Director, Powerline Engineering

Grand River Dam Authority•Tulsa, OK

10h•Onsite

About The Position

We deliver affordable, reliable ELECTRICITY, with a focus on EFFICIENCY and a commitment to ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. We are dedicated to ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, providing resources and supporting economic growth. Our EMPLOYEES are our greatest asset in meeting our mission to be an Oklahoma Agency of Excellence. Position Overview This is a senior leadership position that provides strategic and hands-on leadership within the Engineering organization. They will serve as the senior technical authority for the electric power system. The Director provides strategic and technical oversight of powerline engineering and project management areas, ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of transmission and distribution capital projects. This role is accountable for system planning, engineering standards, technical governance, and capital prioritization to support long-term system integrity, reliability, and safety. The Director ensures approved capital programs are executed on schedule and within budget, in alignment with system planning requirements, technical standards, and GRDA’s strategic objectives.

Requirements

Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in environments with ambiguity, competing priorities, and incomplete information, exercising independent judgment and managing technical risk in high-stakes engineering decisions.
Advanced knowledge of transmission and distribution systems, and powerline engineering, with the ability to balance safety, reliability, constructability, cost, and schedule.
Strong understanding of applicable industry codes, standards, and regulations (e.g., ANSI, ASCE, ASTM, IEEE, NEC, NESC), and the ability to ensure compliance through effective delegation, oversight, and technical governance.
Working knowledge transmission and distribution engineering tools and methodologies (e.g., PLS_CADD, LPILE, MFAD or similar).
Proven capability to provide executive-level technical leadership and engineering judgment for complex capital projects across the full project lifecycle, including execution risk, contractor performance and schedule, and budget tradeoffs.
Demonstrated success leading multi-discipline engineering and project management teams, setting clear expectations, holding teams accountable, and developing future technical and organizational leaders.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex technical and execution-related information to executive leadership, boards, regulators, and external stakeholders.
Strong leadership presence and professionalism, serving as a positive role model and effectively leading meetings, decision forums, and stakeholder engagement to drive alignment and timely resolution.
Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.) or Graduate degree in engineering from an ABET accredited university.
Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience with an electric utility performing engineering related duties and/or management for utility projects.
Minimum of 5 years’ experience leading a multidiscipline engineering team.
Demonstrated experience serving as a technical authority or senior reviewer for complex transmission and distribution infrastructure projects.
Valid Oklahoma driver’s license, or the ability to convert within 30 days for those with an out of state driver’s license that are an Oklahoma resident.
Professional Engineer status in any state is required at time of hire with transfer to Oklahoma within 6 months of employment.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor Degree in Civil/Structural or Electrical Engineering with power emphasis is preferred.
Additional courses or practical experience in electric utility engineering design and/or consulting are desirable.

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior technical authority for transmission, distribution, and project management ensuring system reliability, safety, regulatory compliance, and long-term asset integrity.
Establish, approve, and maintain engineering standards, criteria, and technical policies; provide technical governance over high-consequence designs, standards deviations, and system-impacting decisions, including assigned NERC Reliability Standards responsibilities.
Direct reliability analyses and engineering evaluations to support long-range system needs and infrastructure strategy.
Translate planning outcomes, reliability requirements, and system risks into technically complete, execution-ready capital project definitions for delivery by project execution teams.
Provide executive leadership over the planning, design, and execution of transmission and distribution capital projects, with accountability for safety, cost control, schedule performance, and risk mitigation.
Oversee engineering studies, detailed design approvals, constructability reviews, contract development, bid evaluations, and construction execution to ensure compliance with standards and approved scope.
Lead development and prioritization of annual and multi-year capital budgets for transmission, and distribution, ensuring alignment with system needs and organizational objectives.
Provide executive-level technical recommendations to the VP, T&D Engineering & Operations regarding system risk, infrastructure strategy, capital priorities, project delivery approach, and resource requirements.
Lead, mentor, and develop engineering and project management staff; ensure technical depth, execution capability, accountability, and succession readiness; direct and authorize personnel actions consistent with organizational policies.
Represent GRDA as a senior technical expert in internal leadership forums, regional and industry committees, regulatory proceedings and Board presentations, as needed.
Support emergency response, storm restoration, and critical operational needs, and coordinate closely across engineering, operations, and project delivery functions.