Plant Operator I

As an NRG employee, we encourage you to take charge of your career and development journey. We invite you to explore exciting opportunities across our businesses. You’ll find that our dynamic work environment provides variety and challenge. Your growth is key to our ongoing success—take the lead in shaping your career development, goals and future!

Job Summary:

Provide operations support for the plant to ensure operations of equipment is supported with accurate and current data sets. Take readings and perform calculations in operation of power plant equipment. Operates and monitors plant equipment outside of the control room under the direction of the Lead Operator or Control Room Operator.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Operate, inspect, and monitor in a safe, efficient, reliable, and environmentally sound manner power plant equipment).
• Recognize safety hazards and follow safety guidelines for personal protection, protection of fellow workers and the protection of the public.
• Learn proper operating procedures.
• Observe variations in operating conditions and interpret meter and gauge readings to troubleshoot plant equipment to resolve operational problems.
• Monitor and record data available through the use of various instruments, recording charts, annunciator systems and other monitoring devices onto shift logs as directed by plant operational procedures.
• Perform routine cleaning of work area.
• Employee must arrange own transportation to work location and may be reassigned to another location at the Company’s discretion.

Working Conditions:

• Power Plant Environment.
• Work both inside and outside in all temperatures and climate conditions in accordance with Heat Stress procedures.
• Work around large rotating equipment, energized electrical equipment in high noise areas, and/or in confined places, on elevations in excess of 250 feet, or from platforms at heights of 5 feet or greater.
• Must be prepared to work 12 hour Rotating Shifts and be available to respond to emergency callout 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
• Ability to work in mentally stressful environments: must be able to react to crises where immediate action is required to correct or curtail potentially damaging or hazardous situations.

Minimum Requirements:

• High school diploma or GED.

• Three years’ experience in a power plant environment, oilfield, or equivalent education and industrial experience.

• Drive and commitment to continue through the Operator training program including Control Room Operator qualifications.

• Must have a valid state driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Associates Degree in Process Technology or a related field

• Knowledge of power plant equipment such as motors, pumps, boilers, turbines, generators, fluid systems, chemical handling, water treatment systems, cooling towers, pollution control equipment, AC and DC electrical distribution and control systems, etc.

Additional Knowledge, Skills and Abilities :

• Basic knowledge/ability to understand fundamental principles related to Physics, Mathematics, AC and DC electrical theory, heat transfer and fluid flow, thermodynamics, chemistry, and metallurgy.
• Knowledge of power plant safety, especially in areas such as chemical handling, high energy systems, confined spaces, incipient fire suppression, first aid, rotating machinery, heavy equipment operations, etc.
• Demonstrate the above by completing an initial qualification program (Basic Duties and Phase I), through periodic initial and refresher training programs, and by successful performance on periodic oral and written examinations.

• Knowledge of power plant system operations and basic power plant principles used daily in decision making and work tasks.
• Knowledge of and ability to operate various switches and valves and the effect each has on the total operation of the generating station.
• Ability to handle multiple task or assignments at the same time.
• Ability to Tag Out/Lock Out equipment per NRG Texas Tag Out/Lock Out procedure.
• Ability to use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to perform flow, pressure and meter calculation.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, schematic diagrams, procedures and technical manuals.
• Ability to communicate plant system and equipment conditions on to others.
• Ability to perform checks (e.g., PM’s) on running and idle equipment.
• Ability to discern and respond to verbal and auditory signals from control panel.
• Ability to discern assorted colors.
• Ability to record and analyze readings of various electrical and mechanical meters.

• Ability to work without supervision inspection while carrying out duties. Ability to operate Company vehicles and equipment (e.g. forklift, plant vehicle, etc.) and maintain operating licenses and certifications. TDL is required.
• Knowledge/ability to master and apply the fundamentals of personal computer operation, e.g., basic word processing, basic spreadsheets, and electronic mail.

• Ability to perform routine laboratory tests and analysis on samples from power generation processes, (i.e. boiler water, make-up demineralizer, etc.).

• Ability to operate various computer systems to receive, analyze, comprehend and input data.

• Ability to generate work notifications for execution of equipment repair.

• Ability to communicate information clearly, both orally and in writing.

• Ability to work successfully in a team environment

Physical Requirements:

• Climb stairways, ladders, and work from aerial devices.
• Daily work expectation requires ability to perform tasks by walking, standing, sitting, kneeling, crouching, squatting, twisting, pushing, pulling, shoveling, climbing, and working with hand tools (up to 25 pounds) in position above and below head, and extended from body to complete repairs.

Please Note: Salary offered will be commensurate with the successful candidate’s education and/or experience and consistent with the job location’s market pay rate.

NRG Energy is committed to a drug and alcohol-free workplace. To the extent permitted by law and any applicable collective bargaining agreement, employees are subject to periodic random drug testing, and post-accident and reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing. EOE AA M/F/Protected Veteran Status/Disability. Level, Title and/or Salary may be adjusted based on the applicant's experience or skills.

EEO is the Law Poster (The poster can be found at

Official description on file with Talent.