purposes and perform other duties as assigned by or in coordination with the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) and management.
• Make recommendations and conclusions considered authoritative under the scope of the department services provided, and otherwise be empowered to make decisions and recommend modifications or establish new strategies.
• May be called upon to provide data, relevant information, and represent company positions within other departments, to headquarters, or regulatory bodies (NERC, WECC, etc.).
• Conceive, plan, and conduct improvements within power generation, delivery, storage, and backup power systems to ensure immediate and lasting benefit for both power infrastructure and facility owners for modernization investments.
• Perform duties for initial project scoping and at turnover for commissioning to accept construction scope of work.
• Perform work as an integrated project member from inception on all electrical scope for projects that will be turned over to Power Operations for maintenance.
• Exercise recognized technical leadership, creativeness, and judgment to prove or disprove the feasibility of ideas and devices of existing plans and recommends achievable solutions, with focus in the area of initial planning and finial commissioning.
• Develop, define, and modify strategic approaches in the course of planning and conducting innovative work that maximize use of all available resources.
• Exercise a very high degree of originality and sound judgment in formulating, evaluating, and correlating broad engineering and scientific programs to attract new mission work dependent upon highly reliable power.
• Promote business development, by developing and defining customer needs, developing proposals and planning projects that will meet customer needs.
• Develop and communicate long-range technical positions and writes detailed strategies within defined corporate goals and deliverables that comply with laws, codes, orders, and DOE policies and procedures.
• Perform other duties assigned by Management.

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) required for Civil, Mechanical and Electrical engineering degrees
• • Or, Calculus-based STEM bachelor’s degree in engineering
  • Or, for Architects, Certification from the National Council or Architectural Registration Board (NCARB)
  • Or Professional Engineer license
• Plus at least 14 years’ relevant experience. Skill building experience must demonstrate either deeper technical specialization or additional cross-disciplinary knowledge; graduate research experience may be recognized.
• Professional Engineering license preferred, but not required.
• Must have prior experience working for a power utility.
• Recognized as an authoritative source of information and highly knowledgeable about best practices for engineering, procurement, and construction.
• Demonstrated deep technical specialization or additional cross-disciplinary knowledge related to startup and commissioning for power operations.
• Demonstrated ability to work on multiple and diverse tasks.
• Ability to interpret codes and standards applicable to the position
• Expert in application and interpretation of NETA, NEC, NESC, NFPA 70E as well as IEEE procedures.
• Experienced in use of electrical software for load flow, protective device coordination, short circuit study, and arc flash studies.
• The primary work location will be at the Nevada National Security Site (located 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada).
• Work schedule for this position will be 4/10’s, Monday – Thursday (subject to change).
• Pre-placement physical examination, which includes a drug screen, is required. MSTS maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.

MSTS is required by DOE directive to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants offered employment with MSTS are also subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment. In addition, Applicants for employment must be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship, at least 18 years of age. Reference DOE Order 472.2, “Personnel Security”. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Department of Energy Q Clearance (position will be cleared to this level). Reviews and tests for the absence of any illegal drug as defined in 10 CFR Part 707.4, “Workplace Substance Abuse Programs at DOE Sites,” will be conducted.  Applicant selected will be subject to a Federal background investigation, required to participate in subsequent reinvestigations, and must meet the eligibility requirements for access to classified matter. Successful completion of a counterintelligence evaluation, which may include a counterintelligence-scope polygraph examination, may also be required. Reference 10 CFR Part 709, “Counterintelligence Evaluation Program.”

MSTS is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. MSTS is a background screening, drug-free workplace.

Annual salary range for this position is: $141,232.00 - $218,920.00.

Starting salary is determined based on the position market value, the individual candidate education and experience and internal equity.