Job Description

This will start off as a short term contract role but can extend to a longer term.

MUST have experiance with cooling towers either at a nuclear site or utility plants

Job Summary:

The Cooling Tower Project Manager for Nuclear Power Plant Outages will be responsible for overseeing and managing all aspects of cooling tower operations, maintenance, and upgrades during planned and unplanned outages at a nuclear power plant. This role is critical to ensuring that cooling towers are properly maintained, repaired, or upgraded to meet plant operational standards while minimizing downtime and ensuring compliance with all safety, regulatory, and operational standards. The Project Manager will lead outage-specific cooling tower projects, manage outage schedules, and coordinate teams of engineers, contractors, and vendors to ensure the successful execution of these projects.

Key Responsibilities:

Outage Planning and Coordination:

• Develop and implement detailed project plans for cooling tower work during nuclear power plant outages, including maintenance, repairs, upgrades, and testing of cooling systems.
• Coordinate with plant operations and other departments to align outage schedules and minimize plant downtime.
• Collaborate with the outage management team to determine priorities, resource allocation, and timelines for cooling tower work during the outage period.
• Prepare contingency plans for potential delays or issues with cooling towers during outages, ensuring minimal impact on overall outage duration.

Project Execution and Oversight:

• Lead the execution of cooling tower projects during outages, ensuring they are completed on time, within budget, and in compliance with regulatory and safety standards.
• Oversee all activities related to the shutdown and restart of cooling towers, ensuring all necessary inspections, maintenance, and upgrades are completed.
• Monitor the performance of cooling tower components (e.g., fans, pumps, heat exchangers, cooling cells) during outages, addressing issues promptly and ensuring compliance with nuclear safety standards.
• Lead troubleshooting and corrective actions for any system failures or malfunctions that occur during outages.

Team Leadership and Management:

• Manage a multidisciplinary team of engineers, technicians, contractors, and vendors during outage periods, ensuring effective communication and collaboration throughout the project lifecycle.
• Assign tasks to team members based on skillsets and project requirements, providing guidance and support as needed.
• Promote a safety-first culture within the team, ensuring that all work is conducted in adherence to safety protocols and regulations specific to nuclear power plants.

Schedule and Budget Management:

• Create and manage detailed outage schedules for cooling tower work, ensuring that critical milestones are met and potential delays are mitigated.
• Track and report on progress during outages, adjusting timelines as necessary to accommodate unforeseen delays or issues.
• Develop, monitor, and manage budgets for outage-related cooling tower work, ensuring cost control and resource optimization.
• Experience managing $500k-plus projects is required, ensuring the ability to handle large-scale projects within this budget range effectively.

Compliance and Regulatory Oversight:

• Ensure all cooling tower work during outages complies with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requirements, environmental regulations, and internal plant policies.
• Coordinate inspections and quality assurance processes for all cooling tower components before, during, and after outages to ensure they meet operational standards.
• Maintain thorough documentation of all outage activities related to cooling towers, including work completed, issues encountered, and resolution actions taken.

Risk Management and Issue Resolution:

• Proactively identify and assess risks to the timely completion of cooling tower work during outages, developing and implementing mitigation strategies.
• Address issues related to equipment failures, system malfunctions, or unexpected complications, providing timely solutions to avoid extended downtime.
• Escalate critical issues to senior management as necessary to facilitate swift decision-making and resolution.

Stakeholder Communication and Reporting:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all cooling tower-related matters during the outage, ensuring clear and regular communication with senior management, operations, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Provide daily/weekly progress reports to the outage management team, detailing achievements, delays, risks, and other pertinent information.
• Coordinate with vendors, contractors, and other external partners to ensure alignment with outage schedules and expectations.

Post-Outage Review and Continuous Improvement:

• Lead post-outage reviews for cooling tower work, documenting lessons learned, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing changes to enhance future outage performance.
• Analyze outage data to identify recurring issues or potential improvements in the maintenance, repair, or upgrade of cooling towers.
• Suggest improvements in outage management practices, cooling tower designs, or project execution strategies to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of future outages.

Qualifications:

• Education:
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Master’s degree in Project Management, Engineering, or a similar field is preferred.
• Experience:
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in project management, with a strong background in cooling towers and outage management within a nuclear power plant or similar regulated industry.
• Proven experience leading teams and managing large-scale projects during plant outages, shutdowns, or turnarounds.
• Experience managing $500k-plus projects is required, demonstrating the ability to oversee large, complex projects and deliver them on time and within budget.
• In-depth knowledge of nuclear power plant cooling towers, including fans, heat exchangers, pumps, and related components.
• Familiarity with outage planning processes, including scheduling, resource allocation, and coordination of multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience in troubleshooting and resolving issues related to cooling towers during outages.
• Certifications:
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent certification is preferred.
• Nuclear Power Plant Safety and Regulatory Compliance certifications are advantageous.
• OSHA, NQA-1, or similar safety-related training is a plus.
• Technical Skills:
• Proficiency in project management software (e.g., MS Project, Primavera) and engineering tools.
• Strong understanding of nuclear plant operations, safety standards, and industry regulations.
• Expertise in the design, operation, and maintenance of cooling towers in nuclear plants.
• Ability to analyze system performance data and identify necessary improvements or corrective actions.

Personal Attributes:

• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage cross-functional teams during high-pressure outage periods.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, with the ability to resolve technical and operational challenges promptly.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to coordinate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• High level of attention to detail, ensuring that all aspects of cooling tower work during outages meet safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-stress environment and manage multiple tasks concurrently.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage complex schedules and logistics associated with nuclear plant outages.

Work Environment:

• This position is based at a nuclear power plant site, with a mix of office work and fieldwork in plant areas.
• Work during planned outages may require long hours, weekend work, and on-call availability.
• Adherence to strict safety protocols and operational procedures is required at all times.
• Occasional travel may be required to vendor sites, contractor locations, or other facilities.

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