System Administrator

Actalent is currently seeking a qualified System Administrator for a position in Spokane, WA.

This System Administrator position will provide technical system support and administration for the critical Energy Management Systems (JDE) organization at Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The position will provide full life-cycle support for critical Energy Management Systems (EMS) used in support of BPA’s Control Centers (CC). This includes operations, maintenance, and technical support for systems such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Automatic Generation Control (AGC), on-line power flow and state estimation systems, which provide real-time operational data and dispatcher training environments which simulate the power grid. Responsibilities also include supplemental technical project support. This position interacts cooperatively with personnel from organizations across BPA requiring 24/7 availability / reliability, including: Power Dispatchers (TORD & TORM), Operational Services (JO) (including Control System Monitors, hardware design, maintenance, and Power Systems Communications), Systems and Communication Testing (TETD), and Operations Support (TOO) organization among others.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide professional technical system administration, support, and assist to plan and implement software projects critical to Transmission Services.
• Assist with and provide recommendations on the interpretation of design specifications.
• Provide recommendations for and assist with approved complex, EMS technical designs.
• Draft, write, and recommend code and test plans for software that addresses business needs and complies with project documentation requirements. Follow approved test plans and established deployment procedures to perform testing and deployment activities.
• Facilitate, collaborate, and work with an internal development team reviewing the viability and optimum use of various development methodologies.
• As requested, code, test, configure, stage, migrate, maintain, and document various vendor and in-house applications to provide solutions that support business requirements.
• May provide technical evaluation, including weighted recommendations, as a non-voting advisor to a decision-making panel on potential technology solutions as requested.
• Support the biweekly deployment of updated EMS databases and displays to the operational systems, coordinating closely with BPA Dispatchers at both Dittmer Control Center (DCC) and Munro Control Center (MCC).
• Design, develop, and recommend software changes to improve performance for BPA approval; install and implement BPA -approved changes.
• Serve as a subject matter technical resource and primary point of contact for real-time Energy Management System software for BPA’s Control Centers (CCs), Dittmer and Munro. This work includes administer, install, maintain, and modify above systems, including:
• Recommend system / software modifications as need arises; implement approved changes.
• Run utility programs to compile, test, debug, and install software.
• Provide general application maintenance support including timely response to customer trouble reports, troubleshoot and analyze problems, develop and coordinate corrective actions, modify, test, and integrate code fixes.
• Provide application administration and development support including functional analysis, reviewing functional requirements, technical system analysis and design, develop, test, integrate and document application software, and associated displays and databases.
• Recommend software solutions and procedures to recover from malfunctions to keep downtime to a minimum; facilitate and drive implementation of approved solutions.
• Draft / develop operational procedures for computer operators, the Network and System Operations Center (N-SOC), software staff, and other users as required.
• Mark documents and maintain filing system(s), files, emails, and records in accordance with compliance requirements. Share and disperse documents only to appropriate personnel (those with a Lawful Government Purpose (LGP) to know). Mark and maintain all official records in accordance with the Information Security (INFOSEC) and Information Governance & Lifecycle Management (IGLM) standards and procedures. Validate official records are accurately maintained for auditing purposes.
• Serve as a resource to other software staff and users internal to BPA. Provide training on applications and systems, which may include creation of training materials and user guides, as well as conducting hands-on training.
• As needed, provide after-hours consultation related to computer operations, equipment failure, or program revisions and assist BPA personnel with correcting critical / emergency issues.

Qualifications

• A degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related technical field is preferred.
  • 3 years of directly related experience is required with an associate or bachelor’s degree in applicable fields.
  • 5 years of experience is required without degree or degree not in applicable fields.
• Experience must include direct work experience in Information Technology performing System Administration.
• 3 years of Windows server operating systems experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Experience with Microsoft Visual Studio for creating and debugging C++ applications.
• Ability to use high level programming languages such as C++, script sufficient to create, modify, and maintain applications written in these languages.
• Knowledge of and skill in applying the following:
• Data systems and control systems design, principles, practices, and concepts.
• High availability operations and maintenance design, principles, and concepts.
• Configuration management concepts and practices.
• Project management and coordination concepts and principles.

PREFFERED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• 2 years of experience with the use and support of Energy Management Systems (EMS) software in a power system control center environment, with complex computer interrelationships and network topologies.
• 2 years of GE - Alstom e-terraHabitat, e-terraPlatform (EMP), and e-terraControl (SMP) software experience, sufficient to develop, test, and integrate application software in those environments.
• Knowledge of NERC-CIP and FISMA requirements.
• Experience in utility sector enterprise IT.