Position Description:

Title and Grade: Utility Engineering Specialist 1, Grade 18
Salary Range: $86,001 - $103,656 (see additional comments)
Position Description: Permanent, Competitive, Full-time, PS&T
Location: Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission; New York, NY

About the Department:
The New York State Department of Public Service (DPS or Department) works to: ensure safe, affordable, and reliable access to electric, gas, steam, water, and telecommunications services at just and reasonable rates for New York State customers, protect the natural environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions via transmission and siting of renewable energy resources, and augment the resiliency of utility infrastructure. 

Minimum Qualifications:
General Public
Non-Competitive (NY HELPS)*:
Applicants must have a bachelor's degree or higher in an accredited engineering curriculum.

Preferred candidates would have a minimum of six credit hours in one of the following areas: outdoor noise propagation, indoor noise propagation, computer noise modeling, assessment and mitigation of mechanical noise, collection, or analysis of noise measurements, and/or at least one year of relevant experience in the above-named areas. Preferred candidates would have knowledge of the operation of sound level meters (B&K, Norsonics, Rion, Larson-Davis, or similar) and collection of sound measurements; post-processing of collected sound data; 3D outdoor computer noise modeling (e.g., CadnaA, Predictor, Traffic Noise Model (TNM), Integrated Noise Model (INM)); and operation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or similar mapping software. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (Pivot tables, lookup functions, graphs, and filters) and Microsoft Access is also preferred.

Duties Description
The Utility Engineering Specialist 1, Grade 18, will work in the Generation Section of the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) and with a focus on acoustics, perform a critical regulatory role in the review, approval, compliance, and enforcement of the State’s large-scale renewable energy program through oversight of the environmental permitting process and construction of electric generation facilities and electric and gas transmission. The position primarily focuses on the acoustics of wind turbines for large scale wind generating facilities, noise-generating components of large-scale solar generating facilities, electrical substations, as well as general construction noise associated with these large-scale renewable generating facilities and electric transmission lines. Specific duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assisting with the review and substantive analysis of project application materials, compliance filings, Environmental Management and Construction Plans (EM&CP), noise mitigation assessments, and computer noise modeling results in accordance with New York State laws and regulations in order to meet the State’s renewable energy goals, ensure the reliability of the electric transmission system, and ensure the protection of the environment and surrounding communities.
• Providing support and contributing to the office’s siting, permitting, and compliance responsibilities for large-scale electric generation and electric and gas transmission facilities.
• Performing field site visits and data collection and assisting with the documentation of pre-construction baseline sound conditions, post-construction noise and vibration tests; reviewing results of data collection for determination of compliance with noise or vibration conditions.
• Investigating and/or assisting with field site visits and investigation of noise and vibration related complaints received by the Department for construction and operational phases of jurisdictional large-scale renewable energy generation and electric transmission projects within New York State.
• Performing data analysis and visualization of collected sound data from field instrumentation for determination of compliance with noise or vibration conditions using Microsoft Excel and/or Microsoft Access and other applicable software.
• Participating as an integral member of inter-office, multi-disciplinary project teams that review applications and construction plans and complete field reconnaissance through all phases of project development and permitting.
• Leveraging and analyzing information from multiple sources, including state and federal agencies during the permit application review process.
• Attending meetings and corresponding with other state and federal agencies, developers, utilities, local governments, and communities regarding proposed projects to discuss concerns and gather feedback.

Additional Comments:
The above salary range reflects the Geographic Pay Differential of $17,000 and Downstate Adjustment of $4,000.

*This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply. At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

This position will require at least 20% travel, which requires possession of a valid driver’s license.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The Department of Public Service is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by contacting the Designee for Reasonable Accommodations (DRA) and Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator which can be found under the Accessibility Link on the Department’s webpage at https://dps.ny.gov.

To Apply
Please send a resume, cover letter, and proof of meeting the minimum qualifications to recruiting@dps.ny.gov or fax to Human Resources Management at (518)473-9990. Please reference “Utility Engineering Specialist 1, NYHELPS posting 00661 – NYC” when applying.