Staff Engineer (Richmond)

Job Summary

About the CVOW-C Project

Dominion Energy is constructing and operating the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, the largest offshore wind project in the United States. CVOW is located in federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf, approximately 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.

The Staff Engineer – Regulatory Compliance provides engineering and technical support for the CVOW-C regulatory compliance program under the direction of the Regulatory Compliance Manager. The position develops, reviews, and validates engineering content supporting submissions and communications to BOEM, BSEE, the Marine Minerals Administration (MMA), and the Certified Verification Agent (CVA). The role evaluates technical records, identifies compliance risks, supports resolution of regulatory comments, and helps ensure that project engineering, fabrication, installation, commissioning, and as-built documentation are accurate, technically defensible, and consistent with approved project requirements. The Regulatory Compliance Manager retains responsibility for regulatory strategy, external commitments, approvals, and formal agency submissions.

Core Responsibilities
Prepare, review, and validate engineering content supporting Facility As-Built, Facility Design, Fabrication and Installation Reports, agency responses, inspections, and other regulatory submittals under 30 CFR Part 285.
Maintain technical consistency and traceability among design documents, fabrication and installation records, commissioning results, as-built records, CVA findings, and applicable federal and state permit commitments.
Identify potential regulatory noncompliance, incomplete evidence, conflicting technical information, and other technical risks; promptly communicate and escalate them to the Regulatory Compliance Manager and project leadership.

This role is the top progression level position in the Engineer series. Includes senior to technical expert engineers, able to perform highly difficult and very complex work requiring extensive knowledge of the subject matter and significant experience within functional assignment area. Plans and conducts complex work requiring independent judgment in the evaluation, selection, adaptation and modification of standard techniques, procedures, and criteria. Devises new and innovative approaches to previously undefined problems encountered and develops innovative and original industry-wide engineering criteria ensuring compliance with design criteria and standards. Possesses and applies advanced engineering knowledge and skills to provide technical expertise, guidance to all levels of engineers and/or team leadership. Possesses and applies advanced knowledge and technical skills to solve complex engineering problems, or to plan and coordinate medium to large scale engineering projects or varied assignments requiring diverse knowledge of engineering principles and practices. Serves as a resource to management on more complex engineering problems and issues. Perform research to find innovative and cost-effective engineering solutions to operational problems within assigned area. Serve as a technical expert on engineering related legal and regulatory issues to outside entities.

Expectations

Plans and conducts complex work requiring independent judgment, devises innovative approaches to previously undefined problems, and serves as a resource to management and a technical expert on engineering-related legal and regulatory issues with outside entities.

Typical Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior engineering subject matter expert supporting regulatory compliance and recommend and maintain engineering review criteria, acceptance methods, technical checklists, and documentation standards for regulatory deliverables, subject to approval by the responsible engineering authority and Regulatory Compliance Manager.
• Lead complex engineering evaluations of nonconformances, deviations, design changes, and field conditions in structural, geotechnical, electrical, and cable disciplines; develop technically supported recommendations concerning fitness for purpose, design-basis conformance, required corrective action, and regulatory impact for approval by the responsible engineering authority and Regulatory Compliance Manager.
• Evaluate design changes and field modifications for impact on the approved design basis.
• Interpret complex provisions of 30 CFR Part 285 and applicable BOEM, BSEE, and Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) permit conditions; develop draft technical positions and, when designated by the Regulatory Compliance Manager, represent Dominion Energy as an engineering subject matter expert in technical discussions with regulators and the CVA.
• Review engineering analyses, technical dispositions, and regulatory submittal content prepared by engineers, contractors, and consultants; provide technical concurrence within delegated authority and identify matters requiring approval by the responsible design authority, Regulatory Compliance Manager, Legal, or management.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Commissioning, Quality, Operations, the Owner’s Engineer, and the CVA to validate the as-built configuration baseline and identify CSSE inspection, testing, maintenance, and record-retention requirements that must be transferred into Operations.
• Research and develop innovative, cost-effective engineering solutions to previously undefined technical and regulatory problems.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to engineers, and brief management and executive leadership on significant regulatory issues, risks, and recommendations.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Experience

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Experience

• 8+ years of relevant engineering experience (an Engineering PhD may be substituted for up to 5 years of experience based on research engineering work on related projects, as approved by executive leadership).
• Extensive knowledge of engineering theories, principles, and practices across a broad variety of assignments and related fields.
• Extensive skill in advanced techniques and in the modification and extension of theories, precepts, and practices of the field and related disciplines.
• Full knowledge of business, financial, and contractual matters.
• Recognized by other engineers and management as an expert in the assigned area.
• Provides expert technical advice to other engineers and management.
• Strong planning, project management, and technical and organizational leadership skills.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including technical writing.
• In-depth knowledge of computer applications and ability to perform engineering calculations using applicable software (e.g., MATLAB, Excel).
• Proven decision-making skills.
• Demonstrated ability to think analytically and solve complex problems.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply codes, regulations, and practices.
• Demonstrated ability to process information quickly and effectively manage multiple tasks.
• Equally effective working independently or in a team environment.

• Experience with offshore wind or other offshore renewable energy projects and certification processes.
• Working knowledge of 30 CFR Part 285 regulations.
• Experience supporting BOEM, BSEE, Marine Minerals Administration (MMA), or successor federal agency regulatory compliance, as applicable.
• Experience with Certified Verification Agent (CVA) programs or independent verification processes.
• Proficiency with document control systems and project scheduling tools.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred. The employee must understand the limits of delegated engineering authority and requirements for review or approval by the responsible Engineer of Record or licensed Professional Engineer.

REQUIRED ENGINEERING CRITERIA:
For placement of a candidate in the Engineer job series, the following criteria must be met:

Possess a 4-year Engineering degree from an ABET accredited Engineering program based on the year that the Engineering program was accredited by ABET, or

Possess a 4-year Engineering degree from an institution outside of the U.S. which is accredited through the country's own Engineering accrediting body under the Washington Accord as a full signatory, and is a degree that was recognized by the country's accrediting body on or after the date that full signatory status was achieved, or

Possess a 4-year degree in Engineering (non-ABET accredited), Physics, Chemistry, Math or Engineering Technology and a post-graduate Engineering degree from an institution where the undergraduate degree in the same Engineering discipline is ABET-accredited based on the year the Engineering program was accredited by ABET, or

Holds or has previously held a valid U.S. Professional Engineer license.

Education Requirements

Required Degree (equivalency not accepted in lieu of required degree):

Bachelor’s in Engineering

Licenses, Certifications, or Quals Description

Working Conditions

Other Working Conditions

Test Description

No Testing Required