Telecom Consultant Prin - West Telecom Planning Project Portfolio Lead

American Electric Power•Tulsa, OK

2d•$116,255 - $151,133•Onsite

About The Position

The West Lead Portfolio Planner provides regional oversight for telecom planning activities across ERCOT, PSO, and SWEPCO operating companies. This role ensures alignment between planning teams, standards, processes, and business objectives while supporting high quality project development, forecasting accuracy, and effective stakeholder engagement. The position serves as a key coordination point between area planners, modeling, project management, and leadership.

Requirements

Telecommunications Consultant Principal SG9
Education: Bachelor's degree in engineering, engineering technology, computer science, telecommunications, or related field of study. Or associate’s degree in field mentioned above with 2 years of relevant work experience. Or HS diploma/GED with 4 years of relevant work experience required.
Experience: 10 years of relevant work experience in addition to any experience mentioned above.
Licenses/Certifications: Valid Driver's License is Required.
Possess advanced level knowledge of communications technologies and inter-networking principles.
Possess detailed knowledge and an advanced level of understanding of the AEP Network
Demonstrate advanced technical skills in a single area of specialization.
Demonstrate competency in analytical techniques necessary to handle complex assignments (e.g., by dividing the problem into component steps, and performing the analysis necessary to complete each step.)
Exhibit understanding for pertinent telecom equipment, materials, systems and business processes.
Keep abreast of new products, developments, technologies, procedures and equipment.
Demonstrate ability to develop new approaches to make informed decisions in the absence of a definite framework or where few precedents exist.
Demonstrate ability to make decisions affection long-range plans and goals based on analysis of uncertain input and outcomes
Identify, clarify, resolve and initiate solutions to complex problems that sometimes involve analysis of inadequate or conflicting data
Understand and analyze the interrelationships between systems and component equipment beyond the group’s specific area of responsibility.
Demonstrate ability to analyze and recommend enhancements to business processes
Collaborate with others within the work group, department, or other corporate entity as necessary to complex activities
Provide cross-training to other employees as assigned.
Coordinate and conduct training sessions as assigned
Initiate corrective action when project objectives are not met
Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Demonstrate the ability to extrapolate beyond known facts to reach logical conclusions.
Demonstrate ability and desire to seek out opportunities and embrace new ideas and approaches.
Demonstrate an attitude and desire to listen to and satisfy both internal and external customers who use and depend upon their organizational unit
Understand how technical strategies and decisions impact the business units and their overall business functions
Use initiative in looking for opportunities and presenting new ideas and new approaches.
Relates to people in an open, friendly and sincere manner
Effectively lead and facilitate meetings.
Use initiative in looking for opportunities to increase job knowledge and technical skills.
Continuous improvement, team player, assume positive intent, safety first focus, continuous learning, professionalism

Nice To Haves

Preference to have either a Professional Engineer License in any U.S. State, or Cisco CCNP/CCIE Certification, BICSI RCDD Certification, PMP, or master’s degree in a relevant discipline.

Responsibilities

Coordinates and monitors work activities using approved applications and tools for projects as required to perform engineering tasks
Leads, facilitates, and coordinates complex work activities of others within work group, team.
Develop, recommend, and implement plans throughout the Telecommunications organization to address issues.
Lead in the preparation and presentation of complex technology decisions and large projects clearly, concisely, and persuasively, in a manner suitable for presentations to senior management.
Demonstrate thorough knowledge of AEP networks, components, and facilities enabling more efficient and comprehensive responses to projects and problems.
Conduct economic analysis techniques in project development and approval.
Regional Planning Coordination Lead weekly regional meetings with Area planners to track project pipelines, review milestones, and address risks or issues.
Facilitate weekly one-line project reviews with the Area planners to help ensure standard compliance and resolve questions.
Coordinate projects across ERCOT and SPP regions to ensure consistency, visibility, and alignment.
Help communicate management direction, strategic decisions, and emerging trends to area planners.
Provide project specific guidance on project justification, executive summaries, and alternatives analyses to ensure accuracy, consistency, and defensibility.
Project Oversight & Quality Assurance Ensure projects follow established planning criteria, QA/QC, planning processes, and telecom standards.
Assign peer QA/QC reviews as well as participate directly in the QA/QC rotation.
Confirm projects are complete, compliant, and ready for portal uploads by required due dates.
Stakeholder Engagement & Communication Lead ERCOT and SPP engagement meetings, guiding discussions and ensuring key topics are addressed.
Maintain frequent coordination with leadership to share issues, trends, and upcoming milestones.
Serve as the West on-site Telecom Planning point of contact for internal telecom partners and cross‑functional teams outside of Telecom project alignment, timely issue resolution, and effective collaboration.
Meet weekly with the Modeling Team to ensure alignment on assumptions, scope, and timelines.
Attend ERCOT and SPP Transmission & Distribution engagement meetings to ensure telecom scope is properly defined.
Forecasting, Reporting & Reconciliation Perform monthly regional report reconciliation to ensure projects are properly forecasted and in the correct gate status.
Follow up with Project Managers to resolve discrepancies or issues.
Support special projects and initiatives as assigned.