Description

The Electrical Operations Director is responsible for ensuring the District’s provides safe and reliable power delivery to PUD customers by proactive electrical system planning and providing effective leadership for the Electrical Department to facilitate accomplishment of the District's mission and goals.

Examples of Duties

ESSENTIAL DUITES AND RESPONSIBILITES include the following.

• Manage the overall function of the Electrical Department ensuring compliance with PUD policies, engineering/operation standards, and regulations.  Monitor work to improve productivity, outage response, and service.   Ensure timely maintenance of all PUD facilities.
• Works in conjunction with the engineering department to ensure that all components of the Electric System are properly applied, maintained, and replaced as necessary to prevent unnecessary failures.
• Manage and oversee the development of short and long-range planning with regard to future needs in plant, employee and material resources.
• Assist with the administration of the union contract and participate on the contract negotiation team. Participate in labor management meetings and second step grievances as applicable. 
• Develop, recommend, and administer annual budgetary requirements for the Electrical Department.  Review total system budget with the General Manager to modify or revise departmental budgets.
• Plan, develop, and recommend to the General Manager work plans and annual overall goals to be accomplished by the Electrical Department in fulfillment of its objectives.
• Schedule work, assign and evaluate personnel; determine need for contractual assistance.
• Respond to customer questions and/or complaints regarding activities and responsibilities to the public, when appropriate.  Serve as spokesperson for the District where appropriate.
• Monitors, schedules and inspects the completion of construction project work in progress and submits final approval for payments to contractors.
• Conduct adequate research for study and analysis of the activities of the District and interpret them in terms of current electric distribution and transmission engineering and design.
• Coordinate the overall requirements for transmission, substations and the selection of engineering design firms, and purchase of large transformers.
• Coordinate the design, drawings, procurement of equipment and land, contract bidding of all PUD projects.
• Responsible to ensure RUS requirement procedures are followed in regard to contracting and engineering. Responsible to ensure compliance with NESC and NEC for all facilities constructed and maintained.
• Maintain a thorough knowledge of PUD’s substations, transmission and distribution (overhead and underground) system.
• Maintain and operate all distribution and transmission lines and substations in good, orderly and operative condition.  Delegate and supervise the maintenance of all distribution and transmission lines and substations.
• Develop and maintain operating procedures and practices, including those essential for switching, energizing, tracking, and scheduling of outages with appropriate notices to affected consumers.
• Prepare the annual work plans, including the plans, specifications and cost estimates on new transmission and distribution lines and the relocation of old lines.
• Schedule long-term transmission construction work requirements of the District in accordance with system studies and plans.
• Direct the collection of field data for voltage and load surveys and make periodic tests and recommendations on voltage conditions throughout the District transmission and distribution system.
• Evaluate line outage conditions and recommend changes for improvements.
• Evaluate substation and substation equipment loading and recommend upgrades and/or additional substations needed.
• Recommend spares for substation equipment such as substation and/or mobile transformers, regulators, and reclosers/breakers.
• Delegate supervision of the Electrical Department and ensure all meters are read accurately and in a timely manner.
• Partner with the District’s Safety Manager to ensure safe operations of supervised personnel. 
• Conduct formal performance evaluations of immediate staff annually and coach and assist employees throughout the year to help them in their development and improvement.   Review and update as required all position descriptions at least annually within area of responsibility.   Review with Human Resources, and recommend to the General Manager.
• Perform other duties as assigned.  

Standard Workplace Expectations: 

• Contribute to a successful work group by listening to and taking time to understand suggestions and concerns of co-workers. Offer constructive suggestions and ideas that help the team to meet or exceed objectives and goals by accepting and supporting team decisions. 
• Maintain a positive attitude and collaborative attitude in the workplace.  
• Determine appropriate priorities to balance workload when deadlines compete. Seek assistance when needed.   
• Respond quickly and appropriately to inquiries, requests, or concerns.  
• Review own work for accuracy and routinely detect or prevent errors or mistakes that would prove costly or could jeopardize the operations of the PUD.  
• Work additional hours as necessary to achieve departmental goals as directed by the supervisor.
• Review and follow District employee policies and procedures. 
• Maintain regular and punctual attendance.

Typical Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Electrical Engineering or technical curriculum or equivalent specialized training and experience required.  
• Ten years of experience in a senior operational and/or engineering position for a RUS or PUD Electric Utility preferred. 
• Five years’ experience supervising functional areas within system operations and/or engineering is required.
• Experience with NISC software preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience that would provide the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the essential functions of the job may be substituted. 
   
   

KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES AND SKILLS

• Ability to perform electrical operation analysis and planning for system specifications and requirements.  Ability to design and manage the construction of transmission and distribution substations.  Ability to manage engineering consultants in the design of transmission substations.
• Ability to manage a department with skill in supervising and motivating employees.
• Responsible for putting budget together and maintaining budgetary requirements. 
• Knowledge and experience in construction, maintenance, and operations of electric utility systems.
• Knowledge in substation, industrial, commercial and residential metering.
• Solid interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written) and ability to be an effective member of a management team is required.
• Ability to manage the construction of overhead and underground distribution lines.
• Thorough knowledge of electric transmission, transformation, and distribution systems in substations, line construction, metering and warehouse.
• Knowledge of local, state, and federal laws/regulations impacting areas of responsibility.
• Demonstrated ability to direct various complex functions; supervise, communicate, and work effectively with all levels in the organization, outside agencies, consultants, and the public.
• Ability to ensure cost-effective operations of the electric system.
• Must possess ability to communicate both orally and in writing.
• Knowledge of PUD policies and procedures and working practice of those policies, particularly the service rules and regulations.
• Must be able to use computers and related software, as required.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to conduct clear, concise, and effective presentations in a public setting. 
• Strong interpersonal communication skills to build relationships and foster collaboration among team members and departments.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with others and promote cross-functional teamwork to achieve District goals. 
• Ability to identify and resolve conflicts. 
• Ability to act with honesty and integrity and promote ethical behavior. 
• Ability to meet deadlines regularly and reliably.