Sr. Electrical Engineer

NextDecade Corporation is an energy company accelerating the path to a net-zero future and leading innovation in more sustainable LNG and carbon capture solutions, NextDecade is committed to providing the world access to cleaner energy. Through our wholly owned subsidiaries Rio Grande LNG and NEXT Carbon Solutions, we are developing a 27 MTPA LNG export facility in South Texas along with one of the largest carbon capture and storage projects in North America. We are also working with third-party customers around the world to deploy our proprietary processes to lower the cost of carbon capture and storage and reduce CO2 emissions at their industrial-scale facilities. By combining emissions reduction associated with our carbon capture and storage project, responsibly sourced gas, and our pledge to use net-zero electricity, Rio Grande LNG is expected to produce a lower carbon intensive LNG for the world.

NextDecade’s common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “NEXT.” NextDecade is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

SUMMARY OF THE ROLE

NextDecade is seeking a full-time Sr. Electrical Engineer to support long-term operations for the Rio Grande LNG facility located near Brownsville, Texas. The position will require work from Houston during early job phases before transitioning to Brownville, Texas prior to commissioning and startup.

• The incumbent will report to the Facilities Manager in the Operations Department, under the leadership of the Sr. Director of Engineering.
• Peer level personnel will include the Ready for Operations team, Sr. Rotating Machinery Engineer, Sr. Facilities Integrity Engineer, Sr. Process Control Systems Engineer, Sr. Reliability Engineer, Sr. Process Engineer, Laboratory Supervisor, MOC Coordinator, Brownfield Project Engineers, and Equipment Warranty Engineer.
• The Sr. Electrical Engineer will mentor and help develop less experienced Electrical Engineers.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Monitor, analyze, and provide electrical engineering subject matter expertise to establish and ensure continued safe, stable, reliable, and efficient performance.
• Provide day-to-day technical support and troubleshooting as necessary.
• Track and report equipment & system Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Coordinate and/or support Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) as necessary.
• Support Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) activities.
• Coordinate with Maintenance Department regarding Predictive/Preventive Maintenance (PM) requirements and scheduling.
• Coordinate with the Reliability Engineering team to monitor & inspect switch gear, transformers, motors, lighting and surge protection, cathodic protection systems, etc.
• Support tracking and improving overall facility reliability, identify critical spares, spare parts stocking and storage requirements, and electrical equipment preservation.
• Review project PHA and HAZOP results associated with electrical equipment and champion and/or participate in PHA, HAZOP and MOCs for ongoing operations.
• Coordinate with the Reliability Engineering team regarding conditioning monitoring requirements, evaluations and assist with managing technical aspects of related contracts.
• Maintain electrical related “bad actors” and “opportunistic maintenance” lists. Coordinate corrections and improvements during planned maintenance intervals and as practical during unplanned outages.
• Manage and coordinate electrical equipment and component repairs and replacements as required.
• Manage electrical engineering effort for improvements, debottlenecking, and expansion studies, including reviewing, revising, and/or developing specifications and providing oversight for Scope of Work (SOW) documents, cost estimates, Approval for Expenditures (AFEs), evaluating consultants, HAZOPs, bid development and support for brownfield project construction tender documents.
• Provide support for managing electrical equipment related equipment warranties
• Serve as Technical Authority (TA) for electrical engineering management level decisions.
• Establish and maintain equipment specifications, design and reliability standards and procedures.
• Help prepare, execute, and maintain any related software licensing contracts and service agreements.
• Manage core electrical engineering and technical proficiencies for the team. Identify and oversee associated training and development.
• Deliver on electrical equipment related portions of the Operations Management System (OMS) obligations during the FEED and detailed engineering project phases.
• Provide integral interaction and support for other intercompany teams, such as Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Quality, Process Safety Management (PSM), and Health, Safety, Security and Environmental (HSSE).

REQUIREMENTS

Minimum experience requirements:

• Demonstrated commitment to safety and environmental guidelines and experience leading by example and working within intercompany HSSE standards
• Demonstrated troubleshooting, problem solving, and analytical skills, including power system analysis
• Demonstrated experience with identifying and managing critical success factors and risks
• Proven experience with managing interfaces and working closely with Project and Operations teams during FEED, detailed design, construction, commissioning, startup and post-startup operations
• Substantial experience with implementing and managing Predictive/Preventive Maintenance (PM) and Condition Monitoring programs for electrical equipment
• Knowledge and experience with applicable industry standards, regulatory codes, and API Recommended Practices
• Experience with Hazard Identification studies (HAZIDs), Process Hazards Analyses (PHAs), and Hazard and Operability studies (HAZOPs)
• Experience with Process Safety Management (PSM) and Management of Change (MOC) processes
• Experience in leading and motivating less experienced engineers with proven ability to guide, mentor, and inspire

Required attributes:

• Ability to work collaboratively & foster a collaborative work environment
• Strong oral & written communication & interpersonal skills
• Ability to lead by example & deliver against targets
• Ability to perform under pressure
• Ability to challenge others in a constructive manner and negotiate with internal peers and other stakeholders to influence decisions and work processes
• Excellent organization, planning and time management skills to ensure timely delivery of multiple work streams

Personal and behavioral traits:

• Highly motivated self-start mentality
• Focus on timely & consistently accurate results
• Highly organized
• Willingness to accept & take responsibility
• Determination to consistently meet & exceed expectations
• Desire for career development for self & team members
• Willingness to travel, domestically & internationally

Minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities required:

• 8+ years of senior electrical engineering experience
• 15+ years of electrical engineering experience within the oil & gas industry
• Significant experience with power generation, motor drives, transformers, switch gear, cathodic protection systems, lighting and surge protection, and other electrical systems.
• Knowledge of applicable industry codes, standards & regulations
• Experience with Condition Monitoring & Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)
• Experience with Process Safety Management (PSM) and Management of Change (MOC) requirements

Preferred knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Experience with starter/helper motors for gas turbine drives
• Experience with Mark VI gas fired turbine control systems
• Experience with Allen Bradley Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)
• APCI liquefaction facility electrical system design and operations experience

Required education & certifications:

• B.S. or higher in Electrical Engineering

Preferred education & certifications:

• Professional Engineer, TX (or equivalent)

*In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

NEXTDECADE VALUES

• Safety – We make safety a priority. Everything we do relies on the safety of our people and the communities around us.
• Integrity – We do the right thing, and are open, ethical, and fair. We hold ourselves to the highest standards in all that we do.
• Honesty – We value truth and honesty in ourselves and others. We honor our commitments and take responsibility for our actions.
• Respect – We listen, and respect people, the environment, and the communities in which we live and work.
• Transparency – Transparency builds trust. We promote open communication with our people, our customers, and all our stakeholders.
• Diversity – We value diversity of people and thought. It takes people with different strengths, ideas, and cultural backgrounds to make our company succeed.

Build these skills listed on the job description or by the job poster.