Consulting Engineer- FACTS

Job Description Summary

Role Summary/Purpose
Today's AC power grid is increasingly being pushed to its limits. The energy transition drives an unprecedented growth in demand for electricity, whilst generation is becoming more decentralized, more remote, more variable and generally grid-connected through an inverter interface. Planning processes and supply chain limitations are slowing down the required AC grid expansions, which means the existing grid is operated closer to its ratings and stability margins. GE Vernova's Grid Systems Integration business line offers a full set of flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) technologies to assist grid owners and operators in maintaining reliability and adequacy by managing voltage levels, optimizing power flows and mitigating instabilities.

GE Vernova's CTO office is tasked with developing the R&D roadmap for FACTS technologies, managing competencies within the company, and supporting projects with specialised technical support. Consulting Engineers, who sit in the CTO team, are the highest technical authority within GE Vernova's Grid Systems Integration and Cross Electrification business. They act as executive technical consultant, ensuring customer confidence, reviewing and enhancing design practices, acting as a gate keeper for technical reviews, applying lessons learned, leading complex, state-of-the-art technology improvements, engaging with quality reviews and cost optimization exercises both within their specialist domain and across other domains.

• Serve as a recognized technical authority in FACTS solutions both internally and externally, and act as technical advisor to senior leadership levels
• Actively contribute to and drive standardization, coordinate working group activities and represent GE Vernova in IEC/CIGRE and similar professional bodies, task forces and industry committees
• Stay abreast of, collect and internally communicate state-of-the-art technology developments in FACTS technologies and applications
• Gather external information to determine future market needs
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to develop and maintain a strategic FACTS technology roadmap
• Suggest areas for technological advancement and recommend approaches/programs to pursue
• Evaluating and championing innovative ideas
• Contribute to Intellectual Property management in terms of:
  • The creation of patents
  • The review of patents to ensure freedom to operate
• Oversee various R&D programmes through to industrialisation, integrating new technology smoothly into production and ensuring successful project delivery
• Chair and act as technical authority in technology and product development gate reviews
• Collaborate and promote technology synergies across GE Vernova businesses of Power Conversion Systems, Grid Automation and Power Technology, utilizing shared expertise and resources.
• Support the commercial teams with their technical business development and sales
• Support supply chain and procurement departments with technical expertise
• Lead/support study teams addressing identified project challenges in focused technical areas
• Provide support quality teams on major quality issues and act as technical authority in root cause analysis processes
• Act as technical authority in competence management
  • Identify and recommend improvements in specific discipline knowledge or technical training needs.
  • Contribute to creating structured training plans and associated training material
  • Delivering training
  • Mentor others to deliver training
  • Act as technical authority in principal and senior competence assessments
• Consult with and support the Chief Engineer's Office in executing the office's technical objectives to implement best practice technologies and methods.

• Masters degree or higher education equivalent in a topic related to the development of power system compensation and/or stability solutions, ideally with an application focus to power electronic systems
• Proven experience in:
  • a power system engineering capacity
  • acting as mentor, including to principal engineers
  • research and development in power system stability

• Deep understanding of AC power system operation, the various types of instability phenomena, and associated analysis techniques
• Knowledge and understanding of:
  • FACTS technologies and operating strategies
    • Primary hardware technologies
    • Control & protection algorithms, software architecture & hardware platform
  • Future developments in FACTS e.g. grid-forming, inclusion of energy storage
  • FACTS applications, technology selection, sizing and siting
  • FACTS market and supply chain
  • National long term grid expansion plans for FACTS
• Overview of and active involvement in pre-standardisation and standardization initiatives for FACTS in international bodies such as IEEE, IEC and CIGRE
• Understanding of typical relevant regulatory frameworks, grid codes and business models applicable to the realization of FACTS
• Familiarity with typical power system planning strategies, processes, and studies
• Experience with the tools (simulation programs) required in FACTS planning studies e.g. PSS/E, PowerFactory and PSCAD
• FACTS pro's and con's, and the ability to develop a business case for different FACTS technologies based on a lifetime performance, costs and benefits analysis
• Familiarity with patent evaluation, application and management
• Open to regular business travel

• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills
• Leadership to pursue correct engineering process in adverse conditions
• Able to interface and communicate effectively with all levels of the organization
• Considered a lighthouse in the FACTS engineering discipline