Project Manager

PPL Corporation•Allentown, PA

About The Position

As one of the largest investor-owned utility companies in the United States, PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), is committed to creating long-term, sustainable value for our 3.5 million customers, our shareowners and the communities we serve. Our high-performing regulated utilities — PPL Electric Utilities, Louisville Gas and Electric, Kentucky Utilities and Rhode Island Energy — provide an outstanding experience for our customers, consistently ranking among the best utilities in the nation. PPL’s companies are also addressing challenges head-on by investing in new infrastructure and technology that is creating a smarter, more reliable and resilient energy grid. We are committed to doing our part to advance a cleaner energy future and drive innovation that enables us to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 while maintaining energy reliability and affordability for the customers and communities we serve. PPL is a positive force in the cities and towns where we do business, providing support for programs and organizations that empower the success of future generations by helping to build and maintain strong, diverse communities today. Overview The Associate Project Manager position is the single point of accountability for small to routine medium projects supporting capital and maintenance projects (Transmission, Distribution and Substation). Responsible for the successful delivery of assigned project portfolio. Responsible for supporting for individual program projects or support roles for project managers. Assignment may also include support of project leaders, project managers, senior project managers in support role to facilitate successful completion of projects. The Project Leader is the single point of accountability for medium size PPL Electric Utilities transmission and distribution projects and is responsible for planning and managing all aspects of these projects, from development through close out. This position identifies risks and develops mitigation plans to deal with risks should they occur. This position is required to integrate information from various sources into a cohesive, comprehensive and logical project plan. The Project Leader must be capable of managing and influencing a range of subject matter experts and leading teams in executing project plans. Guidance from Senior Project Managers or Project Managers would typically be sought by the Project Leader for complicated projects. The Project Manager position is the single point of accountability for large PPL Electric Utilities capital projects (Transmission, Distribution and Substation). Responsible for the successful delivery of assigned project portfolio. Responsible for all project management activities throughout the project life cycle including planning, detailed design, construction, close out and turnover to operations on assigned project portfolio. Team player capable of working with management, project control specialists and contractors. Must be capable of coordinating and influencing a wide range of functional organizational leads and subject matter experts across the lifecycle process to accomplish the goals and objectives of the organization. Must be goal oriented, action-focused, pragmatic, and self-disciplined. In addition, she/he must excel at project planning, organizing, communication, team motivation and delegation.

Requirements

BS or BA degree in Business, Engineering, Mathematics, construction management; or a minimum of 2-3 years of experience in industry experience utility.
Ability to prioritize work assignments with flexibility to quickly adapt to changing priorities and to a changing environment.
Communication skills and ability facilitate verbally and written communication to successfully execute tasks within a team environment along with
Strong interpersonal, communication and organizational skills and the ability to work with employees and management at all levels both within PPL and outside companies.
Ability to track costs and working within budget and cost controls.
Bachelor's Degree in Business, Engineering, Mathematics or Science
3 to 5 years of experience involving project management, construction management, project controls, budgeting or team leadership.
Budget, cost control, reporting and communication skills.
Bachelor's Degree and minimum of 4 years of project management experience; OR Master's degree with 2 years of project management experience; OR 8 years of specific related experience
Strong skill set around budgeting, cost control, scheduling, reporting and writing skills experience.
Clear understanding of project management methodology as outlined by the Project Management Institute's Project Manager Book of Knowledge (PMBOK)

Nice To Haves

B.S. in Business, Engineering or Science
Project management certification by a recognized organization such as the Project Management Institute
Familiarity with electric utilities equipment and processes
Customer interface experience
Strong written, oral, presentation and organizational skills
Demonstrated initiative and leadership Skills
Skills in critical path risk assessment and tools
Engineering economics skills
Skills in schedule and cost risk assessment and management

Responsibilities

Fully accountable for scope, schedule, cost, and quality attainment for assigned projects. This includes: Establishing the project plan – scope, key milestones, resources, work breakdown structure, risks and contingencies. Identifying risks and developing mitigation plans, monitoring project status, recognizing trends and project variances, and implementing corrective action.
Reporting project status, forecasting cash flows and final project cost
Develop and manage project teams including the integration of various disciplines as necessary. Represent PPL Electric Utilities in a manner that meets the highest standards of professional conduct and integrity.
Plan and manage small to medium size projects from development through closeout. Establish project controls, metrics, and key success indicators. Manage the trade-off between scope, schedule, quality and cost.
Manage change through all phases of a project. Control expenditures, schedule and quality in executing the project within budget.
Manage communications including project reports and status meetings with stakeholders. Track and reports progress. Document obstacles, delays and claims.
Participate in contracting decisions. Identify contract obligations on PPL, develop dispute resolution processes and options, and assist in contract final closure.
Responsible for all financial aspects of the project including the overall project budget, timely payment of invoices for contracted work, obtaining appropriate authorizations for expenditures and financial closeout activities.
Performs other duties as assigned
Complies with all policies and standards
Manage a portfolio of projects that include:
portfolio budget ranging from $1M to $100M
project budget ranging from $100k to $100M
complexity from low to extreme (degree of difficulty, level of risk, contracting strategy, stakeholder engagement) duration from several months to several years
Plans, directs, and ensures the successful management of assigned project portfolio utilizing the complete resources of the project management office and assigned project management teams.
Maintains communication with upper management both within and across organizations to ensure smooth running of all assigned projects. Advise leadership about the project portfolio, status, budget, and resource planning for delivering strategic business projects. Establish and nurture positive relationships with and customer organizations.
Responsible for the development, execution, and ongoing maintenance of the project management plan for each assigned project. This includes scope, schedule, cost, quality, communication, resource, issues, risks, change control and contractor management plans. Level of detail is driven by project size and complexity.
Responsible for all project management activities for assigned portfolio throughout the project life cycle (planning, detailed design, construction, close out and turnover to operations) on assigned project portfolio, which include:
Effectively applies PPL PM methodology and enforces project standards.
Project team identification and ongoing management.
Develop and manage the project communication plan.
Managing/facilitating team deliverables delivery (conception design, siting studies, constructability walkdown, design package, contractor contracts, etc.).
Manages "gate" reviews and quality assurance procedures.
Manages day-to-day operational aspects of a project and scope
Responsible for project changes (scope, budget, and schedule) are managed through the project governance structure that has been implemented by PPL EU management.
Proactively identify risk and mitigation plans, monitor project status, recognize negative trends, and project variances, and coordinates corrective action.
Ensures project documents are complete, current, and stored appropriately.
Manages project budget. Determines appropriate revenue recognition, ensures timely and accurate invoicing, and monitors receivables for project. Accurately forecasts project cost to complete. Manages cash flows and final project cost, variances, and corrective actions.
Responsible for the management of project contracts including bid process (working with the Contract Management team), identify upcoming contract obligations, develop dispute resolution options, and assist in contract final closure. Oversight on the invoice/payment process and updates/ Q/A to the financial systems.
Has expert experience in Project/Program Management and can lead in the coaching and mentoring of team members to help them achieve individual expectations and deliverables. Demonstrates the ability to adapt to and lead, change, and coach others in the acceptance and support of change.
Support the development and maintenance of Project Management support policies, standards and procedures necessary to produce the deliverables from the team and to work effectively with the other teams. Assumes a leadership role in educating the business and technical community on Project and Program management processes and areas of expertise.
Take ownership and delivery responsibility for special projects and company initiatives. Provide ongoing reconciliation between long-term goals and short-term actions. Initiates and implements new technologies, methodologies, process, and procedures that will support PPL's long- and short-term goals.
All positions in which driving is an essential function of the job, regardless if the job code is marked safety sensitive or not, will also be included as safety sensitive
May be assigned an Electric Utilities emergency and storm role. This is a special assignment that comes into play during storms and other emergencies when the company needs to restore power or respond to other issues affecting customer service. This role may necessitate the need to work after-hours, outside of your normal schedule.
The company reserves the right to determine if this position will be assigned to work on-site, remotely, or a combination of both. Assigned work location may change. In the case of remote work, physical presence in the office/on-site may be required to engage in face-to-face interaction and coordination of work among direct reports and co-workers.