Manager of Engineering

Manager of Engineering
Engineering and Operations – Johnson, Vermont

Summary:

As VEC’s Manager of Engineering, you are vital to providing reliable service to our members and innovative solutions for managing an increasingly more complex grid.  You will help lead our transition to distributed and renewable energy, orchestrated load management, and dynamic real-time control and data analytics.  In the lead engineering role, you provide overall management, strategic, and tactical planning for VEC’s Engineering teams as they design and collaborate to build, modernize, and optimize our critical infrastructure.  This infrastructure includes utility substations, line extensions, distribution and transmission lines, generator interconnections, and compliance standards and reporting. You lead the development and prioritization of VEC’s capital budget in a way that balances reliability and affordability while ensuring continuity in all stages of major capital projects from inception to plant closing.

You are tenacious, curious, and dedicated to finding innovative, forward-looking solutions that ensure the highest standards in member services, satisfaction, reliability, and resiliency for our 33,000 members across Northern Vermont.

What you will get to do:

Leading/Supervisory Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise, and guide the Engineering Department (System Engineers and Utility Designers) in project-related activities and development needs. This includes recruiting strong team members, assigning appropriate and stretch work assignments, and building relationships that facilitate open communication and personal and professional development.
• Foster open department and individual employee communication to ensure individual and team alignment and uncompromising integrity in matters of compliance, planning, safety and risk management practices, needs assessments, policy recommendations, and employee development.
• Ensure that subordinates are providing timely and accurate information for all required functions, maintain procedural documentation for all areas of responsibility, and are able to provide back-up actions for team responsibilities and needs.
• Develop, collaborate, and implement innovative and technology enhancements for VEC’s electrical system.

Grid of the Future Direction

• Provide technical expertise, leadership, and influence on current and proposed regulatory structures that evolve and impact resiliency and reliability.
• Develop reliability and resilient solutions for VEC’s electric grid to support current and future changes.
• Orchestrate our transition to distributed and renewable energy, load/demand management, and dynamic, real-time data analytics.
• Drive technical proficiency as it relates to distributed energy resources (DERs), control and communications of inverter-based resources, and mass adoption of various electric interconnections and controls (e.g., electric vehicles, vehicle to grid, storage, heat pumps, etc.).
• Advance initiatives that support VEC’s carbon-free and renewable goals and VEC’s overall push towards beneficial electrification.
• Attend and represent VEC at State, Regional, and National conferences, committees, and working groups that focus on the future of VEC’s grid.

Traditional Engineering Oversight

• Lead VEC’s electric transmission and distribution and planning efforts that balance new technology and approaches with agility while maintaining a safe, reliable electrical grid.
• Work with System Engineers to investigate and rectify abnormal protective device operations.
• Spearhead develop proactive solutions with System Engineers to reduce outages and enhance reliability identified in daily outage reports, annual 4.900 Reliability filing, and Worst Performing Circuit analysis.
• Provide expertise and training to Utility Designers ensuring VEC’s Line Extension Tariff and general Electrical Service Requirements are updated and applied properly.
• Familiarity with NISC Staking software and pursue constant improvement in system design process within Engineering and Operations and other areas of the company.
• Resident subject matter expert when it comes to the National Electric Safety (NESC) code. Ensure VEC is current with the latest version, provide appropriate trainings to others across VEC, and act as a decision maker when it comes to risk assessment.
• Responsible for all Engineering and Operations standards as it relates to equipment used on VEC’s system.
• Collaborate to ensure compliance with external entities such as ISO-NE, NERC, NPCC, VELCO, etc.
• Assist with the development and execution of VEC’s Integrated Resource Plan.
• Provide CAD support to organization as required.

General Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and manage the Engineering and Operations capital budget.
• Oversee all facets of permitting, design, tactical oversight, and support to field personnel and contractors for capital and special Engineering projects. Provide project cost analysis and status reports including time and budget variance.
• Facilitate effective communication and accurate project record-keeping amongst all parties associated with project teams. This includes regular, accurate person-to-person, group communications, status reports, and presentations.
• Ensure regular communication regarding safety concerns, expectations, and practices. Monitor safety practices to ensure comprehension and compliance.
• Participate in VEC’s strategic and operational planning and translate strategy into tactical goals, building understanding, buy-in and driving on-the-ground implementation related to strategic ambitions.
• Provide support for, and communications with, operations, metering, and other departments.
• Strive for exceptional resource management for best workflow and resource management.
• Demonstrate support of VEC’s high performance culture that emphasizes trust, empowerment, quality, productivity and on-going development of a superior workforce.
• Assist in emergency restoration efforts as required by the Chief Operating Officer or Incident Commander.
• Support a strong cyber security culture. This includes, but is not limited to, cyber security awareness, training, and testing. Support cyber security efforts and demonstrate cyber security best practices as outlined by management.

What you will need to succeed at this job:

• Demonstrated success leading dynamic technical teams to accomplish innovative solutions to constantly evolving problems.
• A four-year degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent, with a minimum of five years electrical utility engineering, operational, or equivalent job-related experience that includes progressively responsible experience.
• Familiarity with various Electrical Engineering technologies such as Milsoft, ArcGIS, and AutoCAD software. Knowledge of the National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) software a plus.
• Continuous learner who shows enthusiasm to develop and implement innovative solutions within a constantly changing industry.
• Demonstrated abilities in project-management, leadership, organization, and communication with the ability to accommodate frequently changing strategies. PMI certification preferred.
• Independent self-starter with the ability to handle multiple priorities and produce successful results in a fast-paced complex environment.
• Effective analytical, problem-solving, critical-thinking, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present information in differing degrees of detail and form depending on the audience.
• Demonstrated excellent interpersonal and relationship skills to effectively inspire employees and navigate conflict.
• Organized and detailed.
• First Aid and CPR certification.
• Valid Driver’s License.
• Capable of sitting and using the computer for long periods of time (reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disability to perform the essential functions).
• Work may routinely be performed in an office environment or remotely. However, there are times there is exposure to outside atmospheric conditions or extreme heat/cold or moisture and exposure to traffic while managing others in the switching, testing, inspections, or repairs to Operations Technology equipment.

Position details:

VEC is an Equal Opportunity Employer

In our business practices: we are committed to energy equity, keeping electricity affordable while embracing beneficial electrification.
In the workplace: we are a work in progress that embraces diversity of identity, thought, culture, and ethnicity. Our senior management team and management are committed to ensuring a safe, welcoming work environment that embraces diversity of identity, race/ethnicity, perspective, and background.