Electric Distribution System Operator

Bandera Electric Cooperative•Boerne, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Bandera Electric Cooperative (BEC) and BEC Fiber are seeking an Electric Distribution System Operator to join their Energy Operations team. This role is responsible for coordinating and directing all distribution electric outage restorations. The operator will issue necessary clearances and switching orders, create and monitor switching and tagging orders following Lockout-Tagout procedures, and maintain detailed logs of daily activities and restoration events. They will also assist with switching activities involving the LCRA System Operations Control Center when required. BEC proudly serves seven counties in Central Texas with electricity and has been providing fiber broadband service through BEC Fiber since 2017 to eight counties in the Texas Hill Country.

Requirements

High School Diploma or Equivalent
6+ months of related experience
Valid Texas Driver’s License and Related Insurance
Must pass background and drug screening
Maintain a flexible schedule that allows for adherence to a rotating shift
Knowledge of systems operations and maintenance
Knowledge of electric utility transmission or distribution system operations
Knowledge in the use of systems operations software and tools
Strong knowledge of safety protocols and regulations related to systems operations
Proficient in the use of systems operations software and tools
Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Strong attention to detail
Decision-making and judgment skills
Highly reliable and dependable

Nice To Haves

3 years of college-level course work in Electrical Distribution or related field preferred

Responsibilities

Coordinate and direct all distribution electric outage restorations.
Issue all necessary clearances and switching orders to field personnel.
Create, verify, and monitor associated switching and tagging orders following BEC’s current Lockout-Tagout procedures and protocols.
Create detailed logs of all daily activities, emergency restoration, and associated events for the electric distribution system.
Assist BEC personnel when conducting switching activities with LCRA System Operations Control Center when required.
Support 24/7 real-time control system integrity to ensure the highest operational reliability and system availability.
Provide efficient and safe direction of restoration activities during assigned shift.
Serve as switching authority as assigned by the BEC Manager of Distribution System Operations.
Ensure proper adherence to cooperative policies, operating instructions, and procedures.
Ensure accurate, safe, and current switching and tagging instructions for assigned operations.
Respond to system operation failures or abnormalities, creating and assigning Service Orders to the appropriate team for corrective action.
Track, document, and assign all errors found within the OMS (Outage Management System) mapping software.
Communicate daily across multiple departments including Member Relations, Engineering, Operations, and Technical Systems.
Perform troubleshooting, problem analysis, and resolution.
Analyze and validate data to maintain system integrity and power restoration.
Develop, approve, analyze, and generate daily reports.
Utilize SCADA software and equipment to control and monitor the cooperative distribution grid, including opening, closing, and changing configurations of SCADA controlled devices.
Validate crew work locations with the closest upline protective device.
Accurately place protective devices on hot-line tag or non-reclose setting to minimize adverse effects should a fault occur.
Utilize one-line diagrams and system maps for the creation and issuance of switching procedures.
Minimize outage durations using software for tasks such as pinging meters, on-demand meter reads, SCADA alarms, fault magnitude, probable fault location generation, lightning strike data, proper crew assignments, transformer loading, and creating switching orders.
Initiate CVR (Conservation Voltage Reduction) as directed by management or 4CP probability alerts.
Monitor conditions which could negatively impact reliability.
Monitor two-way radio communication for all BEC personnel.
Prepare and approve switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages.
Receive power outage notifications via telephone calls or smart application, dispatching personnel as necessary.
Maintain outage, substation, and system records, and provide to other departments as needed.
Calculate power equations.