Electrical and Instrumentation Technician at Plains

Job Type:

Plains All American is an industry-leading transportation and midstream provider specializing in transportation, storage, processing and marketing solutions for crude oil and natural gas liquids (NGLs). We own an extensive network of pipeline transportation, terminalling, storage and gathering assets in key crude oil and NGL producing basins and transportation corridors and at major market hubs in the United States and Canada. On average, Plains handles more than 6 million barrels per day of crude oil and NGL in its Transportation segment. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

We are looking for highly-motivated individuals who enjoy working as part of a team in a dynamic and entrepreneurial work environment.

Plains is currently seeking an Electrical Engineer to join the Technical Services team, providing technical subject matter expertise and field support to the operations and projects organizations. #plains

Job Responsibilities:

• Act as subject matter expert (SME) for industrial electrical equipment and installations including motors, motor control, variable frequency drives and power distribution equipment from 480 V to 6.9 kV and industrial power substations up to 138 kV.

Provide technical support to operations:

• Assist with and perform troubleshooting of electrical equipment problems in the field, providing on-call telephone support and traveling to field locations where needed.
• Liaise with and direct electrical equipment vendor support personnel.
• Provide in-person training on electrical equipment maintenance to field personnel.
• Evaluate and report on condition of existing electrical equipment and installations.
• Work with the maintenance and reliability and field E&I teams to develop electrical equipment maintenance strategies to ensure high system availability.
• Develop spare parts philosophy and/or provide recommendations for repair or replacement of high-risk equipment.
• Evaluate electrical projects proposed the field.

Provide technical expertise to maintenance and capital expansion projects:

• Develop project high level electrical design concept and electrical engineering scope.
• Prepare RFQs and bid evaluations for major electrical equipment (power transformers, medium voltage switchgear and motor control, VFDs etc.), prefabricated PDC buildings, NETA acceptance testing etc.
• Review third party electrical engineering designs and electrical equipment vendor drawings for correctness and compliance with regulations, corporate standards and project requirements.
• Participate in validation and verification activities – FAT, SAT etc.
• Develop commissioning and start-up plans, organize and schedule third party personnel and provide on-site support.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering;
• A minimum of 10 years’ work experience, including 5 years of field experience working on electrical equipment in heavy industry.
• Knowledgeable in industry codes and standards (NFPA/NEC, IEEE, ANSI, NEMA, API).
• Experience with operating voltage ranges from 480V to 138kV.
• Ability to review and diagnose issues remotely using relay and VFD software and PI data.
• Experience with industry standard electrical analysis software packages an asset (SKM-PTW preferred).
• Experience with configuring and troubleshooting protection relays (SEL, GE Multilin etc.).
• Candidate must also have strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate with teams and inter-department personnel to troubleshoot issues
• Demonstrated examples of taking initiative, problem solving, and decision-making.
• Ability to work productively with limited supervision.
• Ability to travel to field locations up to 50% of time. Flexibility to travel on short notice to assist with field emergencies, including on weekends.
• Department members will have a heavy workload, with unplanned overtime and changes in work priorities, multiple projects with short turnaround time are common.
• Cleared criminal history (background) check and satisfactory reference checks
• Compliance with the company’s Drug & Alcohol Policy including pre-employment testing
• Valid state driver's license and driving record satisfactory to the company and its insurers 
   

At Plains, our employees are our most valuable asset. Hard work is rewarded with competitive compensation and a top-tier benefits program designed to keep our employees safe, healthy and happy. We work hard to deliver the best results to our stakeholders and we also respect our employees need for personal and family time, which is reflected in our benefits program.

Salary details estimated by job boards such as Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn do not represent Plains’ compensation structure. We thank all candidates for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. 

By submitting your resume, you consent to the collection, use and necessary disclosure of the personal information provided during the application and selection process. Learn more.