Shift Operations Engineer

About the role

A Shift Operation Engineer at a hydroelectric power plant plays a critical role in ensuring the safe, efficient, and continuous operation of the plant during their shift. The required skills for this role are a blend of technical knowledge, practical experience, and problem-solving abilities.

• Technical Knowledge of Hydroelectric Systems
  • Mechanical and Electrical Systems: Understanding the operation of turbines, generators, transformers, and associated mechanical and electrical systems. The engineer must monitor and control the mechanical processes involved in generating electricity from water.
  • Hydraulic Systems: Knowledge of water flow control, penstocks, gates, valves, and water pressure for managing the plant’s hydraulic aspects efficiently.
  • Instrumentation and Control Systems: Familiarity with the plant's control room operations, SCADA systems, and real-time monitoring to track performance, alarms, and operational conditions.
  • Power Generation Principles: Understanding how energy is converted from mechanical energy (water flow) to electrical energy, including pumps, motors, and generators.
• Safety Knowledge and Practices
  • Safety Protocols: Follow safety procedures to protect personnel, equipment, and the environment, including emergency shutdown procedures and lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) systems.
  • Risk Assessment: Identify hazards, assess risks, and take corrective actions in a high-risk environment.
  • Compliance with Regulations: Familiarity with industry regulations and environmental guidelines (e.g., dam safety standards, water quality regulations, and environmental protection laws).
• Troubleshooting and Problem-Solving Skills
  • Fault Diagnosis: Quickly identify problems when equipment malfunctions or operations deviate from expected norms (e.g., turbine inefficiencies, abnormal vibrations, electrical faults).
  • Critical Thinking: Analyze operational data and make decisions to ensure continued operation, especially during emergencies or equipment failures.
  • Maintenance Knowledge: Understand preventive and corrective maintenance and coordinate with maintenance teams for unresolved issues.
• Monitoring and Control of Plant Operations
  • Performance Monitoring: Track plant performance in real time via SCADA and manual checks, managing water levels, flow rates, and electrical output.
  • Load Management: Adjust operations to meet grid demands while maintaining efficiency.
  • Data Logging: Maintain accurate records of performance, alarms, downtime, maintenance, and anomalies for analysis and reporting.
• Communication Skills
  • Team Coordination: Work with engineers, technicians, and plant personnel during handovers to ensure continuity.
  • Reporting: Document issues and irregularities clearly to management or technical teams.
  • Emergency Communication: Communicate effectively with emergency response teams and authorities when necessary.
• Attention to Detail
  • System Monitoring: Vigilantly monitor parameters to detect changes that may indicate issues.
  • Inspection and Calibration: Regularly check and calibrate control systems, gauges, and instrumentation for accuracy.
• Adaptability and Decision-Making
  • Adaptation to Shift Work: Handle long or irregular hours and maintain performance under pressure.
  • Quick Decision-Making: Make informed decisions during unexpected situations while ensuring safety and minimizing downtime.
• Environmental and Sustainability Awareness
  • Environmental Impact: Understand environmental impact, water conservation, ecosystem management, and regulatory compliance.
  • Sustainability Practices: Adopt practices that reduce waste and energy losses for long-term operations.
• Knowledge of Energy Market and Grid Operations (optional, but beneficial)
  • Grid Integration: Understand how the plant integrates into the larger power grid and adjust operations to meet grid demand.
  • Energy Market Awareness: Be aware of energy price fluctuations and how they affect production decisions.
• Leadership and Supervisory Skills (if applicable)
  • Managing Shift Teams: Lead operators and technicians to ensure safety, efficiency, and effective problem resolution.
  • Training and Mentoring: Help less experienced staff understand plant operations and provide on-the-job training.

• Degree or diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Power Generation, or a related field.
• Minimum 6 years experience in the operation of hydroelectric plants or similar power generation environments. Experience with large-scale turbine systems, water management systems, and SCADA control systems is highly advantageous.
• Technical Skills
  • Mechanical and Electrical Systems: In-depth knowledge of turbines, generators, and electrical equipment used in hydroelectric plants.
  • Control Systems: Experience with SCADA systems, PLCs, and other automated control systems.
  • Troubleshooting: Ability to troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, and control system issues to restore operations quickly.