NERC Compliance Specialist Lead

American Electric Power • Columbus, OH

3d • $116,255 - $177,503

About The Position

A NERC Compliance Lead ensures that electric utilities, power generators, transmission operators, and related energy organizations comply with mandatory reliability standards established by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). This position will focus primarily on Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards designed to safeguard the grid from cybersecurity threats. The role is critical to preventing system disturbances, maintaining grid stability, and avoiding regulatory violations and penalties. In addition, the NERC Compliance Lead plays a proactive role in identifying, assessing, and mitigating compliance risk by reviewing and researching potential self-reports, facilitating self-assessments and audits, conducting research, and serving as a subject matter resource for operations, engineering, IT, and cybersecurity teams. The role requires staying current on evolving NERC standards, industry guidance, and enforcement trends, participating in standards development and ballot processes when applicable, and translating regulatory requirements into practical, executable actions. Through collaboration, education, and continuous improvement, the Lead helps embed a culture of compliance and accountability while supporting the organization’s broader reliability and risk management objectives.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (electrical engineering preferred), mathematics, communications, computer science, business, or other related field of study.
• Eight or more years of progressively responsible positions in the electric utility or similarly regulated industry.
• Experience in NERC compliance or a similar regulatory compliance is preferred.
• Valid driver’s license

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) desirable
• Electrical Engineering degree preferred
• Certified Power Systems Engineer (PSE) highly desirable
• NERC System Operator Certification
• CISSP, CISA, or other compliance/security certifications
• CRISC or similar risk/compliance certifications

Responsibilities

• Perform interpretations: Conduct research utilizing internal and external resources to interpret the NERC standards as applicable to AEP and provide a written analysis. Lead sessions with business unit partners to discuss the results of the research.
• Oversight reviews: Review all potential violations for reportability determination and to ensure documentation and mitigating activities are accurate, address the root cause, and meet requirements for submittal to the NERC Regional Entities.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of Compliance Programs: Assist in creating, updating, and implementing policies, procedures, processes, and controls to meet NERC requirements.
• Audits and assessments: Support internal audits, spot-checks, self-certifications, and external regulatory audits. Identify gaps, perform root cause analysis for potential violations, and recommend corrective actions.
• Consultation and training: Provide guidance to business units (operations, engineering, IT, plant staff) on compliance best practices, requirements, and evidence sufficiency. Help communicate regulatory changes.
• Reporting and metrics: Develop compliance reports, dashboards, or metrics. Track status, monitor tasks in compliance tools, and support submissions to NERC or Regional Entities.
• Controls Development and Execution: Contribute to the development, execution, and tracking of internal controls to support compliance risk mitigation strategies. Analyze compliance data, identify non-compliance risks, and contribute to continuous improvement of the compliance program.
• Collaborate: Coordinate cross-departmental efforts, assist with special projects, and support state public utility commission requirements.

Benefits

• The Physical Demand Level for this job is: S – Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally (Occasionally: activity or condition exists up to 1/3 of the time) and/or a negligible amount of force frequently. (Frequently: activity or condition exists from 1/3 to 2/3 of the time) to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.

What This Job Offers

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