senior operator

operator

operations engineer

billing analyst

senior technician

Calpine

I would advise to NOT work at Calpine. They keep you so busy here you literally do not have time to use the restroom. Management is clueless as to what's going on and just lays down impossible assignments and expects them done in impossible timeframes.  Everyone is so overworked and overstreched that you see people coming and leaving quickly (work only a few months and then leave somewhere else) after getting rapidly burnt out.  Very stressfull environment, you may be working nights / weekends / holidays / even PTO days. Expectation is to download MS Teams and MS outlook on to your personal mobile phone for 24/7 availability and response.  Pay is higher than industry average, but that's because each person is doing 2 - 3 people's work, which Mgmt. acknowledges.  Vacation policy is a joke and includes all sick days, and can rapidly be depleted causing you to have a negative balance (money owed), unless you purchased (up to 2 weeks) PTO days in advance during open enrollment.  

They keep their staffing very lean so they can pay more, but expect much more from each person.  Be forewarned, this place is a zoo, absolute zoo. Your calendar will be inundated with meetings all day long, on top of all the admin. tasks, dozens of emails and MS Teams Messages, and ad-hoc requests, on top of your normal project-related work expected of you. The only way you can find yourself staying afloat and meeting deadlines is by working late hours/weekends consistently numerous times throughout the year. Hiring/Firing happens often for any level of employees, and vendors / service providers come and go very quick as if they are disposable. Very rapidly changing environment. If you want long-term growth and stability and to keep your mental accuity, as well as work-life balance, I would advise to seek employment elsewhere and skip Calpine's enticing offer letter showing a higher base pay / bonus vs. industry peers. Don't get suckered in by that higher salary and bonus promise. The bonuses are also taxed very heavily. You may not realize it now, but you will be very grateful you skipped Calpine in the long-term, and went elsehwere.

Answered phones, kept site visitors log, copied plot drawings, created labels for books and files, assisted the document control clerk with entry of drawings in expedition 6.4, assisted the engineers and start up in locating drawings and manuals, transmitted packages and/or books via ups online to various personnel and vendors, received faxes and mail, assisted the project administration manager with various duties such as coding the invoices and composing the monthly financial book, coordinated the safety trainings with Houston area safety council for all employees and vendors working on site, completed safety report of man hours, responsible for count of all calpine employees and vendors in the event of an alarm, travel arrangements for engineers and managers, scheduled meetings, ordered and maintained office supplies, purchased commodities for the calpine employees, coordinated the construction site trailer(s) repairs, coordinated the furniture purchases and deliveries, assisted the commissioning group with the action item list in access.

The employees work in good harmony with one another. My team was small but we were all on the same page. I realized we were not just working for what we could see but for a bigger scope. We are there to build and educate others on green energy. The new wave for a better tomorrow. A typical day of work consisted of researching, data entry, organizing and coding into proper retention scheduling. The hardest part of my job besides the lay off was the woman who hired me is an expert in her field and I wanted her to mentor me but she left after 2wks for another incredible opportunity that would help her to grow her gifts and talents. What I have learned is not to take any moment for granted. It is a blessing to have a job. The most enjoyable was the beginning of the day as I entered the building. I knew I would give it my all. I have learned not to be shaken by your circumstances. All things work together for our good. The seen is only temporary and the unseen is eternal.

•	Provided interdepartmental assistance including, document control, engineering documentation and submittals, and contracts management. 
•	Assisted with monthly cost accruals and budgets, and reconciled inconsistencies.
•	Generated and distributed monthly progress reports concerning budgets, costs, progress, safety, executive summaries, engineering updates and vendor reports to internal parties such as banks, vendors, and contractors in a timely fashion.
•	Processed invoices sent to accounts payable for billing inquiries and payment approvals.
•	Responsible for monitoring contractor hours, maintaining deadlines, compiling project data and creating monthly project reports.
•	Edited correspondence and certified documented preliminary orders from contractors.
•	Prioritized and maintained a cost-effective budget. 
•	Utilized X-Track business reflex tool to upload and download drawings for engineers; documented transmittals to vendors.


My internship at Calpine's power plant was an incredible experience! From day one, the management team made me feel like a valued part of the crew. They were patient, knowledgeable mentors who ensured I got hands-on training in all aspects of plant operations. Despite the hard work, there was always a fun, upbeat atmosphere. The managers encouraged us interns to ask questions and think creatively about improving processes. We even had engineering design competitions with fun prizes! Outside of work, the team bonded over plant barbecues and recreational activities. I made some great friends and mentors. Calpine's management epitomizes the perfect balance of professionalism and creating an enjoyable workplace culture. Their commitment to developing young talent is unmatched. I'm so grateful for the enriching summer I spent learning from the best in the business!

Working at my job typical day starts at 4a.m. and get off at 4p.m.  I have learned about cogeneration working out here.  Working with gas turbines and steam turbines and all there inner workings producing electricity.  The management out here is not interested in fixing anything until it breaks.  Other guys that work out here dont want to retire so there is no room for advancement anytime soon.  There really is nothing hard about this job, its very laid back.  The most enjoyable part of my job is producing the electricity to be put onto the grid.  The company does take very good care of us feed us lunch once a week, always giving us gifts.

The job I was hired for has nothing to do with my former experience.  They do things backwards as if was late 90’s not sure why?  They don’t have good documentation nor appropriate training. The manager doesn’t have a clue what’s going on.  Nor is he open to better ways of doing things.  Job might be good for a newbie but not someone that is knowledgeable. Ask a lot of questions especially pertaining to extra deductions and your PTO..  They ended up charging me for parking per month and this was not in the offer letter nor mentioned.  Furthermore, the PTO was not negotiated either.  Management and recruiting should be more open when doing interviews.  Don’t waste people’s time:

Like any company that is recuperating from debt this company still trying to find the path to success.  
Unfortunately, technology takes a back seat; as a result, processes improvement suffers a great deal leaving a major margin for human error. 
Morale is low – employee turnaround is frequent – most IT workforce is contract base with no option to perm.  Outsourcing is a major player creating a cloud of job uncertainty. 

Contract workers contribute to the growth of the company as much and some times more than employees, yet they are not recognized for their efforts in presentations or even included in company Holiday celebrations. 




The company has been in desperate times throughout their entire tenure.  The owners (previous) and managers are taught to blame all adverse actions and failures on contractors and managers that don't meet some imaginary model.  The highest level of managers blame all the companies lack of financial success on someone else. They downsize ruthlessly.  They harbor no remorse for inhuman action and even joke about it.  Its is so typical of a failing and losing team spirit.  Its never the team's failure, it has to be shedding failure on to other entities that have no way of controlling success or failure.  Pure Denial.

The plant is in a state of disrepair and management is too concerned about exceeding the budget to fix anything. The job itself is relaxed and the work schedule is awesome. Operations is currently working 7on/7off rotating days/nights. Co-workers are easy to get along with as well.The hardest part of the job is dealing with all of the broken and retired in place equipment. Pay raises are on the lacking side. You get one per year and it's less than inflation. (about 2.5-3%max)

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Senior operator 25 salaries reported	$57.04 per hour
Operator 19 salaries reported	$47.09 per hour
Operations engineer 18 salaries reported	$28.00 per hour
Billing analyst 5 salaries reported	$74,696 per year
Senior technician 3 salaries reported	$67.35 per hour

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