Director, Engineering and Interconnection

Director Engineering and Interconnection

We are seeking a Director Engineering and Interconnection to lead the owners-side technical capability supporting Talen Energys power generation battery storage and digital infrastructure development portfolio. The role is accountable for development-stage project engineering technology and configuration decisions technical diligence and grid and transmission interconnection strategy. The Director will translate complex engineering and grid issues into clear decisions that improve safety reliability project economics schedule certainty and investment readiness.

Reporting to the Chief Asset Development Officer the Director supports opportunities from early site screening through Final Investment Decision and transition to execution. The portfolio includes simple-cycle peakers and combined-cycle facilities using aeroderivative and large-frame F- and H-class gas turbines; standalone and co-located battery energy storage systems; and powered-land and data center projects requiring large-load interconnection and resilient power delivery. The role works across Talens development functions and with PJM transmission owners utilities OEMs EPC contractors the owners engineer and technical consultants. Detailed design and specialized studies may be external but this role retains accountability for technical strategy standards decisions risk deliverable quality and consultant performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and lead the Engineering & Interconnection function including development-stage standards design criteria stage-gate deliverables review protocols consultant governance technical reporting and scalable capability.
• Support Site Origination by screening interconnection points transmission and utility constraints site layouts fuel and water interfaces constructability and technical fatal flaws. Lead concept design and configuration for simple-cycle combined-cycle BESS and powered-land or data center projects.
• Evaluate technology tradeoffs involving output efficiency dispatch profile emissions water use footprint reliability operating flexibility lifecycle cost and schedule. Direct preparation and review of design bases heat and mass balances one-lines layouts equipment lists performance assumptions utility requirements and preliminary specifications.
• Provide engineering inputs needed for permitting estimating contracting and investment decisions including plant configuration emissions-control and stack assumptions water and wastewater concepts noise sources site layouts and construction requirements.
• Lead technical evaluation and procurement support for gas turbines battery systems transformers substations switchyards controls and balance-of-plant systems including technical scopes proposal reviews guarantees lifecycle implications vendor selection and long-lead risks.
• Select direct and hold accountable the owners engineer power-system and interconnection consultants and other engineering specialists. Set acceptance criteria challenge assumptions manage quality budget and schedule and resolve multidisciplinary interfaces before they create project risk.
• Own engineering and interconnection work plans budgets schedules assumptions and risks. Develop or validate capital-cost estimates operating assumptions equipment lead times contingencies engineering maturity and critical-path inputs for development and investment decisions.
• Develop interconnection strategies for generation storage and large-load projects including point-of-interconnection and queue strategy generation and load-service pathways co-location or behind-the-meter configurations phased energization redundancy and alignment with target service dates.
• Oversee interconnection applications models and studies; interpret results and quantify network upgrades cost and schedule exposure grid-performance requirements security milestone risk and mitigation alternatives. Support technical provisions in related agreements.
• Monitor PJM transmission-owner utility FERC NERC and industry requirements; perform technical due diligence for acquisitions partnerships site reuse and equipment opportunities; establish readiness criteria for stage gates and FID; and hand approved projects to Program Delivery and Construction with targeted support through commissioning and performance testing.
• Partner with Project Owners as the accountable technical lead for each opportunity translating engineering and interconnection analysis into clear recommendations on project configuration technical feasibility interconnection pathway cost and schedule implications key risks and mitigation alternativesproviding the technical fact base and judgment needed to advance projects toward Final Investment Decisions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in electrical engineering mechanical engineering or another engineering discipline relevant to utility-scale power generation and electric power systems.
• 10 years of progressive experience in power generation transmission interconnection project engineering or energy infrastructure including substantial responsibility for development-stage work on complex capital projects.
• Owners-side developer owners engineer EPC OEM or utility experience advancing utility-scale projects from screening and concept design through front-end engineering interconnection studies FID or notice to proceed.
• Direct experience with simple-cycle and combined-cycle gas-fired generation including aeroderivative gas turbines and large-frame F- and H-class technologies together with experience with utility-scale battery energy storage systems.
• Strong knowledge of generation and transmission interconnection processes technical submissions agreements network upgrades cost and schedule drivers and grid-performance requirements in one or more organized ISO/RTO markets.
• Ability to understand review and challenge power-flow short-circuit dynamic or transient-stability reactive-power deliverability and related power-system studies without relying solely on summary conclusions.
• Broad understanding of power-plant and power-delivery engineering including mechanical systems high-voltage systems substations and switchyards transmission interfaces civil and structural design controls and plant utilities.
• Success managing owners engineers consultants OEMs and EPC contractors; validating cost schedule performance and risk inputs; and communicating complex technical issues to executives and nontechnical stakeholders. Ability to travel regularly as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer license and/or an advanced degree in engineering engineering management or business.
• Direct experience with PJM interconnection processes multiple PJM transmission owners and projects in one or more PJM states; experience in adjacent competitive power markets is also valued.
• Experience with powered-land hyperscale data center or other large-load development including utility-service strategy large-load interconnection redundant power delivery phased energization and on-site generation or storage.
• Experience with greenfield or brownfield development existing-site reuse project execution or operations and common power-system analysis platforms and industry standards.

Leadership Profile

• Owner-minded technical leader who accepts accountability for decisions risk and outcomes rather than simply coordinating consultants.
• Combines deep engineering judgment with business and capital-allocation awareness; understands that the best technical answer must also be financeable permittable constructible operable and competitive.
• Independent intellectually rigorous and decisive under incomplete information; tests assumptions quantifies tradeoffs recommends a path and challenges weak conclusions before they become embedded in a project.
• Collaborative capability builder who works effectively with Project Owners and peer functions while developing standards tools talent consultant networks and institutional knowledge that improve portfolio quality and speed.

Success Measures

• Timely decision-quality screening of new opportunities with material engineering and interconnection fatal flaws identified before significant capital or schedule commitments.
• Safe reliable technically competitive project configurations supported by credible design bases performance assumptions equipment strategies capital costs schedules and lifecycle considerations.
• Disciplined execution of PJM transmission-owner and utility interconnection processes with complete submissions met milestones transparent upgrade exposure and effective mitigation of grid-related risks.
• Consistent technical readiness at stage gates and FID with fewer late design changes scope gaps consultant rework and engineering or interconnection surprises after capital approval followed by complete handoffs to execution.
• High-quality performance by the owners engineer and other consultants supported by repeatable standards clear technical communication strong cross-functional alignment and credible external relationships.

Note:You will have an opportunity to add attachments to your application. Please use this opportunity toupload your resume cover letter and any relevant documents .