Supervisor - Underground Utility Inspection

Iberdrola•Rochester, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Supervisor – Underground Utility Inspection is responsible for supervising the daily activities of union personnel involved in critical operations such as location of underground assets including natural gas pipeline, electric and cathodic protection cables in the Rochester Gas & Electric (RGE) territory. The Supervisor – Underground Utility Inspection is responsible for integrated planning and scheduling, execution of fieldwork activities, and performance measurement. The supervisor will ensure that all maintenance and capital improvement projects are executed in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, thereby supporting the safety and reliability of our natural gas system. You will manage conducting proactive and reactive inspections, troubleshooting issues, and directing the daily activities of both company and contract personnel as needed. The Supervisor – Underground Utility Inspection handles the adherence of all construction and maintenance activities and are performed following DOT 49 CFR Part 191 and 192. NY Gas Operations and Maintenance Manual (O&M), NY Construction Standards, approved policies, regulatory procedures, safety rules and approved budgets. From a technical perspective, you will be responsible for the following departments: Supervise, train and mentor union personnel performing line location and leak survey operations of natural gas distribution systems. Provide guidance on safety protocols, operational procedures, and troubleshooting difficult situations. Identify training needs and ensuring the union employees are proficient in using equipment and following procedures. The Supervisor – Underground Utility Inspection is responsible for all technical aspects of these tasks as well as regulatory compliance and documentation aspects of maintenance records. The Supervisor is responsible for timely completion of each compliance survey while ensuring the survey territory is up to date and complete. Preparing reports documenting findings and communicating work status and progress to management and stakeholders. The Supervisor will have on-call responsibility to respond and assist with gas emergencies or customer issues. From an administrative perspective, you will be responsible for: Performing annual employee reviews, reviewing and approving timesheets, facilitating and tracking all Operating Qualifications (OQs) trainings, ensuring staff obtains all required OQs, ensuring staff completes all assigned safety trainings, sourcing and providing all job-specific, required equipment, reviewing and verifying the accuracy and completeness of compliance work with a “trust but verify” approach. The Supervisor – Underground Utility Inspection is expected to work closely with Manager – Gas Operations in reporting, budget, identifying opportunities for efficiency improvements, staffing concerns and Collective Bargaining Unit (CBA) negotiations & conflict resolutions as required. The successful candidate will be expected to assist the Manager-Gas Operations in developing and managing capital and O&M expense budgets. The Supervisor – Underground Utility Inspection will also play a key role in evaluating new technologies and integrating them into work processes. You will interact with Operations and Engineering teams to ensure compliance with internal and external requirements, provide emergency response resources, and support special projects related to system maintenance and upgrades as needed. The Supervisor – Underground Utility Inspection may have to communicate with community officials as well as New York State Public Service Commission (NYSPSC) concerning certain aspects of utility operations and compliance, maintenance, and service delivery as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree with a minimum of four years of relevant experience.
Associate degree with a minimum of seven years of relevant experience.
High School Diploma/GED with a minimum of ten years as a gas fitter or other relevant experience.
Knowledge of natural gas systems and underground facility location.
Knowledge of gas operations, labor agreements, safety manual, leak detection methods, procedures, and instrumentation.
Knowledge of industry codes including PHMSA DOT 191 & 192, Hazmat, OSHA, and industry Operator Qualification concepts (OQ).
Must be able to travel out of service territory when needed.
Obtain and keep company required valid Operator Qualifications (OQs).
Ability to work on a rotating on-call schedule.
Must be available for response to after hours to work storms, emergencies, and critical assignments.
Valid Driver's License.

Nice To Haves

Four or more years of experience in Natural Gas Pressure Regulation, Field Service design, installation, or utility operations.
Supervisory experience preferred.
Knowledge of natural gas distribution system design, operations, maintenance, and construction principles and practices.
Operations and maintenance knowledge of the following: pressure regulation, Gate Stations, Regulator Stations, valves, and gas quality.
Project and schedule management skills, including computerized work and materials management tools.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, along with conflict resolution abilities.
Attention to detail and teamwork orientation.
Result and customer oriented.
Ability to multitask and efficiently manage numerous projects and field crews.
Proficiency in PC desktop applications (e.g., MS Suite, Salesforce Applications (Fieldforce), SAP, FWM, Document Viewer, and others.), smart phones and tablets.

Responsibilities

Supervise and direct daily activities of company and contract personnel in areas such as underground asset location and marking, vacuum truck operation, leak investigation and leak survey.
Assign, direct, plan and oversee work for the department.
Supervise RGE field technicians to ensure safe and efficient operation of the daily field activities.
Monitor and ensure quality of work performed by technicians and crews.
Provide emergency response resources as needed.
Work closely and interface with internal and external customers.
Resolve customer issues as needed.
Assist internal customers on investigation and location of natural gas system leaks (mains and services).
Work closely with NYSPSC, Dig Safe and local government agencies as needed.
Support special projects related to system integrity, maintenance and repairs as needed.
Support regulatory reviews and audits of system records and respond to regulatory data requests.
Interact with Operations and Engineering to ensure compliance with system replacements or modifications.
Administer time sheets, store orders, work order balancing, material review, compliance with safety rules and regulations, standards of excellence and/or service guarantees.
Monitor accuracy of field records (field notes, as-builts, work sketches) for auditing purposes and ensure compliance.
Collaborating with construction crews, project managers, engineers and other stakeholders to coordinate activities and resolve challenges.
Coordinate safety training, documentation, inspections, and investigations as needed.
Ensure compliance with safety standards and conduct effective weekly safety meetings.
Ensure that all employees obtain and keep the necessary Operator Qualifications (OQs) as required.
Serve as the on-scene supervisor to outages and respond to reported gas leaks.
Champion Avangrid's safety culture and be a role model for safety.
Responsible for labor relations contract administration and communications.
Conduct employee evaluations for annual performance appraisal process.
Participate in hiring panels.