System Operator

Umatilla Electric Cooperative•Hermiston, OR

64d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for ensuring the safe and reliable operation of the system (transmission, and distribution,) under normal, emergency and outage conditions, complying with the UEC, RUS and NERC/WECC reliability standards. Actively promotes a culture of safety and assures safety standards are adhered to. Adheres to and supports company policies and develops specific operating procedures related to system operations. The System Operator will work closely with the Operations and Construction Superintendents to assure clear communications and effective team work.

Requirements

Ability to perform essential job duties with or without reasonable accommodation and without posing a direct threat to safety or health of employee or others. To perform this job successfully, an individual will be required to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
BA/BS in Management/Engineering preferred. Eight (8) years of experience may be substituted for education.
Minimum Eight (8) years’ experience as an electric utility administrator, journey level craft worker or engineer. Experience with computers, spreadsheets, calculators, word processing software, distribution analysis software, and automated office equipment. Completion of an approved apprentice program for electrical utility journeyman and transmission lineman experience is a plus.
Must have a valid Drivers’ License for occasional business travel.

Nice To Haves

Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, members, customers and the general public.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ration, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
Specialized computer skills. Must be adept at using various applications including MS Office Products and operations within Windows operating system, as well as communication by e-mail and use of scheduling software. Must understand how to use software programs related to outage management, power quality, AMI metering, CIS software, OMS, and other various software programs for SCADA Controls.

Responsibilities

Determines operating status from personnel, station and equipment logs, dispatch board or automated system monitoring device.
Operates or directs the operation of station equipment through manual or automated systems.
Develops, issues, and verifies step-by-step instructions for switching orders with consideration of impact on system status.
Issues, transfers or releases work clearances. Maintains up-to-date system configuration display for real-time system status.
Isolates the cause and nature of abnormal station, equipment or system conditions and takes action to operate or direct operation of equipment to restore lines and equipment to normal operating conditions.
Coordinates restoration as well as dispatching and directing personnel in a safe, efficient, and reliable manner in response to electric system outages and emergencies.
Responsible for managing the processes and relationship with the outage call center vendor (CRC).
Maintains the UEC electric system using the Outage Management System (OMS) and various related applications.
Works with Engineering to monitor interconnected system conditions, UEC and interconnected system line flows, voltages, Remedial Action Schemes, and equipment limits during normal and emergency conditions and communicates status to assure prompt response to any potential issues.
Facilitates and tracks system equipment outages adhering to established UEC and BPA criteria.
Reviews, comprehends, and applies operational policy and procedural changes in a time constrained atmosphere.
Performs internal and external notifications of system events in accordance with established requirements.
Maintains a safety conscious work environment by following Umatilla Electric Cooperative’s safety protocols and safe work practices.
Delivers information and details for Monthly Board Report
Respectfully takes direction from supervisor or manager.
Ability to function well under stress, particularly during emergency situations and take prompt, appropriate actions during those situations. Must also be able to communicate to the necessary authorities or personnel in a clear, reliable and efficient manner during such emergencies in order to diffuse the situation as necessary.