Senior Power Systems Lab Manager
Location: Hybrid (Boston, MA)
Travel: 50–75% (primarily within the Boston area)
Employment Type: Full-Time
About Us
Bridge Source Utility Solutions is a Smart Grid advisory and strategic staffing firm dedicated to supporting multinational utility companies, power generation organizations, and data center markets. Founded in 2012, our mission is to help organizations and professionals define and achieve clear, strategic goals. We deliver advisory services and workforce solutions across grid modernization, technology transformation, project management, change management, distribution operations, and capital investment planning.
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Senior Power Systems Lab Manager to lead the planning, design, and implementation of a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Test Laboratory for a large investor-owned electric utility in the Northeast.
This role is responsible for delivering a state-of-the-art facility capable of real-time power system simulation using Real-Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) technology, integrated with protection, control, and automation hardware for advanced grid testing and validation.
Success in this role requires end-to-end project execution, along with leadership in organizational change management, knowledge transfer, and operational readiness.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the full lifecycle delivery of the HIL Test Lab, from concept through commissioning and operational handoff.
- Direct and align cross-functional teams, including engineering, IT, facilities, procurement, and external vendors.
- Partner with subject matter experts to define laboratory architecture, including RTDS racks, I/O interfaces, amplifiers, network infrastructure, and protection and control systems.
- Manage vendor selection, contracting, and performance for RTDS equipment, lab infrastructure, and supporting technologies.
- Oversee procurement of hardware, software licenses, and auxiliary systems.
- Prepare and deliver reports and presentations to executive and operational leadership on project status, budget, risks, and mitigation strategies.
- Establish project-specific governance, reporting structures, and stakeholder communication plans aligned with the utility’s enterprise project management framework.
- Identify project risks and implement effective mitigation strategies.
- Develop and manage project scope, schedule, budget, and resource plans.
- Maintain comprehensive project documentation, including design specifications, test procedures, and operational guidelines.
- Oversee integration of power system models, real-time simulation scenarios, and hardware interfaces.
- Ensure alignment with utility standards for protection schemes, SCADA, EMS/DMS, and distributed energy resource (DER) systems.
- Lead the design and build-out of the physical lab environment, including power supply, grounding, cooling, safety systems, and cable management.
- Ensure cybersecurity requirements and network segmentation are properly implemented.
- Develop commissioning plans and define acceptance criteria for all lab systems.
- Validate real-time simulation performance and hardware integration.
Qualifications
- 5–10 years of experience in electric power engineering, including protection and control systems and power system planning.
- 5–10 years of project management experience within power systems, utilities, or industrial control environments.
- Demonstrated experience managing complex technical infrastructure projects or laboratory buildouts.
- Experience with real-time simulation platforms (e.g., RTDS or equivalent).
- Experience working with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) or Power-HIL (PHIL) testing environments.
- Strong understanding of power system protection, controls, and grid operations.
- Proven ability to manage budgets, schedules, and cross-functional teams.
- Experience working with electric utility dispatch operations.
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field (Power Systems specialization preferred).
- PMP or equivalent project management certification.
Nice to have:
- Professional Engineer (PE) license.
- Knowledge of distributed energy resource (DER) integration, inverter-based resources, and grid modernization initiatives.
- Familiarity with communication protocols such as IEC 61850, DNP3, and Modbus.
- Experience working within ISO/RTO environments.
