Substation Technician

• Objectives

To perform predictive, preventive, and corrective maintenance, and operation of equipment in distribution, transmission and generation station facilities. This position will focus on implementing the Association's reliability centered maintenance program and on data collection, analysis and trending involved in predictive maintenance.

As a member of a skilled technical team, including other substation and generation technical personnel, individuals in this position will install, commission, maintain, and evaluate for maintenance all types of Substation equipment. In addition, these individuals will assist other technical personnel in the performance of their duties.

• Reporting Relationships

Reports to: Senior Substation Technician, or Substation Technician, Leadman

Works in conjunction with Instrument/Control Technicians, Electronics Technicians, Relay/Control Wiring Technicians, and Substation Lineman.

• Performs Personally

Common with Relay Control Wiring Technicians, and Substation Lineman

• Maintains competency in testing and maintenance techniques, including safety practices, by attending Association provided training seminars and schools and by pro-actively exercising this knowledge on the job. Studies and understands equipment and training manuals. Will participate in annual evaluations of job performance and skills. These evaluations may be written, oral, or demonstrative and will be consistent with OPPA.

• Observes safe practices in performance of daily work.

• As required, uses computer equipment to; write test reports; maintain inventory and equipment history; interrogate and analyze data; and to test and program equipment.

• As required, assists in design/testing/construction of new equipment installations and completes as-built drawings and material orders for assigned projects.

• Coordinates work with other technicians, substation linemen, and engineers.

• Performs switching, grounding and clearing of equipment in substations for the Power Control Center.

• Analyzes detailed prints such as AC/DC diagrams, connect and interconnect, single-line and three line diagrams of circuits prior to starting projects. Informs appropriate personnel of the work day's problems before starting work.

• Prepares, forwards and updates, as required, station drawings, records of inventory data, installation and commissioning test results, as-builts and other relevant data as construction, maintenance, and commissioning work is completed.

• Performs other duties related to this classification as assigned.

• Substation Technician

• Individuals in this capacity will be proficient in the maintenance and operation of remotely and locally controlled substation equipment such as; oil circuit breakers, SF6 and vacuum breakers, transformers, circuit switchers, air break switches, motor operated switches, capacitors, reactors, load tap changers, surge arresters, SVC apparatus, regulators, reclosers, batteries, battery chargers, and related equipment.

• Individuals in this capacity will be proficient in data collection, trending, analysis and the documentation of maintenance issues. In addition, they will be experienced in predictive maintenance techniques, and the philosophy of Reliability Centered Maintenance.

• As part of the Substation O&M technical team, individuals in this capacity will be required to perform independently, as well as, cooperatively all of the testing procedures listed below. These tests will be used to bench mark as-found and as-left conditions during equipment maintenance and to collect data for interpretation, trending and analysis in the predictive maintenance program. Individuals will be expected to interpret resultant test data.

It is anticipated that additional tests will be added to this list as the predictive maintenance technology develops, individuals will be required to participate in Association sponsored training and attain proficiency in these new testing procedures.

Diagnostics, Predictive

• Acoustic Testing

• Infrared testing

• Partial Discharge Detection

• Battery conductance/impedance testing

• Fault Gas Sampling and data evaluation

• Mechanism/Ancillary equipment data evaluation

Predictive/As Found-As Left

• LTC Reduced Voltage Test

• Insulation Dissipation/Power Factor Test

• Voltage and Current Transformer Insulation and Saturation testing

• Power Circuit Breaker Motion Analysis

• Contact Resistance testing and evaluation

• High Current Testing and evaluation

• Capacitance Test

• Battery capacity testing

• Oil Dielectric Test

• Surge Arrester Testing

• Fuse Resistance Test

• Transformer Turns Ratio

• Winding Impedance Test

• SFRA

• First Trip Test

As Found-As Left

• Winding Resistance Test

• Vacuum Bottle Testing

• High Potting of Apparatus

• Insulation Resistance Test

• Dewpoint Measurement Test

• Leak Testing

• Voltage and Current Transformer turns ratio

• Physical Oil Sampling

• Contact Resistance Test

• Battery capacity testing

• Fuse Continuity Test

• Handles N2 and SF6 gases. Operates SF6 gas handling equipment.

• Operates equipment such as forklifts, aerial lifts and snow blowers required to perform their work.

• Installs and maintains auxiliary equipment such as battery banks, monitoring devices, and gauges.

Relationships

• Senior Substation Technician, or Substation Technician, Leadman: Reports to, receives work assignments from, discusses problems encountered in the work with, submits tests reports to, coordinates work assignments with.

1. Substation Lineman and Relay/Control wiring technicians: Coordinates activities and works with.

Job Qualifications

Education and Employment

High School graduation, two-year technical college degree related to electric power maintenance, and two or more years' experience directly related to testing, maintenance, repair and installation of equipment identified in section III, as well as predictive maintenance analysis and Reliability Centered Maintenance implementation or a four-year Substation Technician apprenticeship and a two-year technical college degree in electric power maintenance. Must have had Trigonometry, Algebra and have demonstrated proficiency in advanced math skills. In addition, individuals with a four-year electrical engineering degree (B.S.E.E.) and two years of power system engineering experience will be considered.

By majority vote, the Bid Committee may allow a candidate to be considered that would not otherwise meet the requirement for a two-year technical college degree related to Electric Power Maintenance. In these cases, experience directly related to substation design, construction, maintenance or testing would be substituted for this degree. In the event that the majority vote has been taken and the applicants experience is to be considered, the bid committee will develop and administer a written examination to determine if the applicant's knowledge and expertise is sufficient to substitute for these requirements. The Bid Committee may also require oral and demonstrative evaluation of the applicant's knowledge, skills and judgment. In the event that the applicant successfully passes the examination and interview process, the applicant will be considered along with all other applicants as described in section 3.4.4.

Experience

Experience which has included electrical theory, circuit breaker operation, transformer operation and connections, current and potential transformer application and connections, wiring techniques, protective relay and control device operation and maintenance, communication devices with protective/control applications, power substation construction and maintenance practices. Will have, or will be willing and capable of acquiring, knowledge of high and low voltage switching and clearance procedures and practices.

Abilities and Skills

Must have a basic understanding of Power System Operations, Synchronization, real and reactive power flows. Must be able to utilize substation test/diagnostic equipment, trouble shoot Substation Equipment and read; AC and DC control, relay wiring, and schematic drawings. Must be willing to study equipment and test manuals. Must have knowledge of basic electronic circuits and controls. Must have knowledge of basic PC operation, including Windows and Excel. Familiar with fundamentals of SCADA and Power System Communication and System Protection, as utilized in Transmission and Distribution and Generation Substations. Familiar with NEC and NESC, as they apply to Substation AC/DC Systems. Must have an understanding of Algebra, Trigonometry, and advanced math.

Other Requirements

• Valid Alaska Driver License. Current Red Cross First Aid/CPR Certificate or State of Alaska approved equal.

• May be called out for department needs outside of normal work hours.

• May be required to work out of town for extended periods of time.

Qualifications Verification

• All applicants may be required to pass a written/oral/demonstrative examination to identify skill levels.

Chugach Electric Association is a member-owned cooperative, headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. Anchorage itself sits at the base of the Chugach Mountains. Chugach is pleased to provide reliable, affordable power to more than 92,000 members from Anchorage to the northern Kenai Peninsula, and from Whittier on Prince William Sound to Tyonek on the west side of Cook Inlet. We service over 113,000 locations with 3,782 miles of transmission and distribution lines. We have many services that make it easy to power homes and businesses with Chugach.

A little more about us: Chugach has been around for a long time, recently celebrating 75 years! We are a stable company, in a stable industry. And while we may have stability, we are modern, sustainable and forward-thinking to ensure that we provide reliable services for generations to come. We also pride ourselves on the longevity of our employees. We have several 20, 30 and 40 + year tenured employees who continue foster an inclusive, innovative corporate environment. Find your spark!

Chugach's corporate vision:

Responsibly developing energy to build a clean, sustainable future for Alaska.

Chugach's corporate mission:

We provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity through superior service and sustainable practices, powering the lives of our members.

Chugach's corporate values:

Guided by our values of safety, accountability, and sustainability, we are committed to serving our members, the community, and the Chugach team.

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is a policy of Chugach Electric Association, Inc., to recruit, hire, train, promote, and compensate persons without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, physical or mental disability, veteran's status, age, or any other classification protected by applicable, federal, state, or local law.

Chugach is also an affirmative action employer.

Chugach Electric does not sponsor employment visas. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. at the time of application and throughout employment. Employees must be able to provide documentation to Chugach Electric to show their identity and authorization to work.