Project Engineer - Power Generation

Kinetik is strategically located in the heart of the Delaware Basin in the Permian, one of the fastest growing areas for oil and gas development in the world. We provide the gathering, compression, processing, transportation and water management services required to bring natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil to market and are dedicated to providing the best service and netback for our customers. We are driven to be best-in-class and committed to growing our existing assets in the Permian Basin through both greenfield and acquisition opportunities.


Kinetik employees have decades of experience in West Texas and provide all the important services our customers need to deliver gas and crude oil production to market, which include gathering, transportation, compression, processing and produced water management.


Summary of the role:

The Project Engineer will lead the development, design, procurement, installation, and commissioning of industrial power generation systems, including gas powered turbine generators and gas powered engine generators. This role is responsible for delivering projects from concept through startup, ensuring technical quality, cost control, schedule adherence, and compliance with regulatory and utility interconnection requirements. The engineer will collaborate with internal operations, construction, procurement, and external engineering firms, OEMs, contractors, and utility providers.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Project Development & Scoping
• Develop project scope, basis of design, and feasibility studies for new or upgraded power generation assets.
• Perform load analysis, capacity planning, and integration studies for turbine and engine driven generators.
• Prepare and review P&IDs, electrical one-line diagrams, equipment specifications, and system design documents.
• Conduct technical and economic evaluations of alternative generation technologies and configurations.
Engineering & Design Management
• Lead or oversee detailed engineering for mechanical, electrical, controls, and balance of plant (BOP) systems.
• Review and approve OEM technical drawings, vendor documentation, and engineering deliverables.
• Ensure design compliance with NFPA, NEC, ASME, API standards and applicable utility interconnection requirements.
• Support development of protective relay schemes, synchronization equipment, and grid tie systems
Procurement & Vendor Management
• Develop technical specifications and RFP packages for major equipment and services.
• Evaluate vendor proposals, lead technical clarifications, and support commercial negotiations.
• Coordinate factory acceptance testing (FAT) and quality inspections.
Construction & Installation
• Provide technical oversight during field installation of generation equipment, switchgear, fuel systems, cooling systems, and auxiliary systems.
• Resolve construction issues, RFIs, and technical deviations.
• Verify installation quality and compliance with engineering design.
Commissioning & Startup
• Develop commissioning plans and procedures for mechanical, electrical, and control systems.
• Oversee commissioning, performance testing, synchronization to the grid, and full operational handover.
• Ensure proper tuning of control systems (governors, excitation, load sharing, emissions controls).
Project Controls & Reporting
• Develop project schedules, budgets, risk registers, and progress reports.
• Track and manage engineering deliverables, contractor progress, and project KPIs.
• Ensure project close out documentation, lessons learned, and handover packages are completed.
• All other duties as assigned
Education and/or Work Experience Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related engineering field.
• Professional Engineering (PE) license preferred but not required.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is a plus.

Technical Experience
• 5–10+ years of experience engineering or executing projects involving power generation systems.
• Hands on experience with:
• Gas turbines (Solar, GE, Siemens, Mitsubishi or similar)
• Gas engines (Wärtsilä, Caterpillar, Jenbacher, MTU, etc.)
• Generator controls, synchronization, and protective relaying.
• Industrial electrical systems: medium voltage switchgear, transformers, MCCs, UPS systems.
• Fuel gas compression, conditioning, and safety systems.
• Cooling systems (radiator, heat exchanger, or process integrated systems).

Utility Interconnection & Grid Experience
• Strong knowledge of grid interconnection standards (IEEE 1547, utility specific requirements).
• Experience coordinatin