Senior Power System Planning Expert

Job Description

Elia Grid International (EGI) is a global power systems consultancy driving innovation and excellence across the global energy sector. Building on the expertise of Elia Group (Belgium) and 50Hertz (Germany), EGI delivers strategic, technical, and regulatory advisory services to tackle complex challenges of the energy transition.

With offices in Belgium, Germany, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Canada, and the USA, EGI partners with clients across the globe to deliver high-impact projects in power system planning, smart grids design & digitalization, asset management, HVDC, FACTS, and renewable integration.

As we continue to scale up and expand internationally, our ambition is to become a global leader in power systems consultancy, helping build resilient and sustainable energy systems worldwide.

Your function

EGI is reinforcing its U.S.-based power system planning expertise to support major transmission, HVDC/HVAC, renewable integration, storage, data center, interconnection and grid infrastructure projects.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Power System Planning Expert / System Planning Lead to lead and perform advanced system studies and planning assessments. This is both a technical leadership and development-support role. You will provide the system planning backbone for complex infrastructure projects by assessing how proposed projects interact with the wider transmission system, identifying constraints and opportunities, validating planning assumptions, and translating study outcomes into clear project decisions.

You will work closely with the Interconnection Manager, who leads the interconnection process and negotiations, and the HVDC/HVAC Lead, who leads facility engineering and technical integration. Your role will ensure that system-level studies, reliability assessments and planning conclusions are technically robust, credible with U.S. utilities and ISOs/RTOs, and directly usable for project development, design, interconnection, regulatory, commercial and investment decisions.

You will also help EGI understand and anticipate U.S. transmission planning developments, market dynamics, grid constraints and policy changes that may affect project opportunities, risks and strategic positioning.

Responsibilities

• Lead power system planning studies for major transmission, HVDC/HVAC, renewable integration, storage, data center, interconnection and grid infrastructure projects in the U.S.
• Define and validate power system models, study assumptions, planning scenarios, critical operating points, contingency sets and sensitivity cases.
• Perform and/or review steady-state studies, including load flow, N-1 contingency analysis, voltage assessment, short-circuit calculations, transfer capability, hosting capacity and network constraint identification.
• Perform and/or coordinate dynamic studies where required, including frequency stability, transient stability, voltage stability, inverter-based resource integration, control interactions and system strength assessments.
• Assess the impact of new transmission infrastructure, HVDC links, renewable generation, BESS, data centers and other large load connections on system reliability, grid performance, congestion, curtailment and network upgrade needs.
• Assess transmission expansion needs, congestion impacts, curtailment risks, system upgrade requirements and broader grid development opportunities.
• Support the definition of planning methodologies for systems facing high renewable penetration, electrification, storage deployment, data center demand growth and increasing operational uncertainty.
• Monitor and analyze relevant ISO/RTO and utility transmission planning processes, including planning assumptions, policy changes, stakeholder processes and emerging system needs.
• Translate system study outcomes into clear project implications, including technical requirements, network reinforcements, operational constraints, risks, cost impacts, schedule implications and mitigation options.
• Support the Interconnection Manager by providing technical input to interconnection applications, system impact studies, facilities studies, ISO/RTO discussions and transmission owner interfaces.
• Support the HVDC/HVAC Lead by translating planning conclusions into technical requirements for substations, converter stations, grid connection facilities, protection concepts and system integration.
• Support project development teams in assessing project viability, including grid capacity, network upgrade exposure, interconnection risks and potential optimization of interconnection positions.
• Support RFP responses, technical due diligence, regulatory/policy input, investment decision processes and client advisory work by providing clear planning assumptions, risks and recommendations.
• Prepare high-quality technical reports, presentations, executive summaries and decision papers explaining study results, assumptions, risks, alternatives and recommended development paths.
• Interact with clients, utilities, ISOs/RTOs, transmission owners, OEMs, project developers and other stakeholders to present study outcomes and defend technical recommendations.
• Review and coordinate contributions from internal experts, junior engineers, external consultants and specialized study providers where required.
• Contribute to the development of EGI's U.S. power system planning capabilities, methodologies, stakeholder relationships and strategic positioning in key ISO/RTO and utility markets.

Required qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems Engineering or a related discipline.
• Typically 10+ years of professional experience in power system planning, transmission system studies, utility planning, ISO/RTO studies, grid consulting, system operations or related fields.
• Strong expertise in power system planning, transmission planning, grid integration studies and reliability assessment.
• Strong experience with transmission planning studies, master planning, pre-feasibility assessments, interconnection studies, renewable integration studies, BESS integration, load growth analysis and transmission investment evaluation.
• Strong knowledge of steady-state power system analysis, including load flow, N-1 contingency analysis, voltage assessment, short-circuit calculations, transfer capability, hosting capacity and grid constraint identification.
• Experience with dynamic stability studies, including frequency stability, transient stability, voltage stability, converter-based resources, inverter-based resource integration and control interactions.
• Experience with U.S. transmission planning, ISO/RTO processes, utility planning practices, interconnection studies or reliability standards.
• Experience with power system simulation tools such as PSS/E, PowerFactory, PSCAD, PSLF, TARA, PROMOD, GridView, PowerWorld or equivalent tools.
• Ability to translate complex technical data and study results into clear strategic insights, practical recommendations and actionable decisions.
• Ability to interact credibly with clients, utilities, ISOs/RTOs, transmission owners, OEMs, project developers and senior project leadership.
• Strong report-writing, presentation, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Structured, proactive, analytical and able to work in complex projects with multiple technical, regulatory, commercial and schedule interfaces.
• Fluency in English and willingness to travel within the U.S. and internationally as required.

Preferred qualifications

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems Engineering, Energy Systems or a related discipline.
• Knowledge of power system economics, production cost modelling, market simulations, congestion analysis, curtailment assessment and transmission investment optimization.
• Experience with one or more U.S. ISO/RTO or utility planning environments, such as CAISO, NYISO, PJM, ISO-NE, MISO, ERCOT, SPP or relevant utility-led planning processes.
• Experience monitoring or contributing to ISO/RTO transmission planning processes, stakeholder forums, technical working groups or planning committees.
• Experience supporting regulatory filings, policy comments, stakeholder engagement or technical positions related to transmission planning and interconnection.
• Experience in large-scale transmission, HVDC, renewable energy, storage, offshore wind, data center interconnection or grid infrastructure projects.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers, coordinating multidisciplinary study teams or managing technical workstreams.
• Professional Engineer registration, or progress toward PE registration, is considered an asset.

Location & Work Arrangement

• U.S.-based role (preferably California or East Coast, New York area)
• Hybrid or remote, with regular travel to client sites, projects, and EGI offices. Typically 25-40%, depending on projects and business development

Work Authorization
Candidates must be authorised to work in the U.S. Visa sponsorship may be considered depending on profile and business needs.

Compensation and benefits
Final compensation will depend on location, experience, qualifications, and seniority. EGI offers a competitive benefits package, which includes health insurance, retirement benefits, paid time off, professional development opportunities, international project exposure and performance-based incentives, subject to applicable company policies and local employment arrangements.

What we offer

• Permanent or freelance employment in a fast-growing international power systems consultancy;
• Attractive salary package and an extensive array of fringe benefits;
• Exposure to major U.S. and international transmission, interconnection and energy transition projects;
• Opportunity to contribute directly to the development of EGI's U.S. platform and international infrastructure business;
• Unique training, personal development and growth opportunities;

At EGI, we value diversity and inclusion. We are firmly committed to promoting gender equality in all aspects of our organization, from recruitment to professional development. We believe that diverse teams are more creative, innovative, and high-performing. Join us to contribute to an environment where everyone has equal opportunities for growth and fulfilment.

Choose EGI and help us guide the worldwide power sector into a future of clean and sustainable energy, smarter and more flexible grids, decentralized production and HVDC systems that span across seas and land to interconnect countries, regions, and different energy markets for the benefit of generations to come.