Senior Electrical Engineer

Job description

About us: Pacifico Energy is a global energy infrastructure firm supporting complex, large load projects from development through to operations. The company serves as a trusted partner across engineering, financing, construction, and optimization, delivering tailored power solutions for large energy users, including data centers. With a proven international track record and over 15 years as a large-scale developer, Pacifico brings speed and knowledgeable oversight to projects from start to finish. The Power Plant Senior Electrical Engineer will own the electrical scope across the full project lifecycle from conceptual design and FEED through detailed engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning for power generation systems that integrate gas turbines, PV solar, BESS, and other technologies to meet the unique energy demands of large industrial facilities and data centers. In the early phases, the role focuses on defining high-level electrical layouts, power distribution, grid integration, and equipment specifications to optimize performance and reliability. During the EPC stage, the engineer will drive detailed electrical design, review vendor and EPC contractor deliverables, provide construction and site engineering support, and lead electrical commissioning through to energization and handover. The engineer will collaborate with mechanical, civil, and control teams to ensure a fully integrated power solution. What you get to do: Conceptual Design & FEED Stage Conceptual Electrical System Design: Develop preliminary single-line diagrams (SLDs), electrical layouts, and system architectures for gas turbines, solar PV, and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Define power distribution strategies, including HV and MV network configurations. Conduct load flow analysis, fault studies, and short-circuit calculations to determine optimal electrical system parameters. Assess transformer, switchgear, and power conversion requirements to ensure system efficiency. Grid Connection & Compliance: Evaluate grid interconnection requirements and compliance with international electrical standards. Assess reactive power compensation, harmonics, and stability impacts for seamless system integration. Define protective relays and power system protection strategies for reliability and safety. Equipment Selection & Preliminary Specifications: Identify key electrical components, including circuit breakers, relays, inverters, transformers, cables, and grounding systems. Develop preliminary equipment specifications and define procurement strategies for major electrical assets. Evaluate alternative technologies to enhance system efficiency and reduce lifecycle costs. Interdisciplinary Coordination & Documentation: Work closely with civil, mechanical, and control engineers to integrate electrical systems with plant infrastructure. Provide technical input for CAPEX/OPEX estimation and feasibility studies. Prepare FEED-level reports, electrical schematics, and technical documentation to support the transition into the EPC phase. EPC Stage – Detailed Design, Construction & Commissioning Detailed Electrical Design & Engineering: Coordinate and manage the development of IFC deliverables by EPC, including detailed single-line diagrams, protection and control schematics, cable schedules and routing, lighting, grounding, and lightning protection designs. Perform detailed protection coordination, arc flash, and grounding studies, and finalize relay settings for HV/MV systems. Review and approve detailed designs, calculations, and drawings produced by EPC contractors and subcontractors, ensuring compliance with project specifications, applicable codes, and utility interconnection requirements. Manage design changes through the EPC phase, assessing technical, cost, and schedule impacts. Procurement & Vendor Engineering Support: Prepare technical requisitions and bid evaluations for major electrical equipment, including transformers, switchgear, MCCs, inverters, BESS, and generator electrical packages. Review vendor drawings and documentation, witness factory acceptance tests (FATs), and verify equipment compliance with project specifications. Resolve technical queries (TQs) from vendors and the EPC contractor and support equipment expediting. Construction & Site Support: Provide engineering support during construction, responding to RFIs and resolving field engineering issues. Conduct site inspections and quality surveillance of electrical installations, including cabling, terminations, switchgear, transformers, and grounding systems. Verify installation conformance with IFC drawings, applicable codes (IEEE, IEC, NEC), and utility interconnection requirements. Support QA/QC processes, punch list management, and mechanical completion walkdowns for electrical systems. Commissioning, Testing & Energization: Develop and review commissioning and testing plans, procedures, and energization sequences for electrical systems. Witness and support site acceptance tests (SATs), pre-commissioning checks, protection relay testing, and functional testing. Support system energization, grid synchronization, and performance testing through to substantial completion and handover to operations. Prepare and review as-built documentation, capture lessons learned, and support technical closeout of the electrical scope. Required Qualifications & Experience: Education: Bachelor’s or master’s in electrical engineering, Power Systems Engineering, or a related field. Experience: 8+ years in power plants, renewable energy, or industrial power systems, with proven experience across the full project lifecycle — conceptual design, FEED, detailed design (EPC), construction, and commissioning. Technical Skills: Proficiency in ETAP, PSCAD, or similar power system analysis tools. Strong knowledge of HV/MV system design, protection schemes, and grid integration. Familiarity with electrical codes IEEE, IEC, NEC, and utility interconnection requirements. Experience producing and reviewing IFC-level design deliverables, including detailed SLDs, protection schematics, cable schedules, and grounding designs. Working knowledge of construction practices, QA/QC, and commissioning and testing of HV/MV electrical systems. Proficiency in AutoCAD or similar tools for detailed electrical design deliverables is a plus. Language: English proficiency is an advantage. Preferred Attributes: Strong analytical skills for early-stage electrical design and feasibility assessment. Experience in FEED projects for power generation, microgrids, or renewable energy. Ability to assess technical risks and recommend cost-effective solutions. Experience in the EPC execution of power generation projects, in an owner's engineer or EPC contractor role. Field experience during construction and commissioning, with willingness to travel to project sites as required. Professional Engineer (PE) license, or the ability to obtain one, is a plus.