Advanced Technology Program Manager (Distribution Reliability)

City of Austin•Austin, TX

5d•$118,900 - $152,200•Hybrid

About The Position

The Program Manager of Advanced Grid Technologies Distribution Reliability manages and technically leads Smart Grid, Grid Modernization, and other advanced programs for Austin Energy. The role supports the reliability, resilience, and performance of the electric distribution system and advances the Electric System Resilience Plan. It also supports system performance, customer service, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence through circuit-hardening efforts, cross-functional coordination, engineering support during operational events, and outage and distribution-performance analysis. The position develops strategic plans, roadmaps, and objectives; manages project and contract budgets and vendor relationships; leads technology initiatives and matrix resources; and evaluates technologies, performance metrics, business cases, and operational efficiencies. It facilitates executive committees and stakeholder communications, and may exercise supervisory responsibilities including selection, training, evaluation, counseling, and recommendations for dismissal. The role also responds to customer and executive escalations, supports power-quality investigations and root-cause analyses, and contributes to regulatory requirements, emergency management, planning, and field operations. It coordinates material and budget needs and helps ensure effective use of tools and applications supporting outage analysis and distribution performance. The position is based at 2500 Montopolis, Austin, Texas, with a hybrid arrangement available. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with additional hours potentially required for 24-hour utility operations, including evenings, weekends, holidays, inclement weather, and emergency closures.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with major coursework in Business or Engineering related to the job.
At least five years of experience in a related field, including two years in a program or project management capacity.
Knowledge of electric utility operations, including generation, transmission, distribution, or related fields.
Knowledge of advanced analytical, mathematical, or programming techniques.
Knowledge of fiscal planning and budget preparation.
Knowledge of applicable processes, engineering principles, data analysis, and application design.
Knowledge of regulatory requirements and applicable federal, state, and local laws and ordinances.
Skill in leading and directing personnel in a project and program capacity.
Skill in gathering, analyzing, and presenting data for management use.
Skill in oral and written business and technical communication, including preparing reports.
Skill in handling and prioritizing multiple tasks and planning and organizing a program.
Skill in using computers and related software applications.
Skill in data analysis and problem solving.
Skill in negotiation, program monitoring, and conflict resolution.
Skill in conducting presentations on behalf of a public entity.
Skill in projecting equipment and personnel needs and formulating operating budgets.
Ability to perform complex analysis, calculations, and problem solving.
Ability to work with frequent interruptions and changing priorities.
Ability to direct the timely production of project proposals and agreements.
Ability to prepare and evaluate business cases.
Ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
Ability to travel to multiple sites as part of regular job duties.
Must provide proof of valid work authorization at hire and maintain authorization throughout employment.

Nice To Haves

Electrical Engineering degree; Professional Engineer (PE) credential preferred.
Strong knowledge of reliability engineering principles and statistical analysis.
Experience supporting legal teams with technical or engineering documentation for case-related matters.
Experience evaluating or implementing new technologies, applications, and equipment.
Experience responding to executive-level, key-account, and customer escalations.
Experience analyzing outage data and preparing clear, professional reports and executive-level presentations.
Experience managing staff, including assigning work, monitoring performance, providing feedback, and ensuring program objectives are met.

Responsibilities

Lead planning activities and develop short- and long-term strategic plans, roadmaps, and objectives for advanced technologies and programs.
Create and manage operational budgets for short- and long-term technology projects and contracts.
Lead cross-functional teams in achieving technology initiatives.
Manage existing and future vendor contracts.
Lead market research to identify trends in technologies and programs.
Produce periodic metrics to measure and improve systems, projects, vendors, and service-provider performance.
Manage assigned matrix resources.
Identify operational efficiencies that improve customer satisfaction and reduce operational costs.
Prepare business cases, cost-benefit analyses, and requests for proposals supporting technologies, initiatives, and programs.
Facilitate and lead executive roundtables and steering committees on related technologies and programs.
Facilitate communication, education, and training for staff and internal and external stakeholders.
Manage circuit-hardening efforts and coordinate cross-functional teams supporting distribution reliability and resilience.
Provide engineering support during operational events and respond to customer, executive, and key-account escalations.
Support power-quality investigations, root-cause analyses, regulatory requirements, emergency management, planning, and field operations.
Coordinate material and budget needs and support tools and applications for outage analysis and distribution performance.
Analyze outage data and prepare reports and executive-level presentations.
As applicable, supervise staff, including selection, training, evaluation, counseling, and recommendations for dismissal.