Transpower New Zealand Limited
Position Description
POSITION SPECIFICATION:
Date of Last Review: May 2011Position Title: / Operations Planning Engineer
Current Incumbent:
Position number:
LOCATION:
Division: / System OperationsGroup and Team: / Investigations and Planning
Operations Planning / Location: / Wellington
Manager’s Title: / Operations Planning Team Leader
CONTEXT:
Transpower sits at the centre of the New Zealand electricity industry and is responsible for maintaining security of supply. It is the owner of the National Grid which transmits electricity around the country. It is also the system operator, responsible for co-coordinating and managing the transmission of electricity across the National Grid. The National Grid is New Zealand’s energy backbone and underpins and sustains the country’s economic and social activity.
Transpower is a State-Owned Enterprise. The Minister for State-Owned Enterprises and the Minister of Finance are its shareholders, on behalf of all New Zealanders In addition, Transpower is responsible for working with the industry regulator, the Commerce Commission, to ensure there is appropriate investment in the National Grid to meet New Zealand’s needs.
System Operations is a division within Transpower with the prime accountability to manage the New Zealand power system and operation of the electricity market through its role as “System Operator”. The System Operator role is that of a service provider to the industry as set out in the System Operator Service Provider Agreement with the industry regulator.
TEAM PURPOSE:
The Operations Planning team have a number of objectives which they are responsible
for delivering on behalf of Transpower. These are to:-
- provide support in the areas of engineering in real time operations, through accurate
interpretation of security standards for the grid and review changes to these standards
as advised by the Electricity Authority.
- be responsible for keeping the System Operators operational tool set up to date with
changes in asset capability information and newly commissioned equipment.
- facilitate Regional Security Forums to ensure system security standards are maintained
in constrained areas of the grid.
- review and investigate system disturbances and events to ensure asset performance
complies with asset capability standards.
- be responsible for the coordination of planned outages on the system, and act on
behalf of both the Grid Owner and the industry.
ROLE PURPOSE:
The role exists to support the Operations Planning Team Lead and Senior Operations
Planning Engineer where specialist technical advice is required on all aspects of system
operations in accordance with the Electricity Industry Participation Code.
JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Areas of Accountability:
1. Support Functions
Provide engineering support in real time operations to NCC, Market Services, SO Investigations, and the Regional Operating Centres.
2. Security Standards
A. Ensure the security standards as defined by the Electricity Authority (EA) are applied consistently in the operation of the grid.
B. Ensure security standards remain current with changes in the rules to maintain
consistent application and compliance of grid operations.
C. Input into and review changes to these standards made by the EA and interpret
accordingly.
D. Identify areas that are not consistent and escalate in accordance with procedures
and processes as custodian of the tool box for System Operations.
E. Provide documentation, ensure this is peer reviewed and suitably archived to
ensure ease of accessibility at all times on security standards.
3. Outage Planning
A. Coordinate outages on the system with Grid Asset Services Group on
behalf of the Grid Owner and the Industry.
B. Conduct security assessments, including protection and communication outages as well as various types of maintenance works, to ensure security standards can be maintained during outage conditions using engineering powerflow techniques and application of special protection and runback schemes, on an array of grid equipment
C. Provide Engineering options and solutions to GO/Industry for outages.
D. Prepare and schedule inputs into the Market system such as Constraints, overrides and MOS notes.
E. Provide engineering support to Real Time with both outages and the market system
F. Conduct special studies assessments using forecasting techniques, generation outages, grid reconfigurations affect current outages, voltage and frequency stability studies
G. Review Schedules to ensure Market system inputs are correct (Routines) in short term planning time prior to outages occurring
H. Participate in the Industry Outage Co-ordination process.
I. Ensure modelling changes are coordinated accurately with real-time operating via overrides and MOS notes
J. Review performance of outage assessments and procedures.
4. Regional Security Forums
A. Participate in the Regional Security Forums to ensure security standards are able
to be maintained in constrained parts of the grid across all users.
B. Provide engineering support at Regional Security Forums.
C. Undertake analysis of information measured by other areas of Grid Operations
such as Grid Planning to maintain consistency and compliance of security
standards.
5. Industry Relationships
A. Develop and maintain senior technical relationships within the industry to ensure
Transpower is involved and aware of industry issues, trends, and events.
B. Work with peers within Transpower across divisions to ensure compliance of EA
rules and regulations in areas such as Grid Asset Services, Protection, and
Engineering and ensure all divisions remain current with EA requirements.
6. Grid Owner (GO) Relationships
A. Develop and maintain relationships with the GO to ensure timely communication of asset capability information
B. Manage the process for timely implementation of asset capability information
7. Training and Coaching
Provide a first level of coaching to new team members in order to facilitate an understanding and ability to work within the regulatory rules and provide ongoing technical experience that will support on the job training.
8. System Operations Rules of Operating
A. Ensure System Operations rules of operating are aligned with the EA contract and
other regulatory requirements.
B. Contribute updates to documentation, procedures and processes to ensure these
remain current and meet with the changes to the rules and industry trends.
9. Advice
A. Provide technical advice to other areas of System Operations business and
the wider Transpower business where required such as Grid Asset Services,
Protection, and Engineering Services.
B. Provide advice and coaching on compliant industry processes and technology to
industry participants.
10. Commission of Equipment
A. Review test results for proposed new equipment as performed by Grid Asset
Services to ensure these meet the requirements of grid operations.
B. Review proposed implementation plans for new equipment to ensure the
equipment fits within planned outages and the associated requirements of these.
C. Measure any impacts the new equipment may have on grid operations and where
necessary recommend alternative ways of proceeding.
D. Ensure all information on new equipment is entered into the System Operation tool
set.
11. Tools and Databases
A. Manage the security assessment tools, market tools, and database to ensure these are compliant and up to date with
regulatory changes.
B. Ensure timely update of asset capability information
12. Constraints
Identify, build and validate security constraints (manual and automatic) for the market software tools to reflect capacity changes and ensure grid operations remain complaint and secure at all times.
13. Documentation
A. Ensure all documentation is updated and current with EA rules.
Develop new documentation where required where the above is not met.
14. Reporting
A. Ensure all routine reporting is completed to time and manage expectations.
B. Ensure specialist technical reports and investigations are completed as required.
15. Technical Studies
Perform technical studies such as stability studies, event reviews and network development option investigations as required by SO management
16. Projects
Undertake project work of short duration, requiring role of single point of contact to coordinate work across different areas, ensuring project outcomes are delivered within set timeframes
17. Safety and health
Ensure Safety and Health practices are adhered to, and staff safety is maintained in
all aspects of System Operations work.
Any projects assigned in this position will be reflected in your performance plans.
KEY RELATIONSHIPS:
This position is responsible for maintaining relationships internally and externally. Not limited to those noted below. Direct relationships in this role include:
Internal:
- Operations Planning Manager
- Operations Planning team
- Other teams within Investigations and Planning group
- Other teams within System Operations
- Grid Planning
- Field Services
- Engineering Services
- IST
External:
- Generator companies
- Network companies
- Direct Connects
- EA and mCO
- Technical suppliers
- IT providers
DELEGATED RESPONSIBILITIES:
Financial:
There are no financial accountabilities for this role.
Non Financial:
It is the individual responsibility of every employee to maintain a current awareness and understanding of appropriate laws, regulations, internal policies and procedures, and to comply fully with those laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
To ascertain your financial and non- financial responsibilities please link through to the Delegated Authority policy - http://thevolt.transpower.co.nz/corporate-policies
PERSONAL SPECIFICATIONS
* Job Family: Engineering & Technical
(Job Family is an internal reference and refers to the Career and Development framework Transpower has implemented)
TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:
Knowledge and Experience:
Sound knowledge of core power system operational processes and tools is preferred for this role.
Experience and knowledge in a related specialist field or subject is also preferred as is
a good level of industry experience.
Knowledge of Power Systems, Protection systems, EGR’s, High Voltage plant and equipment and generation plant is beneficial for the role.
Qualifications:
A tertiary qualification in electrical engineering is preferred as is a tertiary qualification in
an IT related field.
Core Technical Competencies
Transpower has identified the technical skills and knowledge needed for its power engineering roles, to assist with recruitment as well as to guide the professional and career development needs of the individuals who are placed in these roles. Three levels have been identified for each role – entry, operational and advanced. The required level for each role is agreed with each individual’s manager, as are the learning and development required to reach a higher level of competency. Listed below are the set of technical competencies that apply to this role. Detailed descriptions of the level of technical competency required for the role are provided in the booklet ‘Growing Transpower’s Core Engineering Capability’.
- Asset management – a systematic process of maintaining, upgrading and operating physical assets cost-effectively. It combines engineering principles with sound business practices and economic theory, and it provides tools to facilitate a more organised, logical approach to decision-making.
- Compliance – the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by individuals to ensure that Transpower as an organisation meets the necessary corporate/industry compliance requirements
- Contract management – the knowledge, skills and behaviours related to contract management.
- Engineering risk – the knowledge, skills and behaviours related to understanding and managing risk.
- HVDC engineering – the knowledge, skills and behaviours related to HVDC Engineering
- Power systems analysis – the knowledge, skills and behaviours related to power systems analysis
- Power system economics – the knowledge, skills and behaviours related to power system operations
· Power system operation – the knowledge, skills and behaviours related to power system operation
- Project management – the knowledge, skills and behaviours related to project management
- Safety and health – the knowledge, skills and behaviours related to the applicable laws, regulations and other standards necessary to establish and/or maintain a safe and healthy work environment.
- Scada/EMS engineering – real-time and stations analysis involves the development and maintenance of Scada/EMS software, and non-Scada power systems-related software.
- Secondary assets/protection engineering – the knowledge, skills and behaviours related to secondary assets/protection engineering.
- Substation primary equipment engineering – substation primary equipment engineering involves the design, specification, planning contracting, procurement and asset management of primary equipment for substations.
- Technical communication – the knowledge, skills and behaviours related to the verbal or written communication of technical information.
- Technical leadership – the knowledge, skills and behaviours related to your own learning and coaching and leading others on technical information.
- Transmission line engineering – the knowledge, skills and behaviours related to transmission line engineering
BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES:
Competency:
Health and Safety
Knowledgeable about Transpower’s Safety and Health policies & procedures; knows how to apply safety and health principles in order to achieve a safe and positive working environment.
Takes personal responsibility for ones own safety and health, and continually strives for continual improvement in safety and health performance.
Informing
Provides the information people need to know to do their jobs and to feel good about being a member of the team, unit, and/or the organisation; provides individuals information so that they can make accurate decisions; is timely with information
Integrity and Trust
Is widely trusted; is seen as a direct, truthful individual; can present the unvarnished truth in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; doesn't misrepresent him/herself for personal gain.
Problem Solving
Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions; probes all fruitful sources for answers; can see hidden problems; is excellent at honest analysis; looks beyond the obvious and doesn’t stop at the first answers.
Technical Learning
Picks up on technical things quickly; can learn new skills and knowledge; is good at learning new industry, company, product, or technical knowledge like e-commerce; does well in technical courses and seminars.
Time Management
Uses his/her time effectively and efficiently; values time; concentrates his/her efforts on the more important priorities; gets more done in less time than others; can attend to a broader range of activities.
Self Development
Is personally committed to and actively works to continuously improve him/herself; understands that different situations and levels may call for different skills and approaches; works to deploy strengths; works on compensating for weakness and limits.
Customer Focus
Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.