Production Technician (Operations, Level I - IV) - Oglethorpe Power Corporation

Are you an experienced power plant or industrial operator looking for an exciting new opportunity? Our 500 MW natural gas-fired combined cycle plant, featuring state-of-the-art Siemens combustion turbines, seeks a dedicated and skilled Technician to join our team.

Why You'll Love Working with Us:

• Cutting-Edge Technology: Operate and maintain advanced 2X1 power block systems, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient electric power generation.
• Comprehensive Learning: Gain in-depth knowledge of our plant systems and equipment and perform thorough analysis to preempt and resolve potential issues.
• Hands-On Experience: Conduct operator rounds, troubleshooting, and a variety of maintenance tasks, enhancing both your skills and the longevity of our equipment.
• Safety First: Work within a framework of stringent safety protocols and regulations, including FERC, EPA, EPD, OSHA, and DOT standards.
• Team Environment: Join a supportive team that values collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

Job Duties:

• Responsible for the support of the performance, operations and maintenance of an approximate 500 MW natural gas fired combined cycle plant, consisting of a 2X1 power block utilizing Siemens combustion turbines in a manner consistent with providing safe, reliable and efficient electric power generation.
• Must understand concepts to learn to operate the equipment and perform plant systems analysis to take actions for identifying, resolving and/or avoiding failure modes. In addition, the individual performs operator rounds, troubleshooting, preventive, corrective and predictive maintenance on plant systems/equipment to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable plant operations, as well as enhance equipment longevity, complying with all policies and procedures, and governmental regulations.
• Responsible for providing reliable and efficient electric power generation in compliance with corporate safety policies and procedures, mandatory electric reliability standards, FERC, EPA, EPD, OSHA, DOT and all applicable governmental regulations.
• Responsible for daily plant operations and supporting maintenance programs to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable plant operations, complying with corporate policies and procedures, and all governmental regulations. Must strive to achieve dispatch orders and keep GSOC informed of all changes in plant capability. Daily plant operations includes start-up and shutdown of the plant and various equipment, operator rounds, daily chemistry activities, off-loading of chemical trucks, addressing chemical inventory, as needed, and shift log communications.
• Take appropriate corrective actions to address abnormal conditions, engage needed resources or supervisor, notify plant personnel/management and utilize work order/management processes. This may also include researching alternative solutions, contractor oversight and/or identifying spare parts/supplies that are required to complete repairs or diagnostics.
• Support the Clearance Program for isolating energy sources prior to performing work. This includes accountability and comprehension of plant systems and ability to ready process and instrumentation diagrams (P&ID's), electrical one-line diagrams and other technical manuals or drawings.
• Complete all required and developmental training to ensure personal compliance, safe work practices, and operational excellence while performing duties. Follow all established procedures and provide feedback for continuous improvement of program and procedures. In addition, take a leadership role for daily on-the-job training opportunities and support special training assignments.
• Ensure that all operator logs (shift, CEMS, chemistry, round sheets, generation, etc...) are properly filled out and stored. Support completion of all mandatory compliance reporting for Safety, Environmental, CEMS, NERC/SERC (such as relay operation), GADS (units derate & outage events) and/or other agencies.
• Support project and/or contract management, as assigned which may include budget management.
• Maintains job related qualifications, system knowledge, and understanding of OPC policies and procedures (Emergency Action Plan, Environmental Baseline Book, SERC Plant Level Procedures, etc.).

Required Qualifications:

Education: High School Graduate-General Studies

Experience: Six (6) years of experience in operation or maintenance of an operating commercial power production facility including nuclear, coal, gas facility, or equivalent military experience. In addition, a highly developed analytical and technical problem-solving background.

Equivalent Experience: Two (2) years or greater technical degree or equivalent, and four (4) years of experience in operating or maintaining a thermal electric power station, equivalent military or similar industry. In addition, a highly developed analytical and technical problem-solving background. Consideration of equivalent experience will be determined based on a combination of education, training, and professional, technical or military experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job. Education considered may include technical and college studies and degrees, industrial training programs and certifications, and military training. Experience considered may include related industrial and military work.

Specialized Skills:

• A strong ability to work in a team environment.
• An effective trainer of personnel and one that motivates others to succeed.
• The ability to extract, comprehend and develop instructions from technical manuals, journals, and drawings, technical literature and other job-related material; and to effectively communicate orally and inwriting using the English language.
• Possess independent decision-making capabilities in stressful situations with minimum supervision.
• The ability to discern the colors red, green, amber and blue as used in troubleshooting electrical diagrams, control system process and in color coding used in electronic and electrical component repairs.
• The ability to lift weights or twist with a force of up to 75 pounds, as in the removal and replacement of access doors to equipment, turning of valves, hoisting of material overhead.
• Working in confined spaces and at heights, as in entering internal areas of the turbine for inspection or repairs during outages, climbing ladders to gain access, working within tight quarters of surrounding piping and conduit to perform troubleshooting functions.
• The ability to troubleshoot electrical, instrument and mechanical systems for malfunctions.
• The ability to instruct others in the performance of testing, checkout and troubleshooting of equipment.
• The ability to provide technical direction and leadership when assigned work lead in the modifications and/or repairs of plant equipment.
• The ability to perform predictive maintenance and interpret data on plant equipment performance, if trained as a technology owner.
• The ability to perform contractor management skills when needed.

Licenses, Registrations, and/or Certifications: Valid driver's license, which meets Oglethorpe Power insurance requirements.

Travel: 10%

Unusual Hours: Will require scheduled and call out OT as plant operating and maintenance needs dictate. Production schedules require 24-hour coverage, rotating shift schedules are required.