Associate Engineer

Location: Belleville

Key Accountabilities

• The Associate Engineer will work under the guidance of senior engineers to support the evaluation, standardization, and deployment of street lighting equipment, lighting designs, and smart lighting technologies used across service territory.
• Support the development, maintenance, and application of streetlight material and construction standards used for new installations, replacements, and system upgrades.
• Learn and apply lighting engineering principles, including photometric performance, reliability, and long-term asset considerations.
• Develop proficiency in photometric analysis tools to evaluate proposed street and area luminaire standards for compliance with specifications.
• Utilize photometric modeling to design outdoor lighting systems and perform photometric studies to assess compliance with applicable outdoor lighting ordinances and requirements.
• Support lighting designs and evaluations that comply with IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) recommended practices and lighting standardization.
• Assist with the technical review, evaluation, and selection of new street lighting equipment, including luminaires, poles, arms, foundations, and related components.
• Support competitive evaluation of materials and suppliers to ensure utility-grade performance, cost effectiveness, and long service life.
• Assist with the deployment and standardization of Network Lighting Controls (NLC) and connected street lighting technologies.
• Support engineering documentation, specifications, and acceptance criteria for smart lighting systems.
• Collaborate with construction, operations, asset management, supply chain, and business partners to support safe, reliable, and cost-effective street lighting solutions.
• Provide engineering support for municipal projects, customer-driven requests, and new business initiatives as assigned.
• This position may require limited field visits to support engineering reviews and project coordination.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Civil Engineering from an accredited institution.
• Entry-level engineer (0-2 years of experience) or recent graduate.
• Demonstrated interest in utility infrastructure, power systems, or civil infrastructure.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office applications utilized in engineering workflows, including Excel, Word, Power Point
• Experience with additional software tools that support engineering analysis, modeling, and data analytics.
• Willingness to learn lighting engineering standards, photometric analysis tools, and utility design practices.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Internship or co-op experience in utilities, power systems, lighting, or infrastructure engineering.
• Exposure to photometric analysis, lighting design coursework, or roadway/area lighting concepts.
• Familiarity with IES lighting standards (preferred but not required).
• Interest in smart grid, IoT, or connected infrastructure technologies.
• Experience with engineering documentation, spreadsheets, or technical analysis tools.

Benefits:

Healthcare Insurance:
Synectics offers eligible employees and their dependents healthcare coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. Eligibility begins on the 1st day of the calendar month following 60 days of continuous full time employment with Synectics. Premiums are subsidized by Synectics.

Dental Insurance:
Synectics offers eligible employees and their dependents a dental plan through Met Life. Eligibility begins on the 1st day of the calendar month following 60 days of continuous full time employment with Synectics.

Vision Insurance :
Synectics offers eligible employees vision insurance through VSP. Eligibility begins on the 1st day of the calendar month following 60 days of continuous full time employment with Synectics.
401(k) Plan:
The Synectics Inc. Investment Savings Retirement Plan. Synectics offers all employees who are 21 years of age or older the opportunity to invest in the 401(k) Plan on the first enrollment date that is at least 30 days after employment begins. Enrollment dates are each January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st.

Technical Certification Bonus:
Synectics is pleased to award its employees a bonus of up to $500 for an approved professional certification. In determining the bonus amount, Synectics will consider the cost of the test(s) for any certification relating to your current position, achieved during your employment with us. Only one Certification Bonus per calendar year may be awarded per employee. Only current, active employees will be eligible to receive this bonus.

It will be awarded 90 days after the Synectics office has received documentation confirming the successful completion of the certification.

Synectics is an equal opportunity employer.