Sr. Power Systems Engineer, P.E.

About Us

NorthStar Energy Services, a Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE:PWR) company, is based in Channelview, TX and provides engineering, design, procurement, construction and support services to the chemical, petrochemical, pipeline, oil & gas, bulk storage and terminal industries throughout the country. We offer individual project services as well as turnkey EPC project implementation.

 

NorthStar possesses the skills and expertise to self-perform the design and installation of civil, structural, mechanical, piping, electrical, and instrumentation systems throughout a broad array of industrial applications.

 

Joining our team means being part of an organization that values drive and inclusion. We focus on career development and reward excellence, recognizing each team member's unique contributions. We're at the forefront of powering modern life. Discover how your skills and dedication can make a real difference to us.

About this Role

Sr. Power Systems Engineer, P.E. - Baton Rouge, LA & Houston, TX

10-15 Years Experience

 

NorthStar Energy Services is seeking an experienced Senior Power Systems Engineer, P.E. to join our Professional Engineering Consulting team. This role supports the design and execution of electrical systems for energy, petrochemical, industrial and data center industries. The Senior Power Systems Engineer will be responsible for developing electrical design concepts, performing advanced engineering analyses, and ensuring compliance with applicable codes, standards, and client requirements across the full project lifecycle.

 

This position works closely with multidisciplinary engineering and design teams and plays a key role in delivering safe, reliable, and constructible power electrical designs for complex energy facilities.

What You'll Do

Engineering & Design

• Perform advanced power system modeling and engineering studies, including load flow, short-circuit, arc-flash, protective device coordination, motor-starting, voltage-drop, and equipment duty evaluations using ETAP, and/or SKM Power*Tools, EasyPower, or equivalent power system analysis software
• Develop and maintain electrical power system models and prepare one-line diagrams, protection and control schematics, three-line diagrams, motor control schematics, grounding plans, cable and conduit schedules, and point-to-point wiring diagrams
• Engineer and specify low- and medium-voltage power distribution systems, including transformers, switchgear, switchboards, motor control centers (MCCs), variable frequency drives (VFDs), generators, UPS systems, protective relays, circuit breakers, and associated control and protection equipment
• Perform equipment sizing, application, and protection calculations, including transformer sizing, conductor ampacity and derating, cable sizing, breaker and fuse selection, CT/PT selection, grounding conductor sizing, and protective relay settings.
• Develop protective relay coordination and settings to provide selective system protection while minimizing equipment damage and unnecessary system outages. Evaluate time-current coordination, equipment damage curves, transformer inrush, motor-starting characteristics, and applicable protection functions.
• Evaluate electrical system performance under normal, contingency, starting, and fault conditions and recommend system modifications to improve reliability, protection, voltage performance, and operational flexibility.
• Perform and support arc-flash hazard analyses and develop recommendations for incident-energy reduction, protective device settings, maintenance switching, and other mitigation strategies in accordance with applicable project and safety requirements.
• Design and evaluate grounding and bonding systems, including equipment grounding, grounding electrode systems, ground grids, and associated calculations for industrial and power distribution facilities.
• Support specialized power system designs, including overhead and underground distribution, substations, area classification, above- and below-grade raceway systems, generator integration, renewable generation, and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) integration.
• Evaluate the integration of new electrical loads and generation sources into existing power systems, identifying impacts to transformer loading, available fault current, protective device ratings, voltage regulation, system capacity, and protection coordination.
• Review and incorporate applicable NEC, NFPA 70E, IEEE, ANSI, NEMA, utility requirements, municipal requirements, company standards, and project-specific design criteria into electrical system designs and studies.

Deliverable & Project Support

• Perform QA/QC reviews of power system studies, electrical calculations, models, drawings, and technical specifications to verify accuracy and compliance with project requirements, applicable codes, engineering standards, and safety-first design practices.
• Review load flow, short-circuit, arc-flash, protective device coordination, motor-starting, and voltage-drop studies to confirm modeling assumptions, equipment ratings, protective device settings, and recommended system modifications.
• Coordinate power system engineering deliverables with electrical engineers, designers, project managers, utilities, equipment vendors, and other engineering disciplines to ensure electrical system requirements are fully integrated into the overall project design.
• Review and incorporate applicable NEC, NFPA 70E, IEEE, ANSI, NEMA, utility requirements, municipal requirements, company standards, and project-specific design criteria into electrical system designs and studies.
• Review third-party and vendor one-line diagrams, equipment drawings, relay protection schemes, data sheets, and technical submittals for transformers, switchgear, switchboards, MCCs, generators, UPS systems, VFDs, protective relays, and other power distribution equipment to confirm compatibility with the electrical system design.
• Verify electrical equipment voltage ratings, continuous-current ratings, short-circuit withstand and interrupting ratings, protective device characteristics, and system interfaces against power system study results and project requirements.
• Support project execution through field site assessments, RFI responses, and development of electrical design basis documentation.
• Review process and mechanical documents (PFDs, P&IDs, PPFDs) to ensure electrical designs align with overall facility requirements.
• Maintain and update ETAP or equivalent power system models throughout the project lifecycle to reflect approved equipment selections, vendor data, design changes, and as-built system configurations.
• Provide technical recommendations to resolve equipment duty, protection coordination, voltage performance, system capacity, arc-flash, reliability, and power quality issues identified during design, construction, commissioning, or operation.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering
• 10 - 15 years of electrical engineering experience supporting midstream energy, petrochemical, or industrial facilities
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license in the State of Texas (preferred)
• Advanced experience with ETAP, SKM, or equivalent electrical analysis software
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD, PLS-CADD, PLS-Pole, or equivalent tools
• Strong familiarity with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel
• Proven experience applying industry codes and standards including:

• NFPA 70 (NEC), NESC
• IEEE, NEMA, IES, UL
• API RP 500, AGA XL101
• Title 49 CFR Parts 190–199

• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication skills

What You'll Get

As a Quanta Services employee, we offer a wide range of benefits to fit your needs.

• 401(k) with immediate matching and vesting
• Fully comprehensive benefits packages; Medical, Dental, Vision
  • Your choice of PPO, HSA, FSA
• Short term and long term benefits
• Employee discounts on consumer goods

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity), age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and/or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. We prohibit all types of discrimination and are committed to providing access and equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities. For additional information or if reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application, interview, or hiring processes or to perform the essential functions of a position, please contact us the Company’s Human Resources department.