Strategic Gas Planning Manager

Southern Company•Birmingham, AL

15d•Onsite

About The Position

The Strategic Gas Planning Manager in Gas Supply and Energy Trading (GSET) is responsible for shaping Southern Company’s long-term natural gas supply, infrastructure, and storage strategy to ensure reliable, flexible, and cost-effective fuel delivery for the generating fleet, including new generation required to serve large-load growth. This role leads forward-looking evaluation of pipeline expansions, upstream supply options, and storage needs, ensuring reliability and balancing cost, risk diversification, and future optionality amid evolving market dynamics and LNG competition. The position works in close partnership with the Gas Procurement Manager and the Gas Operations Manager, ensuring strategic planning decisions are aligned with commercial and operational needs. Through engagement with pipelines, suppliers, and marketers, this role negotiates precedent agreements, assesses execution and supply risks, enhances supply basin diversity, and develops fuel solutions for new generating assets. This role partners closely with System Planning, OPCOs, and Commercial Operations leadership to align gas strategy with fleet expansion and operational requirements, while providing leadership through cross-functional collaboration, analyst development, and clear communication of complex strategic issues to stakeholders.

Requirements

Deep gas market experience, with an understanding of evolving market dynamics and future supply challenges is strongly preferred
Origination experience in Southeast gas markets with proven negotiating skills and a track record of creating value in transactions is strongly preferred
Strong relationships with pipelines, marketers, suppliers, and other end users are strongly preferred
Extensive knowledge of pipelines across and into the Southeast, as well as upstream supply sources and basins is strongly preferred
Knowledge of gas requirements for electric generation and understanding of how pipeline limitations and tariff language can present challenges for electric generation is strongly preferred
Strong, innovative problem-solver with the proven ability to communicate complex topics in written or verbal form to diverse audiences
Safety focus and a strong personal safety record
Ability to work within a team setting, including the ability to build and motivate a team toward a shared goal
Demonstrated initiative and creativity coupled with a strong customer service focus will be expected
Dedication to an accident-free work environment with strict adherence to all safety and compliance requirements
Must lead by example and ensure equity and fairness in interactions with others
Must conduct self in a manner that builds trust and confidence with coworkers, contractors, supervisors, and management

Nice To Haves

Gas trading or scheduling experience is a plus
Knowledge of Southern Company gas generating fleet or fleet operations is a plus

Responsibilities

Forward-looking supply strategy, infrastructure planning, and risk diversification.
Evaluate new generation siting options and fuel availability while balancing cost, reliability, flexibility and future optionality
Support System Planning and OPCOs in new generation discussions
Engage with pipelines in conceptual discussions of expansion and greenfield projects
Negotiate precedent agreements (PAs)
Track and report progress of pipeline projects, evaluating execution risk and keeping management informed of any changes
Assess supply risks, LNG competition, upstream project economics, and total cost (FT + commodity) for upstream supply projects to ensure reliable and low-cost supply into the system
Enhance supply basin diversity for reliability and price stability
Anticipate evolving market dynamics, infrastructure trends, and future supply challenges
Determine storage needed (total volume, locations, deliverability) to serve current and future generating fleet for reliability and daily pipeline balancing
Work with storage providers to contract existing and develop new storage assets
Direct comprehensive long-term strategy for transportation, supply, and storage development, ensuring a reliable, liquid supply of natural gas while minimizing cost for customers
Engage with key players across pipelines, marketers, suppliers, and other end users to influence outcomes and create opportunities that are aligned with Southern Company needs
Build relationships cross-functionally within GSET to understand current and future operational challenges, across CO to understand gas strategy impact on the generating fleet, and across OPCOs to understand and address their needs for firm transportation for new and existing generation
Contribute to gas generation development and strategy discussions with SCS and OPCO leadership
Provide effective leadership by hiring, developing, and mentoring high-performing gas planning analysts, fostering a collaborative, inclusive team culture, and contributing to the broader GSET and Commercial Operations teams