Assistant Conservation Engineer I

The New York Power Authority is America's largest state power organization, with 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. State and federal regulations shape NYPA's diverse customer base, which includes large and small businesses, not-for-profit organizations, community-owned electric systems and rural electric cooperatives and government entities.

Our low-cost power helps support hundreds of thousands of jobs statewide while reducing public-sector costs.

We are also a national leader in promoting energy efficiency, the development of clean energy technologies and electric vehicles. Our energy services projects can be found throughout New York State, saving money and megawatts while helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Consistent with our long-standing commitment to the environment, we are incorporating "sustainability" into our day-to-day activities and adding green building features at NYPA facilities around the state, including our visitors centers and at our main administrative offices in White Plains.

Position Overview: 

The Assistant Conservation Engineer supports the Energy Efficiency Division in achieving the Business Units goals to improve energy efficiency and stimulate new energy technologies in New York State through physical projects. The Assistant Engineer applies knowledge of engineering principles and practices, and develops understanding of the Authority's policies, operations, and objectives, and the ability to solve engineering problems. They are required to work with customers and more senior engineers to develop end use projects incorporating energy efficiency measures to reduce the customers energy consumption.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Represent NYPA at town, school board, city, state, and other official meetings to promote participation in the Energy Services Programs.
• May be required to prepare meeting minutes and distribute within a week of meetings.
• Prepare engineering calculations, estimates, cost analyses and reports.
• Manage and implement multiple lighting, HVAC, controls and building envelope energy conservation projects and new project development concurrently.
• Prepare specifications and design drawings as required.
• Perform analysis of the economics of each project, present the findings to the customer and obtain approvals to move the project into construction.
• Develop customer installation commitment documents including cost recovery agreements requiring the development of economic analyses and engineering specifications.
• Coordinate projects across multiple engineering disciplines. Track and prepare status reports for all assigned projects.
• Evaluate project scope, review feasibility reports, make presentations and recommendations to senior engineers & management, develop design documents and specifications, evaluate bid results and make recommendations for contract award.
• Develop and verify engineering, labor and material bid specifications provided by staff and implementation contractors.
• Consult with more senior engineers to ensure that all design, code, licensing and operating and maintenance requirements are met.
• Review project activities for technical content, accuracy, cost control and schedule.
• Review the work of contractors and consultants in a particular area of program focus and activity while developing and evaluating plans and criteria for a variety of projects and activities.
• Support more senior engineers in negotiating change orders to construction and services contracts.
• Ensure that all financial resources expended by NYPA are fully recovered from each program participant. Evaluate all change order claims and payment invoices. Work as a team member with other engineers inside and outside of NYPA to develop the most cost-effective project designs.
• Provide project construction quality assurance for adherence to project specifications and compliance to state and local codes. Coordinate activities between contractors / consultants / equipment vendors / customers.
• Comply and enforce the compliance of hazardous material handling, safety and environmental procedures. May be required to prepare field visit reports to document progress and site condition.
• Keep abreast of the latest technological developments, products and revisions to the NYPA project input parameters (Electric Production and Delivery rates, IDC, financing term, discount rate, GRT, Contracts, Environmental and Bond Counsel). 

Qualifications: 

• Basic knowledge of accounting procedures and principles, engineering discipline, and building mechanical and electrical systems as well as chillers, boilers, HVAC and building envelope required.
• Limited knowledge of local/state code requirements required.
• Solid quantitative skills with the ability to review data and report results (e.g., energy savings calculations, review of energy audit reports, facility inspections during project construction).
• Knowledge of engineering theory, physics, calculus, basic statistics, and computer skills along with ability to develop an understanding of energy and energy management technologies.
• Ability to understand NYPAs policies, operations, procedures and business objectives as well as those of the customers.
• Ability to further develop an understanding of the electric utility and energy services industries.
• Ability to work with engineering consultants and labor contractors.
• Must have good written and basic verbal communication skills.
• Ability to organize information and effectively present ideas to the intended audience.
• Ability to receive verbal direction and follow-up for/with the supervisor and work effectively with contractors and consultants.
• Good writing skills and the ability to prepare routine reports and equipment reviews suitable for final submission required. Ability to organize and prioritize work required. Must be able to handle projects from start to finish with direction and support from more senior engineers and/or supervisor. Conclusions will be simple, based on data analyses.
• Develops the skills necessary to analyze existing conditions in a facility, issues related to contracts, equipment design and operation, and environmental concerns as they relate to customer requirements and, with the guidance of more senior engineers, develop cost effective, engineering solutions to routine problems. Understanding of basic project management skills and ability to develop project management skills.
• Team oriented approach to plan, execute and complete multiple projects on time, within budget allowance. Planning is limited to day-to-day, assignment-by-assignment while learning to develop project plans, timelines and work schedules with assistance from more senior engineers as well as coordinate among customers, contractors, permitting agencies, etc. Demonstrated personal motivation, foresight and good judgment. 

Experience Required 

• Bachelors degree in mechanical, electrical engineering or related engineering discipline required.
• Exposure to energy efficiency industry preferred.
• Ability to travel to customer sites and approximately 40% travel primarily within NY State.