Director Integrated Grid Operations

SMUD • Sacramento, CA

2d • $223,995 - $311,938 • Hybrid

About The Position

SMUD is seeking a strategic, forward-thinking senior leader to direct its Integrated Grid Operations Department within the Generation & Grid Operations business unit. The Director leads Real-Time Engineering, Market Operations, Transmission and Distribution Operations, Power System Operations Training, Geographic Information System (GIS), and Scheduling & Interchange functions, and manages contracted operations for the Balancing Authority of Northern California (BANC). The role ensures safe, reliable, secure, compliant, and efficient operation, control, and monitoring of SMUD’s generation, transmission, distribution, and gas pipeline systems, including BANC’s operation as a California ISO Western Energy Imbalance Market entity.

The Director provides ongoing direction to multidisciplinary teams and collaborates with the Chief Generation & Grid Operations Officer, peer executives, internal departments, external entities, agencies, and policymakers. The position supports continuous 24/7 electric system operations, regulatory compliance, reliability, emergency preparedness and restoration, and integration of advanced technologies and evolving grid capabilities. The Director also participates in planning and design reviews, manages budgets, contracts, and projects, and represents SMUD at Board, executive, customer, community, and other meetings. This is a department-level senior management position; schedules, hours, and locations may fluctuate based on business needs. The position may be eligible for hybrid work, with at least three onsite days per week under SMUD’s hybrid policy and additional onsite work as operational needs require.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline from an accredited college or university.
• At least 7 years of progressively responsible relevant combined work experience in transmission or distribution operations, real-time decision-making, and progressively increasing responsibility for managing O&M and capital budgets.
• At least 5 years of direct managerial experience over personnel supporting or operating a transmission and/or distribution operations area.
• Knowledge of department-level planning, management, organization, staffing, and monitoring; business and political acumen; budget development and administration; project management; DEIB and organizational culture change; community engagement; and applicable employment laws and practices.
• Knowledge of generation, gas, distribution, transmission, and high-voltage substation system design, construction, operations, and maintenance.
• Knowledge of bulk electric system management and contractual requirements; applicable federal, regional, state, and local codes and regulations; and FERC, NERC, and WECC standards, practices, and policies.
• Knowledge of regulatory and governmental agencies and procedures for interacting with local, state, and national authorities; the Western United States transmission and generation system; and electrical distribution, transmission, and gas pipeline planning, design, protection, maintenance, testing, and operations.
• Knowledge of electrical equipment ratings and limitations, system operating procedures and techniques, load flow and stability calculations, electrical theory, computer-based metering data acquisition and translation systems, and applicable safety and construction practices, standards, and codes.
• Ability to oversee, influence, persuade, and motivate; establish policies and goals; manage strategic and operational plans; direct activities through management staff; and drive change across cross-functional teams.
• Ability to demonstrate commitment to diversity and contribute to an inclusive working and learning environment.
• Ability to interface effectively with SMUD executives, the Board of Directors, regulatory and public agencies, customers, industry groups, and SMUD staff.
• Ability to lead and manage multidisciplinary professional, technical, and represented personnel performing complex engineering and operating assignments under significant time constraints.
• Ability to initiate and maintain adherence to safety policies and procedures; support integration of intermittent resources; anticipate problems; and apply innovative, creative, and logical techniques to resolve them.
• Ability to manage emergency events and perform post-event root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Applicants must be able to perform the essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

• NERC Reliability Coordinator (RC) Operator Certification.
• Registration as a Professional Engineer in California; a Professional Engineering License in Electrical Engineering is also listed as desirable.
• Experience in California or Western energy markets.
• Direct supervisory experience over personnel supporting or operating a Balancing Authority Area and Transmission Operations Area.
• Experience working with regulatory and governmental agencies.
• Experience supporting or leading emergency operations, including response to natural disasters or other major grid events.
• Experience building, supporting, and sustaining a strong safety culture.
• Experience with Balancing Authority and Western energy market operations.
• Experience managing a unionized operational workforce in a complex utility or electric system operations environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple high-priority, complex issues simultaneously, including for extended periods.
• Demonstrated ability to address highly complex or controversial issues with tact, diplomacy, and sound judgment.
• Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering.
• FEMA Incident Command System training: ICS-100, ICS-200, ICS-300, and ICS-400.

Responsibilities

• Direct and coordinate the operations of Real-Time Engineering, EIM Operations, Transmission and Distribution Operations, Gas Pipeline Operations, Power System Operations Training, and Scheduling & Interchange.
• Promote employee, contractor, and customer safety by supporting SMUD safety policies, setting goals, and responding to safety concerns.
• Coordinate operations with SMUD departments, external entities, interfacing transmission operators, and balancing authorities to meet load requirements and energy delivery schedules on a continuous 24/7 basis.
• Manage the GIS unit to ensure accurate and timely grid updates.
• Interpret, implement, and ensure compliance with NERC and WECC Reliability Standards, regulatory requirements, and applicable policies; coordinate participation in standards development.
• Represent SMUD’s interests and strategic goals with external entities and regulatory agencies, supporting grid reliability and operational and interconnection requirements.
• Participate in integrated planning and design reviews to help prevent unsafe, inoperable, or inefficient system designs.
• Evaluate proposals and plans from other divisions, departments, agencies, and Balancing Authority entities to protect safe, reliable, secure, and compliant bulk power system operations.
• Develop and manage applicable unit budgets, costs, contracts, and projects in alignment with SMUD and BANC strategic goals and requirements.
• Anticipate and resolve complex, simultaneous operational problems and make effective decisions, including real-time decisions when criteria or answers are not fully established.
• Lead emergency response and system restoration during storms and outages.
• Oversee and support implementation of advanced control systems, including ADMS, DERMS, OMS, and GIS.
• Develop and drive initiatives to improve system reliability metrics and operational performance.
• Lead, plan, manage, and review the work of multidisciplinary professional, technical, and represented personnel.
• Support reliable integration of intermittent resources into SMUD’s electric system.
• Manage emergency events and conduct post-event root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Attend, present, and/or lead Board, executive, team, customer, community, and one-on-one meetings, in person as needed.
• Perform other related duties as needed; schedules, hours, and locations may fluctuate based on business needs.

Benefits

• Competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Retirement through the Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), including access for eligible employees to a defined benefit pension plan.
• 457 and 401(k) plans available.
• Flexible Savings Account.
• Short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Employee and spouse life insurance.
• Potential eligibility for SMUD’s hybrid work employee benefit, subject to the Hiring Manager’s schedule and operational needs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director