Scope of Role
As the Chief Dam Safety Engineer, you will serve as the technical authority and strategic lead for Energy Keepers Inc’s most critical compliance and safety operations. This position offers a unique blend of high-level engineering oversight and dynamic project management. You will enjoy significant autonomy, working under minimal supervision to ensure our hydropower generation facilities operate at the peak of safety and regulatory compliance.
Key Impact Areas:
- Strategic Compliance Leadership: You will own the full lifecycle—management, assessment, and improvement—of our FERC Dam Safety, EAP, and COOP compliance programs.
- Complex Problem Solving: You will analyze diverse variables to solve unrelated and complex engineering problems, identifying relevant data to drive logical, effective solutions for equipment and facilities.
- Stakeholder Synergy: You will be the face of EKI’s safety initiatives, communicating effectively across all organizational levels. You will expertly navigate relationships with Regulatory Agencies, Tribal leadership, Vendors, and Contractors to achieve collaborative results.
Operational Command: From preparing project budgets to resolving high-level conflicts, you will use initiative and resourcefulness to keep the O&M team informed and prepared for any scenario.
Essential Duties
- Consults with and advises the Director of Power Plant O&M on such aspects as priorities, staffing, funding requirements and project milestones.
- Plans and carry out assignments independently, setting own priorities and coordinating/consulting as necessary.
- Independently resolves problems involving deviations from established procedure, unfamiliar situations, or unusual requirements.
- Utilize industry resources to identify new and innovative techniques and best practices. Serve as champion for new techniques as appropriate.
- Responsible for development, implementation and management of EKI’s FERC Dam Safety Program, Emergency Action Plan, and COOP Compliance Programs.
- As appropriate, recommend and use specialized consultants.
- Manage the Dam Safety “Lessons Learned” process and ensure that all appropriate personnel are aware of industry “Best Practices”.
- Develops and maintains emergency action and warning plans for Kerr Dam.
- Develops public involvement plans for transfer of information to key agencies and the public.
- Provide training appropriate personnel on actions to assure compliance with the Dam Safety, EAP and COOP programs.
- Develops and implements a continuing Kerr Dam Safety Training Program for on-site project staff, operations personnel, and other EKI personnel in effective observation of structural elements, recognition of structural and instrumentation conditions symptomatic of potential distress, analysis of distress conditions, response (operations and/or repair) procedures and methods, and emergency notification procedures.
- Develops and coordinates Kerr’s Dam Safety Assurance Program, including scope, procedures, methods and schedules for inspection, surveillance, instrumentation data monitoring, and analysis.
- Coordinates collection and processing of data from instrumentation data monitoring for Kerr Dam; establishes schedules and procedures to assure routine and specialized data collection, verification, processing, storage, and filing is performed as required
- Coordinates review and analyses of plotted and tabulated data to assure timely recognition of problems or changed conditions.
- Prepare reports based on this coordinated review and analysis.
- Conducts and coordinates special and periodic inspections of Kerr Dam, prepares reports of inspections and coordinates determination of project deficiencies, documentation, and resolution of corrective actions or adjustments.
- Represents EKI as the Kerr Dam Safety Program Manager, Kerr Dam Safety Specialist point of contact for Tribal, Federal, State, and local government agencies and the public.
- Promotes EKI’s expertise in dam safety and provides training as requested and assigned.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Specific Skills, Knowledge, Experience & Education Required:
- Skill in maintaining effective working relationships with both internal and external customers
- Skill in written and verbal communications with ability to explain/defend project status and make presentations in public forums, etc.
- Skill in applying advanced engineering and dam safety theories, principles, concepts, standards, and methods to:
- Resolve unique or novel problems and conditions.
- Significantly alter standard practices, equipment, devices, processes, and known techniques.
- Provide expert dam safety advice to Director of Power Plant O&M, EKI CEO, Board of Directors, and/or the Tribal Council.
- Provide significant and innovative recommendations for advancing the Dam Safety program/methods; and
- Execute significant projects representing an important segment of Kerr’s operating programs or affecting the welfare of the public and/or the sustainability of natural resources and the environment.
- Must have demonstrable skill in the evaluation of technical performance, identifying potential improvements, and determining and applying “Best Practices” in technical areas.
- Strong abilities to communicate both orally and in writing, with working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, project management, and performance monitoring software.
- Experience in operation, maintenance, and management of similar facilities; specific experience in operating dams and hydropower plants preferred.
- Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering or Science discipline with at least five years’ experience in a power plant or major hydraulic structures technology, design, troubleshooting, operations and/or performance evaluation is required.
- Expertise and experience in Dam Safety Programs is preferred.
- Registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of Montana or the ability to become licensed as a Professional Engineer in the State of Montana within six months is strongly preferred.
- Valid State Driver’s License
- A broad technical background and experience in various functions of a power plant or major hydraulic structures is preferred.
- Commitment to excellence and high standards.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills; able to manage priorities and workflow.
- Ability to work independently and as a member of various teams and committees.
- Versatility, flexibility, and a willingness to work within constantly changing priorities with enthusiasm.
Work Conditions
Physical requirements include:
- Possibility of working on feet for extensive periods.
- Requiring stairs and ladder climbing; and
- Routinely lifting 50 pounds.
Protective equipment must be worn in the performance of some duties (e.g. hard hats, safety glasses, air masks, ear protection, chemical suits, hot gloves, high voltage protective equipment, etc.) Working with hazardous materials may be required.
Normal working hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Work is performed both remotely and at the Kerr Hydropower Plant requiring protective clothing and equipment. Travel may be required to meet project requirements.
Extended hours may be required based on specific requirements. All employees will participate in the Fitness for Duty Program and are subject to background checks for security clearance and credit checks for positions with fiscal responsibility.
Energy Keepers, Incorporated, is an Indian Preference Employer. Energy Keepers, Incorporated is a federally chartered corporation, wholly owned by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes that operates and maintains hydropower facilities and sells the electricity generated thereby.
The statements contained in this job description are not all-inclusive; additional duties may be assigned, and requirements may vary from time to time.