PV & BESS - Control Room Operator

The Control Room Operator will play a key role in assisting the Operations Supervisor by pursuing maximum possible revenue deliveries, identifying, and initiating appropriate response plans for alarm conditions that may place safety or production at risk, and implementing all applicable regulatory and contractual obligations as they apply to real-time operations fleet wide. The Control Room Operator will be responsible for coordinating day-to-day operations activities for a diverse portfolio of generating facilities under the jurisdiction of many balancing authorities, transmission providers, and scheduling entities.

• Evaluate complicated operating situations against multiple regulatory and contractual obligations: operating contracts (O&M Agreement, Power Purchase Agreement, Interconnect Agreement), Balancing Authority tariffs, business practice manuals, transmission and scheduling entity operating handbooks, O&M operating agreements, and any NERC standards applicable to the generator operator / generator owner.
• For equipment under O&M jurisdiction, during equipment changes, safeguards the Generator Owner by enforcing OM change management policies, protecting Generator Owner compliance.
• Provide safety review for any Procedure written to a specific Task by the maintenance team, to ensure that for any Medium Voltage or High Voltage switching operations: minimum isolation requirements are met according to O&M policies and OSHA/NFPA/NETA requirements, and switching instructions are consistent with Good Utility Practice.
• During a failure of the forecasting system, use a pre-written worksheet and OM procedures to manually generate and deliver all forecasts.
• Provides contractually required failure notifications using the operator log.
• For Balancing Authorities that run Capacity Markets, reports capacity in real-time as required by the Market Tariff and Power Purchase Agreement. For Balancing Authorities that run Energy Markets, reports significant outages, and ensures the forecasting system will capture any outage’s impact for subsequent hours by logging shortfalls.
• Maximize the fleet’s overall value through interactions with maintenance teams across the fleet; understand contractual dispatch obligations for each resource; understand the energy impact of all outages in the context of effective availability and performance requirements; always challenge the maintenance team to maximize the owner’s revenue and bonus; maximize value when accomplishing required maintenance.
• Perform failure analysis using historical data for inverter trips and performance reductions, failures of MV and HV equipment, network equipment, and control systems. Assigns outage classifications to ensure all monthly reporting obligations are met and provide reliability data for NovaSource use in future process development and site development.
• Initiate and document an appropriate alarm response plan for all trouble indications in accordance with procedure, including documenting low-impact and low-risk trouble indications in CMMS system for planned response; coordinating immediate response for high risk or high impact trouble indications, providing all notifications required by contracts and regulations to the Owner, Transmission Provider, and Scheduling Entity.
• Operate multiple power plant control systems technologies across the fleet, understanding the behavior and capabilities of each technology; predict grid response to any control action; implement voltage schedules according to operating agreements and contracts.
• For equipment not yet under O&M jurisdiction, provides monitoring to recognize any high priority alarm conditions that may place company at risk under applicable operating contracts and regulations. Provides recommendations to Commissioning for the purpose of mitigating risk, which recommendations from time to time may involve complicated business trade-offs.
• Maintains the operator log for tracking: capacity offline to ensure accurate up-to-date forecasting; trouble conditions and status for purposes of turnover and customer reporting; change in status of any contract or services; control actions implemented at the site or by Control Room; interactions with external regulatory entities.

Potential candidates will meet the education and experience requirements provided on the above job description and excel in completing the listed responsibilities for this role.

• Able to demonstrate competent technical knowledge in analyzing equipment performance and identifying performance issues using software tools.
• Experience working with and troubleshooting plant SCADA systems and computerized maintenance management systems.
• Proficient computer skills using MS Excel, MS Project, MS Word, and Outlook
• Understanding of electronic power system protection equipment purpose/behavior is required.
• 6 years’ experience in power plant operations with high voltage experience.
• Degree with an emphasis in power systems or formal operations apprenticeship training or equivalent.
• Ability to work in a high-stress environment where decisions directly impact personnel safety and equipment reliability.
• VBA and/or SQL Experience is a plus.
• Ability to take direction, identify problems, develop solutions, conduct analysis independently and in collaboration with others.
• Monitors and operates many large and small aggregate generators, familiar with use of multiple monitoring and control platforms.
• Ability to coordinate multiple activities and ensure safety, quality, and schedule adherence.
• Able to demonstrate competent technical knowledge of general plant and system processes, electrical and SCADA systems.
• Knowledge of Power System Dynamics required for predicting grid impact during control actions.

Sign-on bonus: Offering a $2,000 sign on bonus.

• Health Coverage: Comprehensive and affordable medical, dental, and vision plans effective on your first day.
• Quarterly Bonus Program: Performance-based incentive opportunities.
• Career Growth: On-the-job training with a clear path for advancement.
• Competitive Pay: Starting at $40/hour.
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with employer matching contributions.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential counseling and support resources.
• Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts (FSA/HSA): Options to help you save on healthcare costs.
• Additional Perks: Pet insurance and more employee benefits.
• Legal Support: Access to legal assistance services.
• Income Protection: Company-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance.