Balance of Plant (BOP) Engineer III | Cooling & Water Systems

Date: Jun 4, 2025

Location: PHOENIX, AZ, US, 85004-3903

Company: APS

Arizona Public Service generates reliable, affordable and clean energy for 2.7 million Arizonans. As the state’s largest and longest-serving energy provider, our more than 6,000 dedicated employees power our vision of creating a sustainable energy future for Arizona.

 

Our present and future success depends on the creative and dedicated people of our company who demonstrate the principles outlined in the APS Promise: Design for Tomorrow, Empower Each Other and Succeed Together.  

Summary

Balance of Plant (BOP) Engineer III | Cooling & Water Systems:

 

We’re seeking a technically strong and reliability-focused Balance of Plant Engineer III to support the essential cooling and water systems that keep our power plant operations running smoothly and efficiently. In this role, you’ll work across disciplines to provide technical expertise, asset health oversight, and operational support all with the goal of ensuring safe, stable, and continuous plant performance.

 

This is a role for someone who enjoys being hands-on with systems, solving challenges in real time, and collaborating across plant operations, maintenance, and engineering teams. You’ll help lead the charge on system diagnostics, long-term outage planning, and the evaluation of equipment reliability all while supporting ongoing improvements to plant performance and efficiency. Occasional shift work may be required to support critical maintenance during outages.

 


Key Skills & Tasks:
System Health Management
– Oversee the performance, reliability, and longevity of plant mechanical systems with a focus on water and cooling infrastructure.
Troubleshooting – Identify, analyze, and resolve mechanical issue across a variety of plant assets to minimize downtime and maintain safe operations.
Outage Support – Provide technical engineering support for both planned and forced outages, ensuring smooth execution and quick recovery.
Long-Term Planning – Develop and maintain strategic maintenance and outage plans, supporting equipment life-cycle strategies and resource forecasting.
Design Review – Execute or review minor plant design changes and assess EPC contractor designs for accuracy, compliance, and efficiency.
Cross-Functional Collaboration – Partner with operations, maintenance, environmental, and site management teams to align engineering recommendations with plant priorities.
Technical Leadership – Take ownership of engineering decisions and provide occasional mentorship to junior engineers, fostering a learning-focused team culture.
Documentation & Analysis – Maintain detailed engineering records, reports, and assessments to support system diagnostics, compliance, and continuous improvement.

 


People We Want to Talk To:
- Engineers who are passionate about keeping systems running—and take pride in maintaining reliability, safety, and operational excellence.
- Professionals with a background in mechanical systems who have hands-on experience with cooling water systems, pumps, heat exchangers, and piping infrastructure.
- Collaborators who build strong relationships across teams and know how to bridge the gap between engineering theory and field practicality.
- Strategic thinkers who are comfortable working both short-term (maintenance events) and long-term (capital planning and upgrades).
- Engineers who are comfortable rolling up their sleeves, digging into asset diagnostics, and owning the health of critical systems.

Minimum Requirements

Generation Systems Engineer III- Steam Turbines

  • A four-year bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline or related applied science discipline (see approved list) from an ABET accredited institution, an International Engineering Alliance (IEA) recognized institution or an ABET Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) institution. 
  • Five (5) years working experience in Engineering-related positions.  

 

Preferred Special Skills, Knowledge or Qualifications

  • Problem analysis/resolution techniques.
  • Knowledge of applicable codes, standards, practices, methods and safety standards in the area of applicable engineering discipline. 
  • Experience in the utility industry.  
  • Professional Engineer (PE) licensure.

 

Approved degrees:  Materials Science/Metallurgy, Physics, Chemistry, Math, Nuclear, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, Electronics, Computer Science, Environmental, Chemical, Architectural, Structural.  (A four-year bachelor of Engineering Technology degree is not considered an automatic equivalent for a B.S. degree in Engineering.  A review of the degree program curriculum must be completed by Engineering department management.)

Major Accountabilities

1) Prepares engineering plans, designs, analysis, specifications, cost estimates, evaluations, studies, technical reviews, investigations and verifications.
Complies with design, regulatory, operating and maintenance requirements.
Ensures engineering analyses, design, project control, schedule commitments, or oversight work is technically sound, cost effective, and in compliance with established standards, codes, and regulations.
Checks and reviews analysis, evaluations, and investigations of others.
2) Interfaces with customers and other departments to ensure project objectives are understood and that work scope meets customer requirements, budget and schedule.
Contacts customers and various levels of management to obtain or present technical data.
Presents the results of designs, studies projects (in terms of new techniques) or approaches to subordinates, colleagues, management and customers.
3) Enhances department performance and productivity and/or unit performance by formulating, coordinating, performing analysis and making recommendations for improvements. Provides technical assistance and guidance to department personnel to enhance department performance and productivity.
4) May provide oversight of engineering technical programs by managing the program requirements, working with cross organizational partners, reviewing and internalizing operating experience and coordinating corrective actions to ensure engineering program elements continue to remain healthy.
5) May assume responsibility for small- to medium-scale projects which include planning, designing, scheduling and coordinating all facets of the project.
Identifies potential schedule or quality problems and initiates corrective action.
Takes initiative to eliminate barriers and uses resources to ensure desired results.
May interface with outside agencies and regulatory authorities.
6) Provides technical guidance and leadership to less experienced engineers.
7) May participate in developing long-range strategies for significant site problems.
8) Provides input to projects and recommends modifications to increase operating efficiency and/or reviews design and documentation of projects to ensure compliance with design specifications, schedules and any regulatory requirements.
9) Remains cognizant of current technology and engineering developments as well as industry and competitive developments.

Export Compliance / EEO Statement

This position may require access to and/or use of information subject to control under the Department of Energy's Part 810 Regulations (10 CFR Part 810), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (15 CFR Parts 730 through 774), or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) (22 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter M Part 120) (collectively, 'U.S. Export Control Laws'). Therefore, some positions may require applicants to be a U.S. person, which is defined as a U.S. Citizen, a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (i.e. 'Green Card Holder'), a Political Asylee, or a Refugee under the U.S. Export Control Laws. All applicants will be required to confirm their U.S. person or non-US person status. All information collected in this regard will only be used to ensure compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws, and will be used in full compliance with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of national origin and other factors. For positions at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Stations (PVNGS) all openings will require applicants to be a U.S. person.

Pinnacle West Capital Corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates ('Pinnacle West') maintain a continuing policy of nondiscrimination in employment. It is our policy to provide equal opportunity in all phases of the employment process and in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. This policy of nondiscrimination shall include, but not be limited to, recruiting, hiring, promoting, compensating, reassigning, demoting, transferring, laying off, recalling, terminating employment, and training for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, disability, age, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other classification or characteristic protected by law.

For more information on applicable equal employment regulations, please refer to EEO is the Law poster. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of every person hired to work in the United States, refer to E-Verify poster. View the employee rights and responsibilities under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

In compliance with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988, the Company is committed to a work environment that is free from the effects of alcohol and controlled substances, and free from the abuse or inappropriate use of prescribed and over-the-counter medications. The Company requires employees to be subject to drug and alcohol testing that is job-related and consistent with business necessity, regulatory requirements and applicable laws.

Hybrid: Employees in hybrid roles work both in their home offices (virtually) and alongside their colleagues (in person).

In order for employees to build strong relationships and to promote meaningful in-person interactions, hybrid employees are expected to work about 40% of their time in-person at an APS or other (non-home office) location.

 

*Employees are expected to reside in Arizona (or New Mexico for Four Corners-based employees). 

*Working from a home office requires adequate technology and an appropriate ergonomic set up. 

*Role types are subject to change based on business need.


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