TRANSMISSION Construction Planner Senior-Principal

American Electric Power•New Albany, OH

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Transmission Construction Planner creates detailed construction plans and sequences for capital projects by researching project scopes and collaborating with project stakeholders. The role manages a portfolio of assigned projects to optimize outages and streamline construction sequences. The position may be filled at the Senior (SG7) or Principal (SG8) level. The planner develops safe, efficient, and economical construction sequences; monitors project risks and issues that could delay milestones or in-service dates; and manages construction plans for multiple capital projects simultaneously. The role supports portfolio prioritization and resolution of conflicting outages, coordinates outage planning between capital projects and maintenance, and organizes and leads construction-plan review meetings. The position requires technical understanding of transmission and distribution facility construction, project management and scheduling, and station, transmission-line, and protection-and-control engineering. The planner must be able to read P6 schedules, interpret station one-line diagrams and transmission-line switching diagrams, and understand switching and tagging, clearance points, minimum approach distances, and complex outage sequences.

Requirements

For the Senior level: Bachelor’s degree in construction management, engineering, or a related field and 8 years of experience in the applicable discipline; or bachelor’s degree in construction technology or ABET-accredited engineering technology and 10 years of relevant experience; or associate degree in construction management technology or ABET-accredited electrical or civil engineering technology and 12 years of relevant experience; or high school diploma or equivalent and 14 years of experience in construction, project execution, or field operations within electric utility or infrastructure environments.
For the Principal level: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, engineering technology, construction management, business, or a related field and 8 years of related experience; or associate degree in engineering, engineering technology, construction management, business, or a related field and 10 years of related experience; or high school diploma or GED equivalent and 12 years of related experience.
Basic understanding of the Bulk Electric System from a physical and/or topographical perspective.
Experience in construction management, transmission engineering, transmission operations, or distribution operations. Candidates without a technical background in these areas will not be considered.
Strong computer skills and ability to use them to provide business-specific reports.
Ability to read and interpret one-line station diagrams and transmission-line switching diagrams.
Ability to work as a team player, demonstrate inquisitiveness and analytical ability, and maintain working relationships with diverse teams.
Aptitude to understand switching and tagging and clearance points.
Clear understanding of minimum approach distances.
Capacity to lead development and communication of complex outage sequences to project stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Microsoft Office, particularly PowerPoint and Excel.
Knowledge of protection-and-control zones of protection.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with project stakeholders to develop safe, efficient, and economical construction sequences.
Alert the project management team to risks or issues that could delay milestones or in-service dates.
Use or develop technical knowledge of transmission and distribution facility construction, project management and scheduling, and station, transmission-line, and protection-and-control engineering.
Read P6 schedules to confirm that construction plans can be executed as scheduled.
Support project prioritization and identify solutions for conflicting outages to enable execution of the capital-project portfolio while addressing customer and internal stakeholder needs.
Manage construction plans for multiple capital projects simultaneously.
Participate in periodic reviews with Transmission Field Services Work Scheduling Teams to optimize outages between capital and non-capital projects and maintenance.
Organize and lead construction-plan review meetings.
Lead the development and communication of complex outage sequences to project stakeholders.