NERC Compliance Lead

American Electric Power•Hallsville, AR

4d•$116,255 - $177,501

About The Position

The NERC Compliance Lead helps ensure that electric utility operations comply with mandatory North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) reliability standards, including Operations and Planning requirements and Critical Infrastructure Protection standards. The role supports bulk electric system reliability, grid stability, and cybersecurity while helping prevent regulatory violations and penalties. The Lead supports compliance risk identification and mitigation by contributing to internal controls, self-assessments, audits, and corrective actions. They serve as a compliance resource to operations, engineering, IT, cybersecurity, plant staff, and other business units; monitor evolving standards and industry guidance; and translate regulatory requirements into practical organizational actions. The role also collaborates across departments to strengthen a culture of compliance and support reliability and risk management objectives. This single vacancy is posted across salary grades 9 and 10, with education and relevant experience used to determine the appropriate grade. The expected candidate will live within 45 minutes of the worksite. The job is classified as sedentary work, involving sitting most of the time with occasional walking or standing and exertion of up to 10 pounds occasionally.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering (electrical preferred), computer, systems, or applications engineering, business, information technology, cybersecurity, or a related field.
For Salary Grade 9: minimum of eight years of fossil hydro generation-related experience, preferably including project-level leadership.
For Salary Grade 9: minimum of four years in compliance, auditing, risk management, power systems operations, or cybersecurity.
For Salary Grade 10: minimum of ten years of fossil hydro generation-related experience, preferably including project-level leadership.
For Salary Grade 10: minimum of five years in compliance, auditing, risk management, power systems operations, or cybersecurity.
Valid driver’s license.
Expected to live within 45 minutes of the worksite.

Nice To Haves

Prior utility or energy sector experience; NERC-specific experience is highly preferred.
Distribution system experience.
Professional Engineer (PE) license.
Certified Power Systems Engineer (PSE) certification.
NERC System Operator Certification.
CISSP, CISA, or other compliance or security certifications.
CRISC or similar risk or compliance certifications.

Responsibilities

Monitor and interpret the operational impact of new and revised NERC standards, regulatory policy activity, and industry trends; participate in NERC ballot processes and discussions and assess organizational applicability and risk.
Assist in creating, updating, and implementing compliance policies, procedures, processes, and controls.
Gather, review, organize, and maintain compliance evidence, including data, logs, and reports.
Contribute to the preparation and review of Reliability Standard Audit Worksheets (RSAWs) and audit readiness packages.
Support internal audits, spot-checks, self-certifications, and external regulatory audits.
Identify compliance gaps, perform root cause analysis for potential violations, and recommend corrective actions.
Provide compliance guidance to operations, engineering, IT, plant staff, and other business units; help communicate regulatory changes.
Develop compliance reports, dashboards, and metrics; track tasks in compliance tools and support submissions to NERC or Regional Entities.
Contribute to the development, execution, and tracking of internal controls and analyze compliance data to identify risks and improve the compliance program.
Collaborate with Embedded Support, plant system owners, GEN NERC, and ENRA to ensure processes are compliant.
Coordinate cross-departmental efforts, assist with special projects, and support state public utility commission requirements.
Work with the Operating Company’s Impacted Business Unit Leader (IBUL) to review and approve mitigation plans, RFI responses, and the design of compliance processes and controls.