Power Quality Engineer - Principal at American Electric Power in South Bend, IN

Job description

Job Posting End Date 10-24-2026 Please note the job posting will close on the day before the posting end date. Job Summary Responsible to the assigned supervisor for providing advanced engineering expertise related to power quality, distribution system performance, customer reliability concerns, and electrical system troubleshooting. Job Description This position serves as a technical resource for investigating and resolving complex power quality issues, supporting customer needs, improving system performance, and collaborating across Engineering, Operations, Customer Service, and external customers to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective electric service. The position requires the application of sound engineering judgment, independent decision-making, and extensive knowledge of utility distribution systems and power quality principles. What you'll do: Technical Expertise Possesses advanced knowledge of electric distribution systems, power quality principles, system protection, voltage regulation, harmonics, flicker, voltage sags, transient events, and reliability performance. Independently performs engineering analyses and technical investigations associated with customer power quality concerns and system performance issues. Utilizes monitoring equipment, outage data, SCADA systems, relay records, AMI data, and engineering models to identify root causes and develop solutions. Serves as a subject matter expert in the application of industry standards, including IEEE, ANSI, NEC, and utility-specific practices related to power quality and service reliability. Evaluates customer equipment interactions with the electric system and develops recommendations to improve service performance and customer experience. Leadership & Guidance Provides technical leadership and guidance to engineers, operations personnel, customer service representatives, and field employees regarding power quality concerns and solutions. Leads cross-functional initiatives designed to improve customer satisfaction, power quality performance, and operational efficiency. Acts as a technical liaison with commercial, industrial, governmental, and critical infrastructure customers to communicate findings, explain technical issues, and recommend mitigation strategies. Planning & Organization Plans, prioritizes, and manages multiple power quality investigations, system improvement initiatives, and customer requests simultaneously. Develops project scopes, schedules, engineering recommendations, and cost estimates associated with corrective actions and system enhancements. Identifies trends and recurring issues through data analysis and proactively recommends improvements that enhance distribution system performance and customer reliability. Problem Solving & Initiative Leads the investigation and resolution of complex power quality concerns involving voltage fluctuations, harmonics, interruptions, transient events, distributed energy resources, and customer equipment performance issues. Applies advanced engineering judgment to evaluate alternatives, determine root causes, and develop practical and cost-effective solutions. Continuously seeks opportunities to improve processes, customer communication, monitoring capabilities, and engineering practices. Communication Prepares comprehensive engineering reports, presentations, technical findings, and customer communications. Effectively communicates complex technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences, including executive leadership, regulatory stakeholders, and customers. Represents the company during customer meetings, technical discussions, and industry forums related to power quality and reliability. Interpersonal Skills Build strong working relationships across Engineering, Operations, Customer Service, External Affairs, and customer organizations. Facilitates collaboration among stakeholders to resolve issues and achieve business objectives. Demonstrates professionalism, credibility, an