Transmission Line Standards Engineer - FirstEnergy Corp

FirstEnergy at a Glance
We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers' lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.
About the Opportunity
This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Co., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. [FEU]
The position is classified as mobile with a reporting location of Akron, OH, Fairmont, WV, Greensburg, PA or Reading, PA with a requirement of two days per week on-site.
The job of Transmission Line Standards Engineer requires an individual to be self-directed with an interest and / or ability to create and manage engineering standards and specifications used by others to produce designs, order material, and construct FirstEnergy transmission facilities. This position will work within a staff of engineers, drafters / designers, both internal and external, and engage in a wide variety of engineering design to support standard engineering designs that are used to efficiently estimate, design, and construct FirstEnergy transmission facilities. This position will report on the progress of assigned tasks and advise of any issues that could impair the successful completion of the task on a proactive basis. This position is expected to become a subject matter expert and provide technical support to both the internal and external Transmission Design teams, Real Estate, Project Management, Construction, and other groups as required.
Responsibilities include:
- A commitment to FirstEnergy's safety policies and adherence to the requirements in FirstEnergy's Accident Prevention Handbook to ensure transmission standards and specifications provide safe designs and practices to safeguard employees, contractors, and the public.
- Adhering to the highest standards of business conduct and ethical behavior by following FirstEnergy's Code of Conduct and Business Practices.
- Strong technical writing skills for preparing material, service, and equipment specifications.
- Preparing bills-of-material for the development of material lists to support standard designs, including the creation and maintenance of compatible units (CU's) for material forecasting and estimating.
- Reviewing existing standards and process flows, researching industry-wide best practices, and recommending and implementing improvements where appropriate.
- Conducting a variety of technical research and analysis, interpreting, recommending, and presenting results, and assisting with implementation activities.
- Participating in industry meetings to confirm FirstEnergy has a voice in and is aware of the direction of industry (i.e., participation with EPRI, CIGRE, CEATI, NATF, IEEE, ASCE, ACI, etc.).
- Researching and exploring innovative technologies that will effectively enable work processes to be automated increasing efficiencies while decreasing the risk of human error.
- Ensuring standards and material specifications are up to date and accurate by reviewing against industry standards and best practices.
- Provide engineering support to employees and leadership to assist in their understanding of standards, procedures, designs, and specifications.
- Supporting design software used by the internal and external transmission design staff. This includes developing and employing standard design criteria; calculation and entry of standard material properties; and the development of standard structure components and models in Power Line Systems suite of programs (PLS-CADD, PLS-Pole, and PLS-Tower), FAD Tools, AutoCAD, etc.
- Maintenance of the Transmission Standards SharePoint site as a SharePoint owner.
- Analyzing engineering, construction, and maintenance feedback related to standard designs, equipment, etc., and developing appropriate solutions and alternate design options.
- Foresight and general construction aptitude to predict and eliminate design and construction issues when creating transmission construction standards and specifications.
- Reviewing supplier drawings and specifications for compliance with FirstEnergy specifications.
- Qualifying suppliers through technical reviews including the evaluation of a manufacturer's facilities and processes, as necessary.
- Reviewing existing materials, components, and design standards for process improvement and cost savings.
- Preparing and delivering newsletters and training to support knowledge transfer between both internal and external design and construction staff.
- Preparing scope documents and overseeing detailed engineering studies and designs by third parties.
- Oversight and direction of engineering consultants as needed.
- Supporting and sustaining FirstEnergy as a high performing organization by contributing to excellent organizational performance and values of FirstEnergy through responsible effective work performance.
- Performing other transmission standards related duties as assigned including storm restoration roles.
Qualifications include:
- Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering (BSEE, BSCE, BSME) from an ABET accredited institution is required. Acceptable alternatives are: (1) a Professional Engineer's (PE) License (2) a bachelor's degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering or technical field of study (non-ABET) plus an advanced degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering from a university with an ABET accredited bachelor's program.
- A Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Certificate is preferred
- Minimum of 2 (two) years of Engineering experience is required.
- Transmission line engineering experience preferred and/or an emphasis in structural design and modeling.
- Working knowledge of design and analysis of wood and steel structures and foundations along with associated construction practices.
- Working knowledge of industry-standard structural modeling software programs. Specific working knowledge of Power Line Systems suite of programs (PLS-CADD, PLS-Pole, and PLS-Tower), FAD Tools, LPILE, STADD, AutoCAD, etc. is a plus.
- Strong Microsoft Office skills are required, and experience using Visual Basic for applications or database experience is preferred.
- Working knowledge of the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC).
- Experience with codes and standards from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), American Concrete Institute (ACI), American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is plus.
- A questioning attitude to continue to learn, produce results, and strengthen existing relationships.
- Ability to work independently as well as in teams is required as this position will coordinate standards with other FirstEnergy areas of responsibility including Transmission Maintenance, Substations, Transmission Construction, the Safety group, and the regional FirstEnergy engineering staff.
- Must be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously and be able to work effectively under the pressure of deadlines, unexpected developments, changes in project scope, budget constraints, unforeseen field problems, and demands on time for work assignments outside of the normal duties.
- Must have strong interpersonal skills and develop and maintain relationships across FirstEnergy and with outside firms and manufacturers that further facilitate the cooperation needed to complete assignments.
- Must be able to communicate effectively with excellent verbal skills and writing skills, providing comprehensive status reports, clear and concise specifications, and accurate information.
- Must have strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
- Must be self-directed and not dependent on detailed instruction from others.
- Ability to support numerous locations by being able to travel throughout the FirstEnergy service area, and to manufacturer locations, and to work extra and irregular hours when needed.
- Valid driver's license and access to reliable transportation.
Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at www.firstenergycorp.com to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H-1B visas at this time.

Safety

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all of our business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information, and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co-workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, to maintain an accident-free, injury-free workplace, and to promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals, we dedicate ourselves to achieving world-class safety standards.