Operations Electrical Engineer — 3 Years Experience

Position Summary

The Operations Electrical Engineer provides electrical engineering support for field electrical infrastructure. This role supports the operation, troubleshooting, maintenance, project execution, and continuous improvement of electrical systems and equipment across field and plant operations. This position is within the ORCM Production Operations Business Unit based in Midland, Texas.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide electrical engineering support for power-distribution equipment, including start-up and troubleshooting activities for high-, medium-, and low-voltage systems. Equipment may include substations, transformers, switchgear, motor control centers, protective relays, variable frequency drives, soft starters, and motors.
• Assist with the design and execution of minor and major projects, including load-flow, short-circuit, relay-coordination, arc-flash, motor-starting, and harmonic studies using tools such as Windmil, ETAP, or EasyPower.
• Support development, review, and validation of protective-relay settings and programs for SEL and Multilin relays, including feeder, transformer, motor, and recloser applications.
• Assist with relay-testing activities, including current-injection testing using Doble equipment, and support the development of low-voltage circuit-breaker settings and protection-coordination studies.
• Provide technical support for power-electronic equipment, including low- and medium-voltage soft starters, variable frequency drives, and excitation controls for synchronous motors.
• Support electrical system modeling and reliability improvements, including evaluation of capacitor banks, voltage regulators, and power-distribution configurations.
• Participate in factory acceptance testing, commissioning, and start-up activities for low- and medium-voltage electrical equipment.
• Review and interpret electrical test results for cables, motors, transformers, switchgear, circuit breakers, and associated protective equipment.
• Develop field-ready switching procedures and support safe load-transfer and switching activities under established operating procedures and appropriate supervision.
• Participate in root-cause analyses of electrical failures and recommend corrective actions to improve equipment reliability and operational performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Foundational knowledge of electrical power systems, power distribution, protective relaying, motor controls, and electrical safety practices.
• Valid driver’s license.

Experience Requirements

• Minimum of 3 years of electrical engineering experience, preferably supporting industrial, oil and gas, power-generation, or process-facility electrical systems.
• Field experience supporting electrical maintenance, troubleshooting, commissioning, construction, or project execution is preferred.
• Experience with medium- and/or high-voltage power-distribution systems is preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Working knowledge of electrical power-distribution systems, including transformers, switchgear, motor control centers, circuit breakers, motors, and protective relays.
• Familiarity with electrical studies, such as load flow, short circuit, protective-device coordination, motor starting, and arc-flash analysis.
• Exposure to protective relays, including SEL and/or Multilin equipment, is preferred.
• Knowledge of motor-control applications, including variable frequency drives, soft starters, and across-the-line starters.
• Familiarity with electrical commissioning and testing practices for substations, switchgear, transformers, cables, motors, and protective devices.
• Understanding of electrical safety requirements, including NFPA 70E, and awareness of IEEE 1584 arc-flash methodologies.
• Ability to analyze technical issues, troubleshoot electrical equipment, and contribute to root-cause investigations.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with operations, maintenance, project teams, contractors, and vendors.
• Ability to work independently on assigned tasks while escalating complex technical issues as appropriate.
• Willingness to work in field environments and travel to operating locations as needed.

Additional Information

• This role may qualify for relocation assistance.
• Occidental does not sponsor employment-based nonimmigrant visa petitions for this position.
• This position is primarily field-based, requiring more than 60% of working hours to be spent in the field. Assignments may involve travel up to 200 miles from the home location; however, it is anticipated that the employee will return home nearly every day.
• Company car will be provided for field work and daily commute.