The posting
Job Description
Are you ready to shape the future of energy by bringing deep, hands-on thermal generation expertise to high-impact advisory assignments across the project lifecycle?
Do you thrive at the intersection of plant operations, technical engineering, and investment decision-making—helping investors, developers, and owners better understand risk and performance in a rapidly evolving energy market?
DNV Energy Systems North America is seeking a Gas Generation Power Principal Engineer Subject Matter Expert (SME) with deep experience in conventional and flexible thermal generation to support our energy advisory services across Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Independent Engineering (IE), and Owner’s Engineering (OE). This role is designed for experienced engineers who bring practical, first-hand knowledge of power plant design, operations, and performance—ideally complemented by exposure to project development, financing, or transaction processes.
Our advisory teams operate at the forefront of the energy industry, providing technical due diligence and engineering advisory services to a diverse set of customers across North America. Our work spans the full project lifecycle, from development and financing through construction, operations, and asset optimization, and plays a critical role in informing investment and operational decisions.
This role is for a principal thermal power engineer who can serve as DNV’s subject matter authority across advisory assignments spanning mergers and acquisitions, independent engineering, and owner’s engineering for thermal assets. The position centers on applying practical operating and design experience to evaluate greenfield design configurations, plant condition, performance, reliability, maintenance strategy, contract structures, and lifecycle risk, then translating those findings into decision-grade technical advice for developers, owners, lenders, and investors. It requires the ability to visualize and understand the full process cycle enabling strong engineering judgment, credibility in multidisciplinary settings, and the ability to connect real-world asset behavior with project development, financing, construction, operations, and optimization considerations across North America. You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams and clients to translate real-world operating experience into clear, actionable insights tailored to each engagement.
This role is based at our DNV Advisory offices in Toronto, ON presenting a dynamic hybrid schedule where employees will typically spend three (3) days per week working from either a DNV office or client location/site. Other DNV locations in North America may also be considered.
What You’ll Do
- Serve as the thermal technical lead across advisory engagements involving gas turbines, steam turbines, boiler systems, reciprocating engines, emerging new thermal technologies and balance-of-plant systems.
- Lead technical evaluations of thermal assets and portfolios, identifying key risks, value drivers, and lifecycle considerations.
- Assess plant condition and performance using operating history, outage and maintenance records, heat rate and efficiency trends, dispatch profiles, and asset management practices.
- Apply practical engineering and operational experience to evaluate reliability, degradation mechanisms, and maintenance strategies.
- Lead technical due diligence, independent engineering, and owner’s engineering scopes, including: Review of plant design and major equipment configurations Evaluation of technical aspects of EPC and O&M agreements Validation of technical inputs to financial models (CapEx, OpEx, performance, degradation) Participation in site visits, field assessments, and technical interviews
Strengthen technical excellence across DNV:
- Mentor internal staff and support development/upskilling of thermal advisory competencies across the organization.
- Drive continuous improvement and operational excellence to ensure consistency, quality, and technical leadership across all thermal‑related engagements.
Responsibilities
What We offer
- Generous paid time off (vacation, sick days, company holidays, personal days)
- Medical, Dental, and Vision benefit plans available to all employees
- Special programs – Employee Assistance Program and accident and critical illness options for you and your family
- Workplace strategies for mental help resources available to all employees
- Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) with company match
- Company provided life insurance, short-term, and long-term disability benefits
- Education Assistance Program
- Flexible work schedule with hybrid opportunities
- Consumer discounts and rewards through our BenefitsHub
- Advancement opportunities
**Benefits may vary based on position, tenure, location, and employee election**'
DNV is a proud equal-opportunity employer committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, or business need, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
Qualifications
What is Required
- A Bachelor’s degree in engineering (mechanical, electrical, or related discipline).
- A minimum of ten (10) years of experience in thermal power generation, with deep knowledge of plant design, operating cycles, and performance characteristics across conventional and flexible assets (e.g., combined cycle, simple cycle).
- Demonstrated ability to evaluate plant performance, reliability, and operational risk, including key drivers such as heat rate, outages, maintenance strategies, and lifecycle considerations.
- Familiarity with the energy project lifecycle, including major contracts (EPC, O&M) and their impact on technical and commercial risk.
- Ability to translate complex technical issues into clear, structured insights for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Strong AI and digital fluency, with the ability to evaluate AI-generated outputs, apply critical thinking, ensure quality and accuracy, and utilize AI responsibly within company governance frameworks.
- Willingness and ability travel up to approximately 15% of the time.
- Strong written and verbal English communication skills.
- We conduct pre-employment drug and background screening.
What is Preferred
- Experience supporting or interfacing with project development, financing, or transaction processes such as technical due diligence or project finance.
- Personal qualifications and skills we are looking for in a successful candidate: Strong technical judgment with the ability to independently assess complex thermal systems and distinguish material risks from non-material issues. Practical, operations-focused mindset grounded in real-world asset performance. Clear communicator able to translate complex technical topics into concise, decision-oriented insights. Effective in multidisciplinary environments, integrating thermal expertise into broader engineering, financial, and transaction contexts. Comfortable operating in fast-paced and ambiguous environments, focusing effort on the issues most relevant to decision-makers. Strong ownership of technical quality, delivering high-integrity and defensible analyses. Collaborative team player who contributes to knowledge sharing and supports the development of less experienced colleagues.
*Immigration-related employment benefits, for example visa sponsorship, are not available for this position
About Us
About Energy Systems
We help customers navigate the complex transition to a decarbonized and more sustainable energy future. We do this by assuring that energy systems work safely and effectively, using solutions that are increasingly digital. We also help industries and governments to navigate the many complex, interrelated transitions taking place globally and regionally, in the energy industry.
