Telecommunications Engineer IV

Duquesne Light Company, headquartered in downtown Pittsburgh, is a leader in providing electric energy and has been in the forefront of the electric energy market, with a history rooted in technological innovation and superior customer service. Today, the company continues its role as a leader in the transmission and distribution of electric energy, providing a secure supply of reliable power to more than half a million customers in southwestern Pennsylvania. 

Duquesne Light Company is committed to creating a culture of inclusion. We value and respect the unique differences and experiences of our employees. We believe that our differences lead to better collaboration, innovation and outcomes. We want you to join our team

Location: Hybrid -2 days a week in the office

The Operations Technical Services Telecommunications Engineer will develop and evaluate engineering requirements for various types of telecommunications and related protection and controls equipment, developing and maintaining accurate and precise engineering maintenance plans, while managing the various types of equipment, with semi-direct supervision.

The Operations Technical Services Telecommunications Engineer will review the current assets and system architecture, determine the opportunities for improvement based on standards and industry best practices of telecommunications assets, and develop the business cases to support the upgrades and replacements. The individual will be required to develop a 5 year and 10 year forecast for the upgrades and replacement of assets. The individual will provide detailed scopes utilized for the successful design and construction of telecommunications assets, taking into account the constructability of the project, and will follow up with techs providing field support. The individual will developed proper processes and procedures, utilizing industry best practice testing methodologies related to all telecommunication devices. Some decisions may require the individual to think outside the box. Creativity regarding solutions, logically concluded and approved are welcomed.

Job Responsibilities:

Evaluate current telecommunication assets such as SONET devices, existing copper and fiber circuits and locations, network devices, SCADA systems, and land mobile radio developing a 5 year forecast for maintenance and programmatic upgrades of various pieces of equipment. Develop a business plan and business cases to secure funding for inspection, maintenance, and capital replacement programs, managing the budget of each program year to year. Develop transition plan templates to transition telecommunications and network equipment, while keeping essential protection and supervision schemes in service without jeopardizing substation or SCADA system functionality. Coordinate the construction and removal of telecommunications and network equipment for multiphase projects with bargaining unit employees. Develop a power and communication cable pull plan templates and processes for installations utilizing new cables. Coordinate cable pull plan with bargaining unit employees. Develop telecommunication and network standards and specifications to be utilize in substations as well as throughout the organization at various locations. Documentation of current devices and configurations in substations and throughout the company and updating work management system accordingly. Develop and review Asset Management scopes of work, interpret and evaluate the recommendations, contributing to scopes with Telecommunications requirements when required. Review Protection relay and equipment protection recommendations, interpret and evaluate the recommendations, contributing to recommendations with Telecommunications requirements when required. Review Engineering designs of various protective relay device replacements, upgrades, modifications, new installations, etc. of drawing lists, bill of materials, AC and DC schematics, panel front views, panel and equipment wiring diagrams, annunciator diagrams, SCADA communication diagrams and point lists, circuit maps, and various other diagrams developed by Engineering, for completeness, ensuring Telecommunications prints are updated to reflect these changes. Mark-up corrections as needed and tracking implementation of changes with bargaining unit employees in the field. Review IT and Telecommunication design developed by telecommunication techs including various network and telecommunication devices channels, as well as the interfaces with protective relay devices for replacements, upgrades, modifications, new installations, etc. including drawing lists, bill of materials, AC and DC schematics, panel front views, panel and equipment wiring diagrams, annunciator diagrams, SCADA communication diagrams and point lists, circuit maps, plan views, layout views, elevation views, and various other diagram and drawings, for completeness, correctness, and cohesion. Mark-up corrections as needed and tracking implementation of changes with bargaining unit employees in the field. Collaborate with bargaining unit employees to supervise testing, and review telecommunication equipment test results, as well as troubleshooting and retesting for failed test results. Coordinate the testing of various IT and telecommunication devices for multiphase projects with bargaining unit employees. Document, review, interpret, comprehend, organize, and retain results from testing telecommunication and network equipment. Performing technical calculations and studies when required. Prepare test reports with conclusions and recommendations as required. Test and track, identify, and resolve Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) sources within the DLC territory, to minimize the impact of our RFI contribution and to troubleshoot RFI challenges outside of the DLC organization Test, analyze, and resolve issues various locations in the DLC territory for single strength of UHF/VHF/CDMA/4G/WiFi/etc. regarding the communications of various substations and pole top devices Optimize the use of network resources and optimize bandwidth utilization by performing periodic communication channel loading analysis, eliminating the overloading of route nodes. Identifying and documenting sources of data to be communicated, identification of sinks of data, identify message lengths and frequency of transmission, identification of data delay requirements, and calculate link load or bit rate (bps). Studies may prompt alternative solutions to current configurations (e.g. channel and communication medium segregation, alternative communication technologies, etc.) Perform signal propagation analysis of various transmitter/receiver locations. Studies may prompt alternative solutions to current configurations (e.g. transmitter/receiver type, configuration, location, etc.) Investigates new equipment, devices, testing apparatus, and methodologies to further enhance knowledge and resources within the Operations Technical Services group. Perform network analysis of existing SONET network, ensuring protection and control functions have optimized functionality, minimizing latency, and maximum reliability. Provides engineering guidance, technical guidance, and support to other engineers and field operations personnel to help fulfill group goals and objectives. Consults with more experienced peers and vendors to become thoroughly familiar with an assignment and to obtain necessary scoping information. Provides mentorship, coaching, training, and technical support for less experienced peers and field operations personnel during normal and emergency conditions. Develop and host educational sessions for less experienced engineers. Attend networking and professional development seminars such as ReliabilityFirst, IEEE, Engineering Association of Pennsylvania (EAP), Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Doble, etc. Reviews and keeps informed of codes, regulations standards, and safety practices affecting company resources. Develop updates to engineering standards, specifications, and procedures based on field observations of engineers and field techs. Other duties as assigned.

Education/Experience Required:

Electrical Engineering degree (BSEE) from an ABET-Accredited Institution Five (5) years of progressive and relevant utility experience or similar Must possess valid driver’s license for reporting to various company locations Must have excellent verbal, written and organizational capabilities Must have excellent technical writing capabilities Must have excellent troubleshooting capabilities

Education/Experience Preferred:

Combination of field and office experience is preferable Infrared Certifications preferable but not required EIT/FE is preferable but not required

Physical Requirements:

Regular reporting location includes both a regular office/work-from-home environment with desk and computer duties, and utility substation and underground environment with various fieldwork duties related to technical services including inspection, testing, and commissioning Irregular evening and weekend work may be required Must be capable and confident driving in inclement weather Must participate in a rotating on call support for emergency service restorations during storm events May be required to travel to various company substations, facilities, underground locations, and right-of-way locations to inspect company assists during storm events Must be able to work in various substation facility conditions (including uneven ground, energized equipment, construction vehicles, underground vaults, etc.) typical of utility facilities.

Storm Roles

All Non-Union Employees will serve in storm roles as appropriate to their role and skillset. Please be sure to discuss storm roles with the hiring manager for this position, as duties can vary across the Company. Examples of storm roles could include but aren't limited to duties such as: working with operations for service center support or with the communications, customer service or government affairs teams to respond to public and customer requests for information, etc. 

---