Job Details
Description
At NAES, you’ll find engaging and challenging career opportunities in the power generation, renewable energy and industrial construction industry. At every level of the company, we share a common goal: To instill confidence in our clients through our steadfast commitment to safety, integrity and quality of work.
As the largest independent operator of power facilities in the industry, we’ve come to be viewed as an employer of choice. We strive to attract and retain employees by offering competitive compensation, a comprehensive benefits package (including retirement) and promotional opportunities.
Role Summary
The Director of Electrical Systems – SME is NAES’ highest-level technical authority for all electrical disciplines across Renewables and NAES corporate operations. This role leads the strategic direction, governance, safety frameworks, engineering standards, and workforce competency for all DC, AC, MV, and HV electrical systems. The Director ensures NAES maintains best-in-class electrical standards, compliance, safe energization practices, and operational reliability across all asset classes including PV, BESS, Wind, thermal, industrial, and distributed generation.
Leadership Responsibilities
- Provide strategic enterprise leadership for electrical operations across all NAES business units.
- Own the national electrical vision for NAES including standards, testing protocols, safety governance, and engineering best practices
- Build, mentor, and lead a cross-functional team of electrical trainers, SMEs, and field technical leaders
- Drive electrical culture transformation—advancing safety, consistency, and operational integrity
- Serve as primary executive advisor to NAES leadership on electrical risk, investment decisions, and system reliability
- Represent NAES in technical discussions with major customers, utilities, OEMs, AHJs, and regulatory bodies
- Partner with the VP of O&M East & West, ROC, PMO, Engineering, and Safety leadership to shape national O&M execution strategy
- Support Business Development in strategic pursuits, technical contract evaluations, and customer presentations
Core Functional Responsibilities
1. Renewable Electrical Expertise (Primary Functional Domain)
- Oversight of DC architecture (strings, combiners, home runs, connectors, fusing, polarity)
- Enterprise SME for inverter technologies: central, string, grid-forming, BESS, and hybrid systems
- Leadership of MV collection standards including switchgear, transformers, cabling, grounding, and protection systems
- Oversight of PV commissioning strategy and acceptance criteria
- Design governance for PV interconnection, SCADA integration, power quality, and grid compliance
- Strategic leadership on inverter performance, MTBF improvement, and reliability engineering across the Renewables fleet
2. MV/HV Authority for All NAES Divisions
- Executive oversight of switching governance, clearance procedures, and energized work rules
- Approval authority for switching programs, isolation plans, and electrical safety boundaries
- Oversight of protection coordination, relay programming standards, and grid-interface controls
- Leadership during failures, outages, and major system events across thermal, industrial, and renewable assets
- Establish and enforce NAES-wide MV/HV testing and commissioning protocols
3. Electrical Safety, Compliance & Governance
- Serve as NAES’ highest authority on electrical regulatory compliance and electrical safety
- Set enterprise-wide policy for NFPA 70E, NESC, OSHA 1910/1926, and arc-flash programs
- Oversee national LOTO governance, energized work permitting, and isolation processes
- Lead enterprise audits, investigations, and corrective action programs
- Own NAES’ electrical risk reduction roadmap.
4. Engineering Review, Commissioning & Reliability
- Provide senior engineering review of design packages, electrical drawings, protection schemes, grounding, overcurrent protection, and interconnection
- Set enterprise commissioning standards for PV, BESS, wind, and MV/HV substations
- Lead high-level RCAs for electrical failures and systemic reliability issues
- Partner with ROC to establish electrical alarm, SCADA, and predictive monitoring standards
5. Workforce Development & Certification Leadership
- Architect and oversee NAES’ enterprise electrical competency program
- Develop a tiered certification program (Tech I → Master Technician → SME → Instructor)
- Lead national training on PV engineering, MV switching, HV protection, LOTO, and arc-flash safety
- Coach regional O&M leadership and supervisors on electrical performance, planning, and reliability
Working Relationships
The Director of Electrical Systems reports to the SVP Chief Strategy Officer and works independently with NAES locations as needed to support project management needs
Compensation
The initial compensation will range from $178,900 to $205,700
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in technical field (preferably Electrical Engineering)
- 12–15+ years of progressive electrical experience, O&M leadership, or utility operations experience
- Expertise across DC, LV, MV, and HV systems including PV, BESS, utility distribution, and industrial power systems
- Deep experience in switching, protection coordination, relay logic, commissioning, and electrical safety governance
- Demonstrated leadership of technical teams or enterprise programs
- Strong command of NFPA 70E, NEC, NESC, OSHA, interconnection rules, and electrical regulatory frameworks
- Professional Engineering (PE), Master Electrician, NETA III/IV, or NFPA 70E instructor highly preferred
- Experience influencing at VP/executive level and presenting to customer leadership teams
- Ability to travel 40–60% depending on operational needs
Key Performance Metrics
- Reduction in electrical-related safety incidents across NAES
- Electrical compliance audit performance (pass rate, closure cycle time)
- PV/BESS fleet reliability improvements (availability, inverter MTBF, fault reductions)
- MV/HV outage reduction across all NAES businesses
- Technician and supervisor certification advancement rates
- Adoption and implementation of NAES-wide electrical standards and policies
- Customer satisfaction related to electrical performance, risk mitigation, and technical leadership
NAES Safe
Safety is a core value of NAES; and as a condition of employment, all employees are expected to be mentally alert and work safely at all times. Additionally, employees are required to adhere to all safety warnings and posted safety signs, whenever on company property. Furthermore, employees must follow all NAES safety rules and procedures. Effectiveness in carrying out this responsibility is part of the evaluation of each and every employee’s performance.
NAES is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. It is the practice of NAES to seek employees of the highest quality and to select individuals on the basis of merit and competence, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, military status or affiliation protected under USERRA, or any other basis of discrimination prohibited by applicable local, state and federal law.
Qualifications
Skills
Preferred
Verbal and Written Communications
Advanced
Behaviors
Preferred
Dedicated
: Devoted to a task or purpose with loyalty or integrity
Detail Oriented
: Capable of carrying out a given task with all details necessary to get the task done well
Enthusiastic
: Shows intense and eager enjoyment and interest
Functional Expert
: Considered a thought leader on a subject
Innovative
: Consistently introduces new ideas and demonstrates original thinking
Leader
: Inspires teammates to follow them
Team Player
: Works well as a member of a group
Education
Preferred
Bachelors or better in Electrical Engineering or related field.
Experience
Preferred
Professional Engineering (PE), Master Electrician, NETA III/IV, or NFPA 70E instructor highly preferred.
Strong command of NFPA 70E, NEC, NESC, OSHA, interconnection rules, and electrical regulatory frameworks.
Deep experience in switching, protection coordination, relay logic, commissioning, and electrical safety governance.
Expertise across DC, LV, MV, and HV systems including PV, BESS, utility distribution, and industrial power systems.
12–15+ years of progressive electrical experience, O&M leadership, or utility operations experience.
Licenses & Certifications
Required
Driver's License
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
Read Full Description