Kinectrics is a wholly owned subsidiary of BWX Technologies focused on providing life cycle management services in the energy and utility sector. We develop innovative solutions for the global electricity and medical industries, helping empower a sustainable future. Trusted by clients worldwide, our employees provide expertise in engineering, testing, and inspection across a wide range of services. With offices worldwide and independent laboratories and testing facilities, we collaborate closely with clients to ensure utility assets perform safely, reliably, and efficiently throughout their entire life cycle.
Kinectrics takes pride in being consistently ranked as one of the best places to work in the energy and utility industry, where purpose and people mean as much as innovation and growth. That’s why we choose only the best and brightest to join us. To keep pace with the expanding energy and utility sector, Kinectrics has grown from a company of 300 to over 1,000 in only the last few years - and we aren’t looking to slow down. Join our diverse, supportive workplace for a rewarding career in the electricity industry.
Visit our website to learn more:
www.kinectrics.com
The Opportunity
Position: Field Service Testing Engineer HVST
Employment Type: Temporary up to 12 months
Employment Level: Intermediate
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Department: High Voltage and Safety Testing
Reports to: Service Line Lead, MV Cables
Hours per week: 40
What We Offer
At Kinectrics, employees are recognized for their knowledge, experience, and contributions while working in a highly technical and challenging environment. Kinectrics puts you in the driver’s seat of your own career, setting you up alongside industry experts who will help you develop the skills essential to your professional growth in a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and rewarding work culture.
- Purpose: The work we do each day helps communities around the world. Find satisfaction in work that really matters, working alongside and as part of the best and brightest in the industry.
- Growth: To keep pace with Canada’s expanding energy and utility sector, we are growing more each day, which means more opportunities for you. We encourage our employees to grow alongside our company thanks to a number of significant training and personal development opportunities.
- Innovation: Our staff proudly develop innovations that push the industry forward.
- Diversity: The company is dedicated to promoting diversity in its workforce, up to and including the senior management level. Our diversity committee ensures we stay up to date on leading trends and best practices, creating a desirable workspace for each and every one of our employees.
- Total Compensation: Your talent deserves to be recognized. Kinectrics offers a competitive total compensation package unmatched by most industries throughout North America. Salary is just one component of the total rewards you will receive when working for Kinectrics. Other elements may also include pay for performance programs (merit pay and discretionary annual performance bonuses), comprehensive health benefits and wellness programs, membership discounts, employee referral bonus, eligibility for retirement savings plan, career development programs, and professional development/educational reimbursements.
Position Overview:
- Lead or support project execution for advanced electrical testing / condition assessment primarily related to high-criticality low voltage (LV) and medium voltage (MV) electrical assets in generation plants, utility distribution, and industrial environments. The primary focus of this role will be activities related to field-based commissioning, maintenance, post-repair, or investigative / troubleshooting testing of LV and MV power cables, but eventually other electrical assets including MV Switchgear and HV/EHV Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) may be included.
- Perform, manage / supervise, analyzing data from, and prepare technical reports related to advanced electrical (and occasionally material-based) non-destructive field-based testing of LV and MV power cables using one more of the following techniques:
- Withstand testing
- Using Power Frequency (50/60Hz), Near Power Frequency (20 – 300Hz) or Very Low Frequency (0.1Hz) voltages.
- Diagnostic Partial Discharge (PD) testing
- Using conventional IEC 60270 and non-conventional, broadband methods based on Power Frequency (50/60Hz), Near Power Frequency (20 – 300Hz) or Very Low Frequency (0.1Hz) voltages.
- Dielectric Loss / VLF (0.1Hz) Tangent Delta
- Dielectric Spectroscopy (Frequency Domain or Time Domain)
- Time & Frequency Domain Reflectometry (TDR, FDR, including LIRATM)
- AC and DC Metallic Resistance Measurements
- Polarization / Depolarization Current (PDC) and DC Insulation Resistance Measurement
- DC Jacket Integrity Testing
- Indenter Modulus - LV Cables Only
- Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) – LV Cables Only
- Portable Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) – LV Cables Only
- Support the implementation of programs such as the Company Quality, Safety and Project Management processes.
- Accountabilities: How You Will Make an Impact
- Technical
- Support senior staff in client consultations defining the scope of project requirements and assisting in making recommendations with respect to fieldwork and testing techniques.
- Provide remote or on-site technical support to analyze data from field testing (using commercial or in-house software tools), provide ‘on the spot’ analysis support, produce field data sheets, and prepare technical reports.
- Prepare recommendations for senior staff on findings arising from the prescribed testing, analysis, design, or other tasks carried out.
- Anticipate the needs of upcoming projects to ensure that Kinectrics resources are available (staff and equipment).
- Cooperate and work with internal and external customers on the resolution of technical problems.
- Input data into the Kinectrics test database under direction of senior staff.
- Remain abreast of technical developments and techniques in T&D or generation plant field testing, particularly in the core area of MV / LV cables.
- Ensure Kinectrics provides a leading-edge service to the Energy Sector.
- Assist in providing support for technical articles or papers for publications in scientific conferences or journals, under the direction of senior staff.
- Assist with laboratory-based strategic R&D projects, forensic analysis, simulations and / or condition assessments as directed by senior staff.
- Client Relationships
- Build relationships with current and potential clients, using oral and written communication skills.
- Provide feedback and client intelligence (i.e. quality, customer satisfaction, safety, technical problems and competitive intelligence).
- Identify sales leads and work with sales team in sales planning, follow through and support as needed.
- Support senior staff with technical sales support through assisting in technical quotation / proposal development, presentations as needed.
- Support senior staff in identifying and supporting service and market development priorities when requested.
- Delivery and Profitability
- Ensure effective project management processes on each assigned project.
- Ensure commitments and related technical work are completed on time, within budget, and meet standards for quality and value.
- Contributory responsibility for gross margin that meet or exceed budget expectations.
- Ensure client satisfaction.
- Contribute timely input and regular reports on progress to senior staff.
- Meet personal billability targets.
- Safety & Continuous Improvement Related Activities
- Development and refinement of technical, safety and operational procedures for execution of advanced field diagnostic testing.
- Prepared, conduct or lead Job Safety Analysis, Risk / Hazard Assessments, and pre-job briefs with project personnel as needed.
- Support senior staff with the preparation of Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) submissions for procurement of equipment to meet strategic and/or business growth objectives.
- Support senior staff with preparation of New Product Development (NPD) submissions for internal R&D efforts to meet strategic and/or business growth objectives.
- Interact with equipment OEMs to benchmark technical product improvements and new developments to improve Kinectrics’ independent, leading-edge technical service offerings to the Energy Sector.
- Support technical and business staff with new equipment procurement.
- Leadership
- Facilitate internal relationships and effective use of resources and equipment
- Maintain good relationships with internal staff to motivate and build a strong team.
- Deliver the annual goals as set out by the Managing Director
- Identify personal, business and supporting staff growth and development opportunities.
- What You Need To Succeed
- B.Eng. degree in Electrical Power Engineering or educational equivalent.
- Individuals with other engineering or scientific backgrounds such as Engineering Physics, Nanotechnology, Nuclear Engineering, etc. will also be considered.
- Evidence of post graduate education in MV and HV engineering, dielectrics, or non-destructive examination (NDE) techniques will be considered a strong asset.
- Eligible to register as a Professional Engineer in Alberta.
- 2 – 5+ years experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Field service / commissioning of electrical power assets, ideally including application of insulation diagnostic methods such as partial discharge, dielectric loss, reflectometry.
- Laboratory testing, applied R&D and / or forensics
- Electrical power equipment manufacturing.
- Electrical diagnostic test equipment product design.
- Utility, generation or industrial electrical system / component design engineering or related engineering consultancy.
- Experience working in a nuclear environment will be considered a strong asset.
- Lower range of professional experience will be considered for individuals with advanced education (Master’s or Ph.D.) or key skills / capabilities / knowledge in preferred areas (see below).
- Specialized knowledge of the theory, principles and practices associated with electrical power engineering. Additional knowledge regarding dielectric materials is strongly preferred.
- Foundational technical background in transmission and distribution (T&D) or generation plant electrical equipment, ideally including LV and MV cable systems and switchgear.
- Knowledge of engineering mathematics, scientific graphing, and statistical analysis of large data sets is strongly preferred.
- Professional experience providing technical advice, guidance, consultation and services related to specialization / field of work, ideally related to LV / MV electrical power cables.
- Skilled in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Visio or equivalent computer-based tools for preparing reports, email, presentations and for general communication.
- Excellent research skills, including utilization of on-line and library-based research and scientific conference and journal databases.
- Experience working with mathematical and functional programming and instrument control including specific experience (academic or industrial) with VBA, COM programming tools, and MATLAB is preferred.
- Direct experience with power cable system (or accessory) installation, commissioning, maintenance, troubleshooting or system design activities is preferred.
- Hands-on experience using AC, DC or RF electrical equipment / instrumentation including impedance analyzers, electrometers, oscilloscopes, pulse generators, and network analyzers is preferred.
- Excellent collaborative and independent problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated proficiency in verbal and written communications is required for preparation of technical reports, proposals, recommendations, and presentations.
- Strong interpersonal skills and experience working co-operatively with a variety of multi-disciplinary staff including engineers, technologists / field-staff and managers.
- Rigorous commitment to comprehensive safety assurance. Experience with managing on-site or in-lab job safety (e.g., preparing Job Safety Analysis, Risk / Hazard Assessments, leading pre-job briefs) is preferred.
- Demonstrated high level of commitment to quality and continuous improvement.
- Experience in people management, resource management and internal / external customer relations.
- Ability to cope with physical demands of field-based work including working at heights or confined spaces as needed.
- Availability for travel throughout Alberta, Canada and North America (up to 30 - 50%).
This role requires the successful candidate to complete the security clearance process. The security clearance process is conducted in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and may take up to 12 months to complete.
Kinectrics Inc is strongly committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) and welcomes applications from all individuals. To learn more about our commitments please visit our diversity, equity and inclusion and indigenous relations pages.
As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a voluntary diversity survey. The collection of self-identification data is driven by our commitment to DE&I and ensures Kinectrics' continuous review and improvement of its programs. The information that you provide is strictly confidential and your responses will only be used for statistical purposes. Your responses do not affect your candidacy in any way.
Kinectrics welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.
