System Management | MCCS

Where can I work in system control?

The location is Neuenhagen near Berlin.

What kind of work will I do?

The Control Centre (the “grid control room” or “control room”) controls the power grid. The people here work very closely on the challenges raised by the energy transition: Is it possible to keep the high-voltage network stable, in real time, 24 hours a day? Despite the volatility of renewable energy sources? Engineers work in shifts to monitor this, supported by colleagues who develop analyses, concepts, processes, and tools to assist them.

What skills should I already have?

The employees in this division are electrical engineers.

Learn more in this video about the work of a system operator in real-time operations.

Electrical power is consumed around the clock, 365 days a year. The real-time operation providing operational control of this system must therefore be staffed 24/7. You will be dealing with faults and making sure the transmission grid is available to always meet 100% of demand. To guarantee this, you will be matching live grid status with our partners in Germany and other countries, restoring grid status from your workplace, providing vital support to the system as a whole, and helping in crises. In serious situations, you will be restoring the power supply. In short, you are a person who likes making decisions and taking a lot of responsibility.

You will be working on real-time operations in three shifts: early, late, and night shifts, covering different periods. This allows you to plan your private life, offering greater flexibility in the way you organise your leisure time. You will have free time when other people are working and more days off, allowing you to organise important private appointments without any problem. In our work scheduling, we are careful to leave enough time for your family, friends, and hobbies. Once your shift has ended, the colleagues in the team will take over your ongoing work so that you no longer must think about it when you return to your private life.

Are you an electrical or business engineer or do you have a master's degree in electronic engineering? Do you have some knowledge of grids or systems and an interest in jobs in operational system control at Neuenhagen near Berlin? If so, have a look at our vacancies.

We will provide the additional qualifications you require: After about 10 months you will be qualified as a system operator in the grid or a shift engineer for energy balancing (energetics division) and will start taking responsibility within the team. Once you have your first switching authorisation you will be able to carry out switching procedures independently and take responsibility for your first operational decisions within the European association. How your career continues after that will depend entirely on your interests. Anything is possible - right up to becoming a shift leader. Once you have completed your training, would you like to guide the energy transition through project-based work? If so, you can become a process operator (PO). You can then use your expertise to change our processes and tools from the inside out. As a process operator, you will be spending 60% of your working time on projects and the remaining time as a system operator, keeping an eye on what is needed to make the energy transition possible. All opportunities for further development are carried out during your normal working hours. The continuing training plan and service schedule are designed to work together. In other words, you will continue your training “on the job”. This ensures that you continue to have space for your private life. Of course, the job is also financially well rewarded. Your salary will increase automatically with each qualification step you take.

As a system operator in operational business planning, you will be identifying bottlenecks in the European transmission grid at an early stage, using preventive redispatch processes and working in your specialist area. You will be working with partner companies internationally and taking action several times each day to resolve challenging situations in the grid. You will be using ultra-modern IT-supported systems to determine appropriate optimisation solutions, moderating online meetings, and planning shutdowns of grid elements in the best possible way to improve the operation and development of the transmission grid from day to day. At the end of the day, you will hand over the grid to real-time operations in the Control Centre, having ensured that it is optimally prepared. Alongside your operational work, you will also have separate project shifts where you will be jointly responsible for the continual improvement of systems and processes and can also introduce new processes. In some cases, this will include collaborating in national and international working groups. The keys to success in this area include a high level of commitment, excellent organisational skills, and team-oriented working.

Operational business planning is run in shifts, based on an outline rota. Working on a fixed, compressed timetable offers benefits in terms of organising leisure time and financial flexibility that are rarely available in everyday office work. Our team is characterised by very close working relationships and in some cases, it can almost feel like a family. By working on a wide range of activities, you will very quickly become familiar with the essential processes and systems involved in operational systems control. You will have opportunities to develop a wide-ranging network of contacts, creating a strong foundation for your continuing career in the energy sector.

Building on your existing knowledge, professional development is available up to the level of a system operator. During the first six months, you will mostly be acquiring skills “on the job” through working independently in operational business planning. With close guidance from at least one “buddy”, you will learn all the rules, tips, and tricks of business operations, following a well-established training plan. During the qualification phase you and your buddy will have regular meetings so that you can receive continuous feedback on the state of your knowledge and skills. Once you have qualified successfully, you will become part of the energy transition, helping to ensure that the lights stay on as a facilitator of the energy transition. We will support you in your tailored continuing development plan, through everyday professional work, and following your own aims.