Solar Performance Engineering Manager - Power Engineering

Position Overview

The Solar Performance Manager will be responsible for managing internal engineering teams to develop energy models that support solar performance studies, analyses, and plant efforts. This role will require strong testing capabilities to monitor performance and identify areas for improvement.

District Overview

Kiewit Power Engineers delivers expertise across various power generation markets, including fossil fuels, renewables, energy storage, carbon management, geothermal, and hydrogen. Our staff partners with construction teams to deliver safe, cost-effective, and innovative solutions that meet client expectations and further Kiewit's legacy of excellence. 

Location

This position is based out of Lenexa, KS with flexibility for hybrid work.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of Engineers focused on Solar Performance from the initial RFP all the way through performance testing.  Oversight and mentoring of junior solar performance engineers for both modeling and testing is required.
• Review Solar Performance requirements during the RFP stage and provide recommendations for the proposal
• Provide/review manhour estimates during the RFP stage
• Review manhour estimates during the execution stage
• Develop/review performance test procedures and schedules
• Develop PVsyst models to support EPC proposal efforts, plant performance guarantee development, and detailed plant design efforts.
• Develop PVsyst models to support owner’s engineer optimization studies.
• Develop PVsyst models for performance test data validation and analysis of performance test results.
• Working knowledge of plant SCADA systems and data historians (e.g., data acquisition architecture, meteorological and revenue meter data validation, communication protocols such as OPC-UA/DNP3/Modbus) to support performance monitoring, test data collection, and troubleshooting of data quality issues. 
• Mentor junior SCADA engineers on data acquisition architecture, validation methodology, and troubleshooting practices, building their capability to independently review SCADA specifications, support performance testing, and monitoring efforts.
• Knowledge of OEM equipment for current and emerging technologies.  As technology develops, solar performance engineers should be able to keep Kiewit current of market trends in guarantees.
• Requires excellent verbal and written communication; will present frequently to senior executives.
• Participate in strategies around developing battery energy storage guarantees and performance evaluation of BESS systems with a focus on degradation.
• Supporting execution of performance tests in the field.

Qualifications

• Master’s* degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or related.
• Ten years' experience as an Engineer or Test Engineer.
• Post bachelor's experience is required (5 years with master's or 10 years with bachelors) and must include:
  
  • Solar Plant performance model preparation using PVsyst for determining layouts and performance guarantees.
  • Performance test procedure generation and validation of test results.
  • Exposure to SCADA/data acquisition systems for utility-scale solar or BESS facilities (preferred).
• Domestic travel required up to 10% of the time. 1 week per month onsite in Lenexa, KS with travel to sites as needed.
• *Employer will accept a bachelor’s degree and 10 years’ experience in lieu of a master’s degree and 5 years’ experience.

#LI-SM1