Generation Technical Specialist - Aeroderivative Turbines

Summary

As a Generation Technical Specialist - Aeroderivative Turbines, you will serve as a subject matter expert, providing on-site technical support for APS and contractor teams working on aeroderivative turbines. You will ensure maintenance and repair activities align with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications, industry best practices, and safety standards. Collaborating with engineering teams, you will provide strategic recommendations based on equipment inspections and performance trends. Additionally, you will assist power plants in troubleshooting emergent issues and act as a liaison between plant personnel and turbine OEMs to drive operational reliability and efficiency.

Key Skills & Responsibilities

On-Site Technical Expertise: Provide direct support to APS and contractor teams working on aeroderivative turbines, ensuring efficient and compliant execution of maintenance and repair work.
Compliance & Safety: Ensure all turbine maintenance and repair activities adhere to OEM specifications, industry regulations, and safety best practices.
Engineering Collaboration: Work closely with engineering teams to evaluate inspection results and performance trends, providing recommendations for proactive maintenance or repairs.
Troubleshooting & Issue Resolution: Assist power plants in diagnosing and resolving emergent turbine-related issues, minimizing downtime and optimizing performance.
OEM Liaison: Act as a key point of contact between plant personnel and turbine manufacturers, ensuring clear communication and alignment on technical solutions.
Process Improvement: Identify and implement best practices for turbine maintenance, enhancing efficiency, reliability, and long-term asset performance.

We are looking for technical specialists who:

• Have extensive experience working with aeroderivative turbines, including maintenance, troubleshooting, and performance optimization.
• Possess a deep understanding of OEM specifications, industry standards, and best practices for turbine operations.
• Are skilled at analyzing inspection data and performance trends to provide strategic recommendations.
• Have strong problem-solving abilities and can quickly diagnose and resolve emergent turbine issues.
• Excel at collaborating with engineering teams, plant personnel, and external OEM representatives.
• Prioritize safety, compliance, and continuous improvement in all aspects of turbine maintenance and operations.

Minimum Requirements

• 15 years experience as a Technical Field Advisor in the industry. (Technical Field Advisor provides technical support and guidance for the installation, maintenance and upgrade of power generation equipment.)
• A two-year Associates degree in engineering, applied sciences or other technical field from an accredited college can substitute for two years experience.
• A four-year bachelors degree in engineering, applied sciences or other technical field from an accredited college or university can substitute for four years experience.
• Experience and qualifications working with aeroderivative turbines including General Electric LMS100, LM6000, LM5000 or LM2500 turbines.

Preferred Special Skills, Knowledge or Qualifications:

• General Electric (GE) Mark VIe turbine control system experience and training.
• Experience with turbine instrumentation, control valves, sensors, vibration monitoring and auxiliary system controls.
• Experience with programmable logic controllers (PLCs), distributed control systems (DCS), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), industrial networks and communication protocols.
• Knowledge of applicable cybersecurity requirements and industrial control system cybersecurity practices.
• Strong problem analysis, troubleshooting and root cause resolution techniques.
• Knowledge of applicable codes, standards, practices, methods and safety standards for turbine control systems and associated components.
• Good communication and technical documentation skills.
• Experience in the utility industry.
• Understanding of project management.
• In-depth understanding of construction, operating and sound engineering practices, safety rules, company policies and union agreements.

Major Accountabilities

1) Provides technical guidance and recommendations based on OEM procedures, control philosophies, software documentation, system drawings, configuration files and engineering standards.

2) Identifies and helps resolve technical issues involving turbine control systems, instrumentation, communication networks, protection interfaces and auxiliary control equipment during operation or maintenance evolutions. Diagnoses the root cause, analyzes system performance and determines appropriate corrective actions to improve reliability and equipment availability. Ensures compliance with Environmental, Health and Safety procedures, cybersecurity requirements and applicable regulations.

3) Leads and coordinates control system maintenance, upgrades, software migrations, testing and commissioning activities. Provides technical reports on control system modifications, commissioning, troubleshooting and other maintenance events.

4) Provides technical oversight of OEM representatives, vendors and contractors performing work on turbine control systems and associated equipment.

5) Assists in planning and executing turbine outages and control system projects including but not limited to: writing scope of work (SOW) documents, control system upgrade planning, outage schedule review, budget planning, job plans, commissioning plans, technical evaluations and contract reviews.

6) Provides training and technical mentoring as needed to plant personnel on turbine controls, instrumentation, system operation, troubleshooting techniques and maintenance best practices.

7) Stays updated on current technology as well as industry and competitive developments regarding turbine controls, automation systems and control system lifecycle management.

Hybrid: Employees in hybrid roles work both in their home offices (virtually) and alongside their colleagues (in person).

In order for employees to build strong relationships and to promote meaningful in-person interactions, hybrid employees are expected to work about 40% of their time in-person at an APS or other (non-home office) location.

• Employees are expected to reside in Arizona (or New Mexico for Four Corners-based employees).
• Working from a home office requires adequate technology and an appropriate ergonomic set up.
• Role types are subject to change based on business need.