Pros
ERCOT as an institution is a rare company in the present employment environment. Employees by and large are appreciated and their voices heard. Most people are positive and find a lot of fulfillment in their work as we serve the people of Texas. I strive to be fair in this review of them so I would like to acknowledge some of the positive aspects of the employee/employer relationship: 1) The retirement benefits are very competitive. (They do not fully vest for multiple years though, so be prepared to hold out for this benefit) 2) This role does require work during various holidays and severe weather events, yet management has always taken care of the employees and prioritized convenience and safety. 3) Although in the post-Covid years I've seen a downturn in the amount of people on campus, ERCOT offers all the amenities one could hope for from a company of this size. If you are in power systems and want a solid resume builder, come work in this role. You'll gain very valuable experience and can transition away once the lack of staffing affects you.
Cons
Of course no job is perfect, so i'd like to address some of the negatives of this role: 1) The turnover rate in this Real Time Power Engineer (Shift Engineer) role is extremely high. The average tenure is estimated to be 1 year or less. Which leads to the next point. 2) This role has not been fully staffed since before Covid. I do not anticipate this situation changing until management actually makes systemic changes as an organization. We have been covering extra shifts since Covid began to make up for the insufficient staffing. 3) If one is looking for this type of operational role, but wants more stability, I'd suggest one of the system operator roles as it will be a better fit. I'd warn applicants on work visa's to stay away. I've seen individuals get promotions only to make less money with more responsibility.