Director, Austin Energy Engineering and Technical Services (Distribution Engineering)

City of Austin

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Distribution Engineering team is seeking a Director of Distribution Engineering to provide strategic leadership and oversight for the following business units: 1. Distribution Design North & Major Projects 2. Distribution Standards 3. Small Scale/Street Light/Design Support. The successful candidate will be a detail-oriented and collaborative leader capable of guiding technical teams, evaluating complex operational challenges, and developing sound, data-driven recommendations within an electric utility environment. This position requires strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to cultivate effective working relationships and present technical information clearly to Austin Energy departments, City of Austin stakeholders, and customers. Under minimal direction, this position provides guidance and direction to the engineering of Austin Energy's (AE) Transmission, Distribution, and Substation System Design and provides technical services to other departments within AE. Responsible for the engineering, overall project management to include budgeting, staffing, and development of procedures and provide leadership in an effort to accomplish the goals and objectives of the City of Austin.

Requirements

Knowledge of Electric Utility Operations, Engineering, and design of Electric Service Delivery Facilities.
Knowledge of Utility De-regulation.
Knowledge of budget process and related financial reports.
Skill in applying logical and practical problem-solving skills.
Skill in situational analysis, planning, and organizational skills.
Skill in interpersonal communication, which successfully cover the full range of required interfaces from field personnel to executive management.
Ability to communicate effectively with customers.
Graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in a field related to engineering, plus seven (7) years of work experience in related to the job, including four (4) years of experience in a management or supervisory capacity.
State of Texas Professional Engineer License.

Nice To Haves

Experience overseeing and managing Electric Utility team(s) in distribution environment to implement and resolve strategic and technical goals and objectives.
Supervisory experience in distribution engineering as a Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Texas.
Knowledge of electric utility safety practices and procedures and experience leading safety initiative.
Experience in public speaking and resolution of utility customer issues.
Experience with quality improvements.

Responsibilities

Develops or assists in the development of business cases as needed to support process improvement efforts.
Develops appropriate schedules and goals for project or program implementation and monitor schedule performance.
SAIDI and SAIFI goals established and reported upon on a regular frequency.
Focuses on cost-effective engineering practices striving to achieve operational excellence.
Implements or refines processes that improve reliability, improve customer service, increase revenue, and reduce costs.
Presents at least four (4) business improvement recommendations on a quarterly basis.
Compiles and completes performance reviews that align with AE’s business plan and are tied to measurable goals.
Manages budgets and projects to ensure implementation on schedule and on budget.
Assists employees by developing training plans and scheduling time to meet training requirements.
Reviews current system and develops new strategies for premium power offerings.
Responsible for the full range of supervisory activities including selection, training, evaluation, counseling, and recommendation for dismissal.