Consulting Engineer

Job Description

The Wildfire Risk Management team is looking for a Consulting Engineer to lead the technical development and maturity of our Wildfire Risk Management Program. This role includes applying professional engineering concepts and technical analysis to the planning, construction, operation, and maintenance of PSE’s facilities and assets, to understand and reduce the wildfire risks to and from PSE’s electrical infrastructure.  

The “Consulting Engineer” is the highest level in the “Engineering” family at PSE, and is distinguished from the “Senior Eng.” role by the required degree of practical experience, experience with thought-leadership, capacity to influence peer-leaders, and the ability to conceive of and articulate unconventional and/or advanced problem-solving techniques. 

The successful applicant will be a subject matter expert (SME) on wildfire risk modeling with the experience and capacity to continue to mature PSE’s current models,  identify, develop and implement new risk models, and develop and implement a risk-spend efficiency methodology to apply to PSE’s risk-mitigation efforts. Further, the Consulting Engineer will oversee the development of a portfolio of wildfire risk management projects, as well as facilitating, coordinating and supporting their execution by matrixed teams of SME’s throughout the company.  

Additionally, this position will support the continued development of PSE’s engineering workforce by sharing knowledge with others and supporting emergency response operations when needed. This position will uphold the safety compliance standards inherent in PSE’s operating and/or field procedures related to work responsibilities and promote and support a culture of total safety.  

This job is considered “safety sensitive” as defined in RCW 49.44.240 and is subject to pre-employment drug screening that includes screening for the presence of marijuana and marijuana metabolites.

Job Responsibilities

• Serves as SME on wildfire risk modeling relative to utility operations and fire behavior. 
• Ensures that wildfire mitigation measures are tailored to PSE’s system and PSE’s business environment. 
• Develops short and long term plans for grid hardening including measures for fault reduction and fault protection, based on risk-spend efficiency 
• Provides technical leadership to grant application and execution teams related to wildfire risk reduction strategies 
• Provides technical subject matter expertise to the Wildfire Risk Management team as well as to teams across the organization that are responsible for wildfire risk mitigation.   
• Prepares complex engineering plans, designs, specifications, standards, evaluations and studies utilizing specialized analytical skills.  
• Responsible for solving unique problems using advanced analytical techniques.  
• Communicates solutions to personnel possessing a wide variety of educational and employment backgrounds, including in public forums in both verbal and written forms.  
• Ensures compliance with codes, standards, and design, operation, and maintenance requirements.  
• Identifies potential areas of weakness with technical processes/work across wildfire-related working groups and skillfully engages peers to pursue corrective action.  
• Documents and shares work with others to strengthen the depth and breadth of skills within PSE’s engineering workforce.  
• Maintains knowledge of industry developments and best practices and their application at PSE to further business objectives.  
• Leads and/or coordinates and reviews the work of peer engineers, engineering assistants, field technicians, and others who assist in specific assignments (including contractors/consultants).    
• Supports emergency response work as requested including immediate and extended restoration efforts driven by weather and other system failures.  
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree or PE license in electrical, mechanical, civil or other appropriate engineering field.
• Extensive experience in planning, design, specification preparation, maintenance, project cost estimating and scheduling (typically achieved after 10 or more years practice as a degreed engineer).  Years of acquired experience is provided as a guide and alone does not constitute readiness for job level as individual’s skill acquisition rates can vary significantly.
• Advanced technical and scientific expertise.
• Experience leading engineering projects.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively and collaborate with a wide range of internal and external customers.

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced degree in electrical engineering 
• Significant experience working in the electric utility industry, preferably in Wildfire Mitigation related to risk modeling, risk spend efficiency, effectiveness of wildfire risk reduction measures and their effectiveness relative to PSE’s or similar system and operating environment. 
• Experience successfully providing technical leadership and working in a highly matrixed report 
• Experience leading matrixed teams and providing coaching and constructive feedback to team members. 
• Possession of a Professional Engineering License.  
• Knowledge of engineering economics and utility accounting practices.  
• Experience working on complex engineering projects. 

Additional Information