ROC Operator

Summary The ROC Operator is the around-the-clock eyes and hands of Atlantica's North America PV and battery energy storage (BESS) fleet. From the Tempe Remote Operations Center, the operator monitors and remotely controls generating assets, responds to alarms, coordinates with site personnel, transmission operators, balancing authorities, and other 3rd parties and ensures safe, compliant, and available operation of every plant.

One operator holds the seat at all times. The role therefore demands sound judgment under pressure, clear communication, disciplined documentation, and a safety-first mindset.

• Key Responsibilities
• Monitoring and Control
• Monitor and operate PV and BESS facilities in real time using multiple SCADA, historian, and monitoring platforms.
• Evaluate alarms and abnormal conditions, take corrective action per approved procedures, and track issues to resolution.
• Execute remote control actions such as breaker operations, tracker stowing, inverter and PCS starts/stops, and BESS charge/discharge commands.
• Implement utility and grid operator instructions, including voltage schedules, reactive power, curtailment, and dispatch.
• Verify telemetry and data integrity and flag instrumentation or communication issues.
• Safety and Switching
• Treat personnel and equipment safety as the top priority in every decision.
• Coordinate and execute switching, isolation, and lockout/tagout (LOTO) steps with site technicians, following written switching orders and company policy (OSHA, NFPA 70E).
• Stop work and escalate any condition that threatens personnel safety.
• Compliance and Reporting
• Support compliance with NERC standards, interconnection and PPA obligations, and balancing authority/ISO requirements.
• Document and report planned and forced outages and capacity changes accurately and on time to the applicable BA, RTO/ISO, scheduling entity, and asset owner.
• Classify outages and support monthly availability and performance reporting.
• Complete required NERC, safety, cybersecurity, and ROC qualification training.
• Coordination and Communication
• Dispatch field technicians and emergency responders and initiate work orders through the CMMS (SAP).
• Provide clear, timely hand-offs and notifications to site teams, asset management, owners, and utilities, using three-part communication on operational calls.
• Maintain a complete operator log of capacity, trouble conditions, control actions, contract changes, and regulatory interactions.
• Escalate events through the defined exception-based escalation structure.
• Continuous Improvement
• Perform first-level failure analysis on inverter trips, MV/HV equipment, network, and control-system events.
• Help improve alarm response plans, ROC procedures, ticketing workflows, and training documents.
• Follow cybersecurity protocols for SCADA and remote access tools.
• Qualifications
• Required
• High school diploma or equivalent, plus 2+ years of power plant, substation, utility, or control room operations experience (military nuclear or electrical, utility, or industrial control experience considered).
• Working knowledge of electrical systems and high-voltage (MV/HV) concepts, and of plant processes.
• Ability to operate multiple SCADA or monitoring applications and analyze performance data.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including calm, precise phone communication.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, Word).
• Strong problem-solving, prioritization, and attention to detail under pressure.
• Ability to follow written procedures and document accurately.
• Ability to work rotating 12-hour day and night shifts, including weekends and holidays, and occasional extra shifts for coverage.
• Ability to obtain NERC certification and other trainin required for the role (company-paid).
• Preferred
• Associate's or bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, power systems, or a related field, or formal operations apprenticeship training.
• Experience operating utility-scale PV and/or BESS facilities.
• Experience in a 24/7 control center or ROC, and with NERC-registered generating facilities.
• Familiarity with SAP or another CMMS, historians (such as PI, Canary, or Ignition), and a basic understanding of power system protection.
• Knowledge of CAISO, ERCOT, or WECC market and scheduling processes.
• Experience with SQL, VBA, or Power BI for performance analysis.
• Work Environment and Schedule
• Climate-controlled, on-site control center at the Tempe ROC; extended time seated at multi-monitor workstations and on the telephone.
• Rotating 12-hour shifts.
• One operator is on duty at a time. A relief operator covers vacation, sickness, and training absences.
• High-responsibility environment in which decisions can affect personnel safety, plant availability, and revenue.
• Subject to pre-employment and random drug and alcohol testing, and post-incident and reasonable-suspicion testing, to the extent permitted by law.
• Competencies
• Safety ownership: speaks up, stops work, and follows procedure every time.
• Composure and judgment: makes sound decisions quickly in high-stress situations, with no supervisor on shift.
• Clear communication: concise, accurate hand-offs and notifications; direct and transparent, even on difficult issues.
• Accountability: takes plant-level ownership of events and follows through to closure.
• Learning mindset: develops technical depth across PV, BESS, SCADA, and grid operations.