Transmission Project Manager - Project Manager Principal

American Electric Power•New Albany, OH

3d•$87,633 - $151,133•Onsite

About The Position

Manage one or more intermediate or complex projects, potentially at the highest project complexity level, or a program area of projects, in a matrix team environment. Provide leadership, direction, training, coordination, and communication throughout project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closeout. Deliver projects safely, efficiently, economically, and with balanced risk to achieve short- and long-range goals and customer satisfaction. Provide project transparency and communicate with internal and external customers, team members, suppliers, contractors, vendors, and industry peers to support sound business decisions. The position is posted at multiple levels: Project Manager SG7, Project Manager Senior SG8, and Project Manager Principal SG9. The filled level will depend on education, experience, interview, and internal equity. The role includes leadership and accountability for project teams, project schedules and budgets, procurement and contracts, project risk and quality, and compliance with AEP project management standards. Work may take place at home, in offices, power plants (including nuclear facilities), and construction sites involving Distribution, Transmission, Generation, and Telecom infrastructure. Nuclear-site work may involve hazardous areas and possible radiation exposure within NRC-prescribed limits. Travel is typically 25% or less, though more may be required for particular assignments.

Requirements

For Project Manager SG7: bachelor’s degree in construction management, engineering, business, project management, computer science, or a related field, with three years of qualified experience; or a two-year associate’s degree in the same disciplines with five years of qualified experience; or high school diploma/GED with seven years of qualified experience.
For Project Manager Senior SG8: bachelor’s degree in a stated or related field with five years of qualified experience; or a two-year associate’s degree in the same disciplines with seven years of qualified experience; or high school diploma/GED with nine years of qualified experience.
For Project Manager Principal SG9: bachelor’s degree in a stated or related field with seven years of qualified experience; or a two-year associate’s degree in the same disciplines with nine years of qualified experience; or high school diploma/GED with eleven years of qualified experience.
Qualified experience includes project management, outage management activities (for the SG7 requirements), major construction field experience, project estimating, project controls, project engineering, business/financial administration, or comparable internal or external experience in a competitive production environment, as applicable to the posted grade.
For SG8, experience must demonstrate increasing project-management and business responsibility and responsibility for most certifying-body knowledge areas. Demonstrated readiness for journey-level project-management knowledge is expected in construction safety, negotiations, scope development and control, cost estimating, construction contracting, project controls and reporting, quality control, and risk management.
For SG9, experience must demonstrate successful project-management duties, business acumen, and prior responsibility for all certifying-body knowledge areas. Demonstrated readiness for specialist-level project-management knowledge is expected in construction safety, negotiations, scope development and control, cost estimating, construction contracting, project controls and reporting, quality control, and risk management.
For SG9, two years of experience as a Project Manager Senior (Grade 8) is preferred, or demonstrated equivalent competencies, knowledge, and skills through results achieved in a shorter timeline.
Provide effective leadership, team building, and meeting management, and demonstrate the motivation and confidence to lead teams and projects to successful conclusions.
Communicate compellingly and listen effectively with stakeholders, including team members, sponsors, management, and senior management.
Apply business and economic judgment in project decisions and align project and company financial goals.
Demonstrate sound decision-making, risk assessment, prioritization, scope management, contract development and management, and conflict resolution.
Valid state driver's license required.
Safely perform light physical duties; work may require walking on unstable surfaces, climbing ladders, and awareness of hazardous site conditions.
Travel is typically 25% or less, but greater travel may be required for specific assignments.

Nice To Haves

For SG7, three years of qualified experience as a Project Manager Associate (Grade 6), or demonstrated competencies, knowledge, and skills through results achieved in a shorter timeline.
Knowledge of construction safety, negotiations, scope development and control, cost estimating, construction contracting, project controls and reporting, and quality control.
Experience in utilities, commercial nuclear power, and/or IT systems.
PMP certification is preferred but not required.
For SG8, two years of experience as a Project Manager (Grade 7), or demonstrated competencies, knowledge, and skills through results achieved in a shorter timeline.
For SG9, two years of experience as a Project Manager Senior (Grade 8), or demonstrated competencies, knowledge, and skills through results achieved in a shorter timeline.

Responsibilities

Plan, organize, direct, coordinate, and supervise assigned project activities, applying project management principles and techniques such as Waterfall and Agile.
Support and hold employees and contractors accountable for the AEP System Safety Process and a safe working environment focused on Zero Harm.
Develop, review, coordinate, and manage project or outage plans, schedules, and budgets, including cost management and timely reallocation of funding.
Communicate project details and status; lead planning meetings, project updates, and stakeholder presentations; and prepare clear written and oral reports.
Develop and manage relationships with project teams, plant and operating company staff, customers, partners, contractors, vendors, and suppliers; foster teamwork and customer satisfaction.
Provide guidance, instruction, and training to improve design, systems, procedures, processes, schedules, and costs, and challenge project work using informed understanding.
Deliver effective project work at a minimum on intermediate-level projects and maximize customer satisfaction.
Mentor other project managers and direct or supervise sub-team project managers as assigned.
Develop procurement plans and manage outside-service contracts, including requests for proposals, bid evaluation, vendor selection, contract negotiations, vendor performance and quality oversight, and contract compliance.
Conduct and supervise project closeout, including evaluating project success against objectives and realization of project benefits.
Develop understanding of AEP project management organizational standards and assist in managing projects in accordance with those standards.
Manage programs as assigned.
Provide leadership, build teams, manage meetings, and communicate effectively with team members, sponsors, management, senior management, and other stakeholders.
Apply economic analysis and business judgment to project decisions and align project and company financial goals.
Influence engineering and design, procurement, contracting, estimating, and construction processes to optimize execution; ensure use of current business-unit guidelines and requirements; identify process-improvement opportunities within project scope.
Use project-management tools and techniques; strategically plan, assess risk, prioritize, and make sound decisions across safety, constructability, sequencing, changing conditions, contingencies, contracts, predictability, priority, direction, and productivity.
Organize project activities, delegate tasks, set team expectations, manage deliverables, hold team members accountable, and provide constructive feedback.
Prioritize and manage conflict, develop solutions that serve the company, take timely independent action, and know when to elevate issues.
Manage scope, technical options, project risks, and mitigation methods; develop and manage contracts with appropriate allocation of risk.
Demonstrate integrity and accountability, promote continuous improvement, maintain a questioning attitude, challenge assumptions, and seek and evaluate subject-matter expert input.
Evaluate team members’ skills and capabilities and recommend actions to support project success.
Perform light physical duties safely and effectively, including construction-site walkdowns on unstable surfaces, climbing ladders, and remaining aware of hazardous site conditions.
Work at various AEP locations and support AEP policies, values, principles, structure, and behaviors.