Facilities Engineer

Job Summary

The Facilities Engineer is responsible for supporting, planning, and executing plant projects involving mechanical, electrical, structural, and utility systems. This position serves as the site’s Electrical Subject Matter Expert (SME) and ensures that all electrical installations, maintenance activities, and system upgrades comply with NEC/NFPA 70, NFPA 70E, OSHA, and internal Howmet standards that exceed regulatory requirements. The role provides engineering leadership for capital projects, electrical power distribution, safety compliance, and reliability improvement initiatives.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

1. Project Engineering & Execution

• Lead capital and facility improvement projects from concept through commissioning, including scope development, cost estimation, scheduling, and milestone tracking.
• Integrate stakeholder manufacturing and processing requirements into equipment selection, facility layouts, and utility planning.
• Evaluate feasibility of new equipment or modifications, considering cost, space constraints, schedule, technical requirements, and operational impacts.
• Prepare, review, and maintain engineering documentation including equipment specifications, drawings, and installation requirements.
• Supervise electrical and mechanical contractors and provide technical direction to maintenance personnel during project implementation.
• Conduct Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), benchmarking, and vendor site visits as required (up to 25% travel).

2. Electrical Power Distribution (Primary Focus)

• Serve as the plant’s electrical technical authority, responsible for the design, sizing, maintenance, and troubleshooting of electrical power distribution systems (e.g., 480V 3-phase, switchgear, feeders, MCCs, grounding/bonding, overcurrent protection).
• Plan electrical system capacity for new and existing operations, including load calculations, conductor and device sizing, and system coordination.
• Lead and oversee arc-flash, short-circuit, and coordination studies; ensure labeling, documentation, and study intervals comply with applicable standards.
• Maintain accurate and current one-line diagrams, electrical system documentation, and equipment labeling.

3. Electrical Safety, Code Compliance & Contractor Oversight

• Lead implementation and continuous improvement of the Electrical Safety Program in alignment with NFPA 70E requirements, including energized work controls, PPE standards, approach boundaries, and training.
• Ensure electrical installations comply with NEC/NFPA 70, OSHA requirements, and Howmet Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) policies that exceed minimum code.
• Oversee contractor adherence to all safety, compliance, and quality expectations during electrical installation and maintenance activities.
• Participate in audits, inspections, and corrective-action planning to improve facility electrical safety and regulatory compliance.

4. Reliability, Maintenance Support & Documentation

• Lead or support preventive and predictive maintenance for electrical distribution systems; prioritize and coordinate repairs to maintain system reliability and operational continuity.
• Provide advanced troubleshooting assistance for equipment and facility systems to minimize downtime and improve overall equipment effectiveness.
• Support structured maintenance practices including LOTO, job briefings, energized work permits, and safe-work-practice adherence.
• Initiate purchase requisitions for maintenance supplies, spare parts, and electrical components.
• Prepare engineering reports, updates, KPIs, and risk assessments for leadership review.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical field; or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 3 years of engineering experience in a manufacturing, facilities, or industrial environment.
• Strong working knowledge of electrical theory and systems, including 480V 3-phase distribution.
• Demonstrated experience with electrical safe work practices, including the use of meters, verification of absence of voltage, and energized work protocols.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings (P&IDs, one-lines, equipment drawings).
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, SolidWorks, and standard office software.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to communicate technical information across levels and functions.

Preferred

• Experience implementing or supporting NFPA 70E programs.
• Familiarity with NEC article families commonly applied in industrial settings (110, 240, 250, 430, 500-506).
• Exposure to arc-flash studies and power-system modeling tools such as ETAP, SKM, or EasyPower.
• Professional certifications (PE, PMP, CFM) are a plus.

Physical Requirements

• Frequent walking and communication throughout the facility; occasional standing, climbing, kneeling, or crawling.
• Ability to lift and move up to 25 lbs.
• Adequate visual acuity for close, distance, and peripheral work tasks.

Work Environment

• Primarily plant-floor and facilities environment with exposure to industrial equipment, electrical systems, noise, heat, and manufacturing processes.
• May require off-shift support during installations, outages, or urgent maintenance activities.