Portland General Electric

Principal/Senior Electrical Design Project Engineer - Power Generation

Portland, OR

full_time

$96,300-$160,500

About This Job

At PGE, our work involves dreaming about, planning for, and realizing a smarter, cleaner, more enduring Oregon neighborhood. Its core to our DNA and we haven’t stopped since we started in 1888. We energize lives, strengthen communities and drive advancements in energy that promote social, economic and environmental progress. We’re always on the lookout for people passionate about leading and being a part of teams that are advancing innovative clean energy solutions that are also affordable and accessible to all.

Summary

Join us in leading the transformation of renewable energy at scale. As a Senior or Principal Electrical Design Project Engineer on our Power Supply Engineering Services team, you won’t just support renewable energy—you’ll shape its future. You'll provide technical leadership and strategic direction in the design and integration of complex electrical systems across hydro, wind, solar, and energy storage projects that power Oregon’s clean energy transition.

Your Role: As a senior leader in the engineering team, you’ll be responsible for high-impact, high-visibility projects that influence how we deliver reliable, sustainable energy. Here’s what you’ll take on:

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Strategic Design Leadership: Lead the development, procurement, and integration of sophisticated electrical systems for renewable assets. Your work ensures the safety, reliability, and long-term viability of utility-scale power infrastructure.

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Innovation & Influence: Tackle emerging technical challenges in renewable energy by designing creative, forward-thinking solutions. Your insights will guide not only project outcomes but also future design standards and practices.

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Reliability & Risk Management: Apply deep technical expertise to assess system risk, ensure regulatory compliance (e.g., NERC/WECC, NEC/NESC), and drive continuous improvement in how our facilities perform under real-world demands.

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We're hiring for a position open to both Senior and Principal candidates. The level will be determined based on the successful applicant's qualifications, experience, and demonstrated skills during the interview process.

Career Level Summary Senior Electrical Design Project Engineer

Serves as a lead engineer on complex plant design projects. Independently manages engineering solutions and project execution. Provides technical support and shares knowledge across teams. Coordinates efforts with internal partners to support safe and efficient plant operations.

Principal Electrical Design Project Engineer

Serves as a company-wide expert in plant electrical design. Provides leadership and technical direction for large-scale and cross-functional engineering initiatives. Guides development of design standards and plays a key role in advancing knowledge sharing, mentoring, and regulatory alignment.

Key Responsibilities Senior: Engineering Standards:

Maintains currency in state-of-the- art engineering practices and provides guidance and direction on engineering processes and standards to colleagues when requested.

Supports Compliance with extended professional knowledge of NERC/WECC Reliability Standards and NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection; applies working knowledge of NEC and NESC for plant design, construction and support; applies working knowledge of power generation facilities for design and support; applies IEEE standards for specification development, plant design and support; provides technical guidance on plant designs, construction and support to other engineers and plant staffs.

Engineering Production:

Prepares a variety of complex engineering deliverables for larger or multiple projects; coordinates multiple-discipline activity. Develops and provides quality assurance reviews of engineering solutions that meet technical requirements, all applicable codes and regulatory requirements and follow sound engineering practice.

Analyzes and completes complex electrical designs and studies, providing data and recommendations on technical matters to management; manages complex electrical projects.

Project Coordination:

Actively coordinates with other internal/external team members on moderately complex projects, including representing the team to interdepartmental and external (regulatory) stakeholders.

Plans, develops and coordinates projects with complex design, construction, operation, maintenance or testing elements in support of engineering and construction needs of hydro, wind and thermal plants; provides accurate capital budget and job estimates.

Knowledge Sharing:

Serves as a technical specialist and provides consultation/guidance to project teams in a practice area; actively fosters knowledge management and provides mentoring; implements resource- management strategy

Principal: Engineering Standards:

Maintains currency in state-of-the- art engineering practices and discerns the need for and provides guidance and direction to colleagues on engineering processes and standards.

Provides guidance for compliance issues of NERC/WECC Reliability Standards and NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection and for NEC and NESC codes; applies working knowledge of power generation facilities for guidance of design and support; provides guidance and use of IEEE standards for specification development, plant design and support; provides expert technical guidance on plant designs, construction and support to other engineers and plant staffs.

Engineering Production:

Prepares a variety of complex engineering deliverables for larger or multiple projects, including establishing work plans to be applied. Develops and provides quality assurance reviews of complex engineering solutions that meet technical requirements, all applicable codes and regulatory requirements and follow sound engineering practice.

Leads complex electrical designs and studies, providing recommendations on high-profile technical matters to management; reviews the designs and studies of others and manages and directs work of complex electrical projects.

Project Coordination:

Actively coordinates with other internal/external team members on complex projects, representing the team to internal and external stakeholders (i.e., regulatory, technical society, etc.).

Leads projects with complex design, construction, operation, maintenance or testing elements in support of engineering and construction needs of hydro, wind and thermal plants.

Knowledge Sharing:

Actively advances knowledge management of the enterprise and provides mentoring; participates in professional societies and technical committees and may assist with code/standard authoring; is externally recognized in the industry as a technical expert; reviews engineering work, resolves resource conflicts and identifies training needs.

Qualifications

Education/Experience/Certifications

Education:

Requires a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. ABET accredited engineering program or program accredited by an equivalent agency preferred.

Experience: Senior -

Typically five or more years in related field or four or more years in related field with PE license.

Principal -

Typically eight or more years in related field.

Valid driver’s license required.

Professional Engineering (PE) license strongly preferred

Competencies

Functional Competencies: (Senior/Principal)

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(Advanced/Expert) knowledge of engineering and economic principles and concepts

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(Advanced/Advanced) knowledge of other engineering disciplines and ability to interpret engineering deliverables

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(Advanced/Expert) understanding and application of engineering processes and procedures

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(Intermediate/Advanced) knowledge of other related departments and functions

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(Advanced/Advanced) knowledge of industry trends and emerging technologies

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(Advanced/Advanced) knowledge of company QA/QC processes and procedures

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(Intermediate/Intermediate) knowledge of construction feasibility

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(Intermediate/Intermediate) knowledge of procurement and contract administration

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(Advanced/Advanced) knowledge of project controls and estimating procedures

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(Intermediate/Intermediate) ability to document a logical sequence of events for construction

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(Advanced/Advanced) knowledge in thermal, wind, and/or hydro generation areas; knowledge of substations preferred

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(Advanced/Advanced) ability to review, evaluate, and analyze technical information, policies, and reports

General Competencies:

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(Advanced/Advanced) accuracy skills

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(Intermediate/Advanced) knowledge of the utility industry

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(Advanced/Advanced) organization and prioritization skills

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(Advanced/Advanced) decision-making skills

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(Intermediate/Intermediate) written and oral communication skills

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(Advanced/Advanced) individual and group presentation skills

Physical, Schedule/Attendance and Cognitive Demands
Cognitive Level:

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Ability to adhere to set response times, deadlines and time-sensitive tasks

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Ability to follow accuracy standards

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Ability to follow through on decision-making tasks

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Ability to interact effectively and collaboratively within a team environment

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Ability to communicate and problem solve when under stress

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Ability to respond and adapt to frequent change

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Ability to accept and demonstrate self-awareness when provided constructive feedback

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Ability to discern feedback and acknowledge ownership of areas of improvement

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Ability to avoid future mistakes by applying reasonable skills to new but similar work situations or tasks

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Ability to successfully collaborate with peers, managers and others within the organization

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Demonstrates sound memory

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Ability to process new information to be applied consistently to work tasks

Schedule/Attendance:

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Ability to adhere to pre-established schedule, including start/stop time and break/lunch schedule

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Ability to work long hours

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Ability to work a variable schedule

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Ability to report to work and perform work during periods of severe inclement weather

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Ability to consistently meet attendance standards for regular, reliable, predictable, full-time attendance

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Ability to work shift schedule

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Ability to work on-call schedule

Physical Capabilities:

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Valid Driver’s License Required: Yes

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Driving/Travel/Commute

+ Daily within service territory: Occasionally (one to two times a month or less) + Overnight inside/outside the service territory: Occasionally (one to two times a month or less)

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Computer Use

+ Regular use of a computer for the entire work shift

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Lifting/Pushing/Pulling

+ Up to 10 lb

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Carrying

+ Up to 10 lb

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Unstable Surfaces Requiring Balance

+ Walking distances and surfaces over rough, uneven, or rocky terrain

Environment: Office, Field, and Plant

Compensation Range:

$96,300.00 - $160,500.00

Actual total compensation, including a performance based incentive bonus, is commensurate with experience, skills, qualifications, education, training, and internal equity. While we anticipate the selected candidate for this position will fall towards the middle or entry point of the compensation range, the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis.

PGE believes in rewarding dedicated performance. We provide a total rewards package that is designed to reward your contributions to the company, and, at the same time, support your well-being and professional development, both now and into the future. To find out more, click here.

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