Principal Engineer – Thermal Projects

The AES Corporation

. Manage third parties in the design and engineering of thermal power generation projects in development, construction, and operation .

Posted 9/18/2026full-timeLouisville • Colorado • United StatesLead💰 $145,000 - $181,050 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in thermal power generation project management, engineering design, and technical evaluations, with a strong focus on cost, schedule, and compliance. Proficient in leading cross-functional teams and mentoring engineers while ensuring adherence to industry standards and safety regulations.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Thermal Power Generation EngineeringProject ManagementProcore ExperienceEngineering Design ReviewsEIT or PE Qualifications

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Thermal Power Generation Facilities DesignGas TurbinesCombined-Cycle FacilitiesCogeneration SystemsHRSGsSteam TurbinesAdvanced Power System Modeling ToolsAutoCAD Civil3DAir PermittingEmissions Compliance

Soft Skills

Strong Communication SkillsInterpersonal SkillsMentoringCross-Functional CollaborationRemote Team Effectiveness

Tools & Technologies

MS Office SuiteETAPSKMAspenTechGT PROThermoflow

Certifications & Qualifications

NFPA 70EOSHA 10-HourCPR/First Aid Safety Training

Industry Keywords

Energy System DesignProject DevelopmentConstructionTechnical Due DiligenceGrid Compliance RequirementsNatural Gas InfrastructureLNG SystemsSafety StandardsEnvironmental RegulationsGenerator Interconnection Processes

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Manage third parties in the design and engineering of thermal power generation projects in development, construction, and operation
Serve as lead project engineer for assigned projects and report to the Director of Engineering
Conduct engineer management, design reviews, contract document development and negotiation, procurement specification preparation, and technical support
Mentor and train other Engineers and serve as a subject matter expert on additional projects
Support EPC engagement through contract exhibits and RFIs during contract negotiations
Seek and evaluate proposals for engineering services
Manage engineering consultants and EPC contractors through construction drawings and support materials
Perform technical project due diligence and engineering design reviews
Lead internal and external design review meetings and coordinate stakeholder feedback
Value engineer system designs to maximize reliability and reduce project cost
Establish and review technical specifications for owner-furnished equipment
Manage Procore RFIs and submittals
Provide technical support during construction, including field QA/QC and contractor RFIs
Review test reports and resolve punch list items
Support startup, commissioning, performance testing, and commercial operation
Support Owner’s Engineering through financing activities
Resolve technical issues at operating sites with Operations/Asset Management
Assist with financial inputs, market-specific technical solutions, permitting, environmental, and interconnection activities
Evaluate equipment guarantees, reliability, availability, operating constraints, heat rate, emissions requirements, and design assumptions
Support fuel supply and infrastructure evaluations for natural gas and LNG systems
Contribute to process improvements and document lessons learned
Mentor the team on technology trends, best practices, code enforcement, and safety
Evaluate emerging technologies and companies for the Approved Vendor List
Lead technical evaluations of new thermal generation technologies and provide recommendations for project development and business strategy
Attend site safety walks and identify jobsite hazards
Lead by example

Requirements

What you’ll need

Undergraduate degree in engineering (mechanical preferred) or equivalent technical field
10+ years professional experience in energy system design, project or land development, and/or construction
5+ years of experience in project management, consulting, or as a project engineer
Engineering design experience with thermal power generation facilities, including gas turbines, RICE power plants, combined-cycle facilities, simple-cycle facilities, cogeneration systems, HRSGs, steam turbines, and associated balance-of-plant systems
Ability to evaluate technical decisions considering cost, schedule, constructability, operability, maintainability, and project risk
Experience reviewing operations and maintenance requirements, maintenance philosophies, outage planning considerations, and long-term asset performance expectations
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to work cross-functionally across a large organization
Ability to work effectively in a remote and/or distributed team environment
Ability to manage third party consultants, vendors, and internal stakeholders
Proficient with MS Office Suite
Direct project experience with Procore
Graduate degree in engineering (plus qualification)
EIT or PE qualifications (plus qualification)
Knowledge of thermal power plant codes, standards, and industry practices (plus qualification)
Experience with air permitting, emissions compliance, and environmental regulations applicable to thermal generation facilities (plus qualification)
Understanding of generator interconnection processes and grid compliance requirements (plus qualification)
Experience with natural gas and LNG infrastructure (plus qualification)
Experience with ETAP, SKM, AspenTech, GT PRO, Thermoflow, or other advanced power system and thermal performance modeling tools (plus qualification)
Substation/High Voltage design experience (plus qualification)
Structural/SCADA/commissioning engineering design experience (plus qualification)
Experience with AutoCAD Civil3D (plus qualification)
Fluency in Spanish or Portuguese (plus qualification)
Must obtain and maintain NFPA 70E, OSHA 10-hour, and CPR/first aid safety training certifications

Benefits

Comp & perks

Market competitive medical coverage
Dental coverage
Vision coverage
Life insurance
Market leading 401(K)
Paid Time Off (PTO), including vacation and sick leave time
Parental leave
Annual bonus
Remote work option
Equal Opportunity Employer commitment and diversity and inclusion initiatives