Electrical Commissioning Lead

The Electrical Commissioning Lead is responsible for the electrical commissioning scope from design review through Integrated Systems Testing (IST) and final turnover. This role provides accountability to the Commissioning Authority and Commissioning Manager for electrical distribution system readiness, testing, documentation, and issue resolution. The position directs electrical commissioning engineers and technicians while coordinating electrical contractors, testing firms, controls integrators, vendors, and OEM representatives throughout the commissioning lifecycle.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the electrical commissioning process from design review and planning through installation verification, energization, startup, functional performance testing, Integrated Systems Testing, and final turnover.

• Review electrical design documents including one-line diagrams, equipment schedules, specifications, protection and coordination studies, and arc flash studies for commissionability, testing access, and constructability.

• Review electrical design requirements against the Owner's Project Requirements (OPR) and Basis of Design (BOD).

• Develop and maintain the electrical section of the Commissioning Plan, including test sequencing, prerequisites, commissioning milestones, and Level 1–5 scope definitions.

• Develop and review electrical commissioning specifications and applicable Division 26 commissioning requirements.

• Define and track Factory Witness Testing (FWT) requirements for switchgear, generators, UPS systems, PDUs, Static Transfer Switches (STS), Automatic Transfer Switches (ATS), busway, and associated electrical equipment.

• Coordinate the scope of NETA-certified testing contractors and establish clear boundaries between NETA acceptance testing and commissioning functional testing.

• Develop and maintain the electrical commissioning schedule and integrate commissioning activities with the overall project master schedule.

• Identify commissioning equipment and resource requirements including load banks, primary injection equipment, testing instrumentation, and utility coordination milestones.

• Author, review, and approve Level 3 startup, Level 4 Functional Performance Testing (FPT), and Level 5 Integrated Systems Testing (IST) procedures and scripts.

• Develop commissioning test procedures for medium- and low-voltage switchgear, transformers, generators and paralleling gear, ATS/STS systems, UPS systems and batteries, PDUs/RPPs, busway, lighting controls, grounding and bonding systems, EPMS/SCADA, fire alarm interfaces, and electrical metering.

• Establish commissioning pass/fail criteria based on the BOD and OPR, including transfer times, voltage and frequency tolerances, battery runtime, and protection settings.

• Develop electrical failure-mode and concurrent-maintainability testing scenarios including utility loss, breaker failure, load transfers, and single-cord and dual-cord operating conditions.

• Witness and document Level 2 and Level 3 installation verification, pre-energization, energization, and startup activities.

• Verify equipment installation, termination, grounding, bonding, labeling, and readiness against approved drawings and project requirements.

• Coordinate installation verification activities with NETA acceptance testing requirements.

• Direct Level 4 functional performance testing of electrical systems using approved commissioning procedures.

• Verify electrical protection settings against approved coordination studies.

• Witness protective relay testing and primary and secondary injection testing.

• Lead the electrical portions of Level 5 Integrated Systems Testing, including load bank testing, utility-loss scenarios, system transfers, and facility-wide failure simulations.

• Coordinate electrical IST activities with the Mechanical Commissioning Lead to verify integrated facility performance across electrical and mechanical systems.

• Manage electrical energization and LOTO coordination with the construction and electrical contractor safety programs.

• Ensure switching activities are executed in accordance with approved switching orders and Methods of Procedure (MOPs).

• Verify EPMS and BMS point-to-point testing, alarm mapping, trending, and system functionality prior to functional performance testing.

• Own the electrical commissioning issues log through identification, classification, assignment, corrective action, retesting, and final closure.

• Classify commissioning deficiencies based on safety, critical, major, and minor impacts.

• Independently verify corrective actions through inspection and retesting prior to issue closure.

• Review and approve electrical commissioning test reports, NETA reports, and vendor startup documentation for completeness and accuracy.

• Contribute electrical testing results, outstanding issues, deferred testing, and recommendations to the Final Commissioning Report.

• Verify O&M manuals, as-built documentation, relay settings, UPS settings, generator controller settings, and required training are complete prior to turnover.

• Coordinate daily with electrical contractors, OEM factory service representatives, NETA testing firms, controls integrators, and other commissioning disciplines.

• Chair electrical commissioning coordination meetings and communicate system readiness, testing progress, outstanding issues, schedule impacts, and project risks to the Commissioning Manager and owner.

• Direct and perform quality reviews of work completed by electrical commissioning engineers and technicians assigned to the project.

• Identify and escalate schedule, safety, design, and technical conflicts with recommended paths toward resolution.

• Any other duties or responsibilities that may be assigned to you in your role.

 

Skills Required:

• Extensive knowledge of electrical commissioning within mission-critical or data center environments.

• Strong understanding of Level 0–5 commissioning processes including design review, Factory Witness Testing, installation verification, energization and startup, Functional Performance Testing, and Integrated Systems Testing.

• Strong knowledge of medium- and low-voltage electrical distribution systems.

• Experience with switchgear, transformers, generators, paralleling gear, ATS/STS systems, UPS systems, batteries, PDUs, RPPs, busway, grounding and bonding, metering, and associated electrical infrastructure.

• Strong understanding of EPMS, SCADA, BMS interfaces, alarms, trending, and electrical system monitoring.

• Ability to read and interpret electrical one-line diagrams, control schematics, relay settings, protection and coordination studies, equipment schedules, and technical specifications.

• Experience with NETA acceptance testing, protective relay testing, and primary and secondary injection testing.

• Strong understanding of load bank testing, electrical failure-mode testing, concurrent maintainability, redundancy, and utility-loss scenarios.

• Experience developing and executing commissioning procedures, Functional Performance Tests, and Integrated Systems Testing scripts.

• Strong understanding of electrical energization, switching procedures, LOTO requirements, and Methods of Procedure.

• Working knowledge of NETA ATS, NFPA 70, NFPA 70B, NFPA 70E, NFPA 110, IEEE 1584, and applicable utility requirements.

• Strong troubleshooting, technical analysis, and issue-resolution capabilities.

• Ability to direct electrical commissioning engineers and technicians while coordinating electrical contractors, testing firms, controls integrators, vendors, and OEM representatives.

• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills.

• Strong commissioning documentation, reporting, and quality control capabilities.

• Ability to coordinate effectively across electrical, mechanical, controls, construction, commissioning, and operations teams.

 

Education / Licenses / Certifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related technical field preferred.

• ACG Certified Commissioning Authority (CxA) certification preferred.

• Building Commissioning Association Certified Commissioning Professional (CCP) certification preferred.

• NETA Level III or Level IV certification preferred.

• Certified Building Commissioning Professional or equivalent commissioning certification preferred.

Proof of education, licenses, and certifications will be required where applicable.

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance 
• Life, Short-Term, Long-Term Disability Insurance 
• Training and Education Assistance 
• 401k Retirement Plan 
• Extra Annual Leave with Years of Service 
• Maternity/Paternity Leave 
• Recognition Rewards
  
  

LotusWorks is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered.