"Senior Electrical Engineer"

Job Summary

Energy & Facilities (E&F) operates and manages Harvard’s energy supplies, district energy plants, and utility infrastructures on the Cambridge/Allston campuses, as well as a 24/7 facilities-related call, alarm monitoring, and dispatch center. E&F also provides a broad portfolio of labor-based services, including building maintenance, landscaping, and custodial, to a large portion of the University, as well as engineering, technical, and sustainability services. Within E&F, Engineering & Utilities (E&U) operates and manages energy supplies, district energy plants, and utility infrastructures on the Cambridge/Allston campuses, a 24/7 facilities-related call, alarm monitoring, and dispatch center, and provides engineering and technical services.

This position provides electrical engineering at a senior level for the planning, design, technical support on operation, maintenance, and upgrades of the University’s utility infrastructure which includes electric, steam, hot water and chilled water as well as energy/building management and utility metering systems. This position shall also perform special short and long-range projects as directed.

Job-Specific Responsibilities

• Partners with E&F Leadership to develop, refine, and maintain the campus utility systems. Coordinate with the plans and needs of the University’s Schools and Units. Oversee the installation and relocation of underground utility infrastructure with minimum impact to the University’s community and its activities. Assume complete engineering responsibility for utility distribution systems to ensure system capability, flexibility, reliability, safety, economic operation, and consideration for expansion. Formulate and balance long and short-range plans and budgets with respect to utility distribution upgrades. Develop distribution system statistics, records, and drawings, and assist in the documentation of utility infrastructure for record purposes.
• Maintain communications and relationships with governmental agencies/departments to ensure that the University’s interests are served in a safe, reliable, economical, and least disruptive manner. Stay current with pertinent government standards relative to employee environmental, health, and safety. Maintain knowledge of federal, state, municipal, industry, and University codes, regulations, practices, trends, and/or guidelines as well as stay current with the latest information on electrical design and equipment.
• Engages and collaborates with E&F staff and partner groups to understand systems, data, and reporting that can be leveraged for use in E&F’s KPI monitoring and operational analysis/reporting.
• As stewards of university energy and utility systems, provide technical assistance to Campus Services operating and maintenance personnel and technical support for the operation and maintenance of central energy/utility production/distribution systems and building systems as necessary. Evaluate and provide recommendations for preventive maintenance, inspection, and testing programs for the University’s electrical distribution systems, the central chilled water and steam plants, and other electrical systems and equipment. Identify and develop cost control opportunities and system cost planning.
• Act as the University's central engineering representative by providing unbiased information to University Schools and Units based upon recognized engineering principles and sound professional judgment. Demonstrates, promotes, and is guided by the mission, vision, and values of the organization; advancing the University’s mission of teaching and research by partnering to provide stewardship, strategies, and services that create exceptional community experiences.
• Interface with local utility suppliers. Assist in the University’s utility metering, accounting, and billing activities. Perform utility rate analyses and evaluate impacts upon the University. Evaluate and recommend appropriate action to provide alternative utility sources to or within the University whenever economically feasible or otherwise justified. Evaluate energy management system operations for improvement and enhancement possibilities for control and monitoring of the campus utility distribution system and building distribution systems.
• Demonstrated ability to work both collaboratively and independently. Must be flexible, self-motivated, possess excellent organizational and presentation skills; be able to multitask in a fast-paced environment with ability to adapt; and be able to think and work well independently with minimal supervision and as a member of a team.

Working Conditions

Work Format: This is an on-campus position (not hybrid or remote) based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Work location is responsive and subject to change based on business needs. Emergency Status Designation: Critical Operations Personnel (required to provide on-site support during emergency situations as determined by management). Physical Requirements: Must always be physically fit and mentally alert. Must be able to frequently walk up and down stairs, ladders, etc. on an on-going basis, in an industrial plant and/or construction site setting. Must be able to utilize ladders, scaffolds, high-lifts, and enter/work in confined spaces. Required to wear personal protective equipment where necessary.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering or BS in Electrical Engineering Technology with 10+ years’ experience in utility distribution
• Registration as a Professional Engineer in Massachusetts or 10+ years’ experience in utility distribution
• Minimum of ten years of professional level experience
• Experience in master planning, design, installation, and operation of central utility systems
• Experience managing capital construction projects

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Institutional, industrial, or utility company experience
• Experience working with underground electric distribution and medium-voltage substations
• Familiarity with small-scale power generation, combined heat and power (CHP), distributed generation, microgrids, renewable energy, battery energy storage, and grid interconnection.
• Knowledge of electrical systems in complex buildings and labs
• Knowledge of automated meter reading (AMR) systems for buildings
• Knowledge of management information systems and asset/work management systems (Maximo).
• Experience with power system analysis software (modeling, simulation, and results interpretation)
• Familiarity with electrical safety regulations including OSHA Subpart S, and NFPA 70E
• Experience in developing, evaluating, and managing energy conservation projects
• Experience working in a customer-oriented business unit
• Self-motivated, enthusiastic, with a can-do attitude, be able to think and work well independently and as a team member.
• Ability to respond to off-hour storm contingencies and utility emergencies
• Ability to work extended hours when necessary
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

Technology Skills Required

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications (e.g., word-processing, spreadsheets, databases), internet applications, electronic mail/calendaring, etc.
• Ability to access and modify data in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems including AutoCAD
• Familiarity with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems

Special Requirements

• Must possess a valid driver’s license and must provide his/her personal vehicle to travel on and off campus.

Certificates and Licenses

• Registration as a Professional Engineer in Massachusetts preferred
• Must possess a valid driver’s license