Manager Distribution Operations Engineering

Portland General Electric • Beaverton, OR

1d

About The Position

This leadership position manages the Distribution Operations Engineering organization and provides strategic and technical leadership for engineering programs supporting the safe, reliable, resilient, and efficient operation of Portland General Electric’s electric distribution system. Reporting within the Standards, System Health & Maintenance organization, the role leads engineers responsible for power system analysis, distribution reliability and resiliency improvements, outage restoration, system planning, power quality, industrial customers, and continuous improvement of electric system operations. The position supports engineers at operations centers west of Portland’s West Hills and south past Salem, and may be based in Beaverton, Hillsboro, or other operations centers in the region.

The manager provides direction and oversight for engineering activities supporting control center and field operations, planned and emergent system work, distribution outage coordination, switching strategies, operational technology systems, and emergency response. The team is a technical resource for electric system operations, developing engineering solutions and operating strategies to maintain reliability, support customer service, reduce operational risk, and improve power-system situational awareness.

The role partners with the System Control Center, Power Delivery Operations, System Planning, Maintenance Engineering, Project Management Office, Customer Service, Local Government Affairs, Key Customer Managers, and external reliability organizations. It advances operational excellence through engineering analysis, outage readiness, restoration planning, grid modernization, and reliability improvement programs. The manager develops technical capability, provides leadership during emergencies and abnormal operating conditions, and advocates for safety, reliability, resiliency, and operational excellence.

The manager leads and develops operations engineering professionals; oversees technical objectives, standards, procedures, and operational problem resolution; and supports distribution capital and maintenance activities. The role also manages team finances and resources, contributes to recruitment and selection, and oversees employee development, coaching, mentoring, and performance reviews.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering.
• Eight or more years of engineering experience preferred by the posting’s stated experience criterion.
• Must be able to obtain NERC Reliability Coordinator Certification.
• Advanced knowledge of engineering and economic principles and concepts.
• Advanced knowledge of engineering disciplines and ability to interpret engineering deliverables.
• Advanced understanding and application of engineering processes and procedures; working knowledge of related departments and functions.
• Advanced industry knowledge and awareness of technology trends.
• Advanced knowledge of company QA/QC processes and procedures.
• Intermediate knowledge of construction feasibility and procurement and contract administration.
• Advanced knowledge of project controls and estimating processes and procedures.
• Advanced knowledge of system protection design practices and application.
• Advanced knowledge of applicable codes and standards for electrical distribution system design and operation.
• Advanced skill designing overhead and underground distribution facilities, including civil and electrical subsystems.
• Advanced knowledge of real-time and offline power flow and power system analysis software.
• Advanced knowledge of work management, asset management, GIS, and outage management software applications.
• Advanced knowledge of distribution protection schemes and device coordination principles.
• Advanced analytical thinking, decision-making, organization and prioritization, risk management, written and oral communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Intermediate organization management and resource management skills.
• Ability to work long hours, a variable schedule, shifts, and an on-call schedule; report to work during severe inclement weather; and meet regular, reliable, predictable full-time attendance standards.
• Ability to meet response times and deadlines, follow accuracy standards, make decisions and follow through, collaborate effectively, communicate and problem-solve under stress, adapt to frequent change, receive constructive feedback, and apply learning to similar situations.
• Daily travel within the service territory; occasional overnight travel inside or outside the service territory.
• Ability to use a computer regularly for an entire work shift and lift, push, pull, and carry up to 10 pounds.

Nice To Haves

• ABET-accredited engineering program or a program accredited by an equivalent agency preferred.
• Professional Engineering (PE) license strongly preferred; may be required based on the role.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Distribution Operations Engineering organization and manage a team of operations engineering professionals in distribution operations, transmission operations, or power quality subfunctions.
• Provide strategic and technical leadership for engineering programs that support safe, reliable, resilient, and efficient electric-system operations.
• Coordinate engineering support with crews and operations personnel to meet power demands and support reliable operation of transmission and distribution systems.
• Perform system analyses and provide real-time engineering support for system operations.
• Ensure team objectives are met, applicable standards and procedures are followed, operational problems are identified and resolved, and operating procedures and working practices remain current and fit for purpose.
• Provide distribution engineering support for capital and maintenance activities.
• Recommend improvements to the design and construction of overhead and underground distribution facilities, standards, operations, materials, and technology.
• Support field operations, customer account management, OPUC liaisons, and key stakeholder groups.
• Support control center operations, planned and emergent system work, outage coordination, switching strategies, operational technology, and emergency response.
• Advance reliability, resiliency, risk management, system hardening, grid modernization, outage readiness, restoration planning, and reliability improvement programs.
• Provide technical support for power quality, specialized customer reliability, distribution system modeling, and analytics.
• Partner with internal departments and external reliability organizations to coordinate operational decisions, grid technologies, engineering analyses, and operational obligations.
• Monitor and manage expenditures, ensure financial targets are met, review budget variances, and help define effective financial controls and decision-making.
• Oversee team resourcing and planning, and partner with HR on job definition, recruitment, evaluation, and selection.
• Review organizational development needs and training strategies; guide development plans, monitor progress, coach and mentor employees, provide feedback, and complete annual performance reviews.
• Develop technical capability across the organization and provide leadership during system emergencies and abnormal operating conditions.
• Support Company emergencies, including storms.

Benefits

• Total rewards package intended to reward contributions and support employee well-being and professional development.
• Performance-based incentive bonus; total compensation is commensurate with experience, skills, qualifications, education, training, and internal equity.

What This Job Offers

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