High Voltage Technician

LRE (Leeward Renewable Energy) is forging an American energy future with integrity, innovation, and positive impact. Born in Texas in 2003, we own and operate over 30 utility-scale wind, solar, and energy storage projects in local communities across the United States, totaling 4 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity.  

LRE continues to help meet increased U.S. energy demand through our robust pipeline of new projects every year. Domestic jobs and manufacturing are fundamental to our full-lifecycle approach to projects, along with a long-term ownership model and a company culture dedicated to our community partners and protecting the natural environment. 

Job Summary:

The High Voltage (HV) Technician is responsible for the safe, reliable, and compliant field execution of operation, maintenance, testing, and troubleshooting activities on high-voltage electrical systems across renewable energy facilities. This includes substations, switchyards, transformers, breakers, relays, battery energy storage systems (BESS), MV collection systems, and transmission or generator tie-lines.

The HV Technician serves as the field execution arm supporting internal Engineering, Asset Management, and Operations teams by performing hands-on HV work, gathering field data, executing switching and maintenance activities, and supporting troubleshooting efforts under established procedures. The role emphasizes safe work execution, equipment familiarity, and operational discipline, rather than engineering design or system modeling responsibilities.

Responsibilities:

• Perform routine, preventive, and corrective maintenance on HV/MV equipment including transformers, breakers, switchgear, grounding systems, cabling, and switchyard components in accordance with approved procedures.
• Oversee the execution of Five-Year Maintenance Plans and periodic inspection programs under the direction of Engineering and Asset Management.
• Perform electrical testing such as insulation resistance, breaker timing, contact resistance, hipot testing, and transformer oil sampling/DGA following defined test plans.
• Perform quarterly and annual control house battery maintenance including inspections, load testing, and capacity verification.
• Execute switching activities and Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in coordination with utilities, grid operators, and internal operations teams following approved switching orders.
•  Support troubleshooting activities by performing field inspections, equipment checks, test execution, and data collection on HV/MV systems (34.5 kV and above).
• Retrieve alarms to support Engineering-led fault analysis.
•  Assist with outage response, restoration activities, and relay trip follow-up under Engineering or Operations guidance.
• Conduct substation and transmission-related inspections including equipment condition, grounding, structures, and vegetation encroachment.
• Coordinate with vendors and contractors performing HV testing, maintenance, and corrective work, ensuring safe execution and adherence to scope.
• Support operational responsibilities associated with Shared Facilities Agreements, including coordination with interconnecting partners, outage notifications, and access planning.
• Complete work orders, switching logs, inspection reports, and maintenance documentation using a CMMS (Maximo or similar).
• Maintain accurate field records to support compliance, asset history, and maintenance planning.
• Follow all applicable safety requirements including NFPA 70E, OSHA, NESC, utility HV rules, PPE usage, and energized work controls.
•  Support Solar PV and BESS operations as needed and instructed
• Mentor less-experienced technicians on HV safety practices, equipment operation, and field procedures.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience working in substations, including control rooms and energized HV environments.
• Practical experience performing HV/MV maintenance, switching support, and field testing activities (13.8 kV and above).
• Strong functional understanding of substations, transformers, breakers, relays, and HV equipment operation.
• Experience working in control houses and supporting troubleshooting through SCADA data review and relay event reporting.
• Experience executing five-year substation maintenance programs and periodic testing activities.
• Experience using CMMS/work management systems (Maximo required).
• Working knowledge of NERC-related maintenance and documentation requirements.
• Ability to read and follow one-lines, schematics, protection drawings, and switching procedures.
• Strong understanding of NFPA 70E, OSHA, NESC, and high-voltage safety practices.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to work in field-based environments.

Preferred:

• Renewable energy experience (Solar PV, Wind, BESS).
• Utility-qualified or QEW high-voltage switching authorization.
• Experience supporting transmission or gen-tie infrastructure.
• Electrical trade school, technical certification, or military electrical background.

Work Environment & Location:

Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, climb structures, and work outdoors in variable and extreme weather conditions.

Ability to work around energized equipment under strict safety controls. Work during nights and occasional shifts as needed.

Participation in on-call rotations, emergency response, and overtime as required.

Willingness to travel between facilities as needed.

#LIHybrid (please leave this hashtag in this section as it is a code that Linkedin picks up and flags the job as hybrid for its internal posting process (should this position be eligible for this)

#LIHybrid

Applicants must have current authorization to work for any employer in the United States on a full-time basis without the need for an employment visa now or in the future. Employer visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Leeward Management Services, LLC is committed to employing a diverse workforce and provides equal employment opportunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, gender, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Notice to Recruiters and Staffing Agencies: Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiting vendors or employment agencies. Only recruiting vendors with a current, signed agreement in place with LRE are authorized to submit resumes for specific, requested positions. All unsolicited resumes and candidate profiles submitted to LRE, or any LRE employee, without an active agreement or written request from LRE’s HR Department, will be considered property of LRE. LRE will not be responsible for any fees or expenses associated with unsolicited resumes or candidates submitted in this manner.