Utility Work Planner

ESPO Corporation•Oakbrook Terrace, IL

About The Position

The Utility Work Planner/Outage Coordinator plans, schedules, and coordinates transmission and substation outages that support large capital projects and programs. The position serves as the primary point of contact between Project Management, Transmission System Operations (TSO), and Distribution System Operations (DSO), leading outage coordination to ensure work is completed safely, efficiently, and in compliance with Company and PJM requirements. The role owns the development and management of outage schedules, identifies required outages and outage boundaries, submits and tracks outage requests, and reschedules outages as needed. It coordinates lockout/tagout (LOTO) requirements and clearance sequencing; facilitates outage planning meetings; communicates outage impacts and schedule changes to stakeholders; and participates in daily, weekly, monthly, and long-range outage planning. More generally, the Work Planner plans and coordinates a team or department’s daily work activities. This includes scheduling and assigning work, coordinating with internal departments and external contractors, monitoring progress, allocating personnel, equipment, and materials, resolving scheduling conflicts, and supporting timely and budget-conscious completion. The planner communicates schedules and assignments, supports team members, keeps abreast of industry practices, and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and company policies.

Requirements

Strong organizational skills.
Strong communication skills.
Strong problem-solving skills.
Ability to work well in a team environment.
Ability to prioritize tasks and manage time effectively.
Experience with work planning software and tools is often required.
Experience planning, scheduling, and coordinating transmission and substation outages is required.

Responsibilities

Plan, schedule, and coordinate transmission and substation outages supporting large capital projects and programs.
Serve as the primary point of contact between Project Management, TSO, and DSO for outage coordination.
Develop and manage outage schedules; identify required outages and outage boundaries.
Submit, track, and reschedule outage requests.
Coordinate LOTO requirements and clearance sequencing.
Facilitate outage planning meetings.
Communicate outage impacts and schedule changes to stakeholders.
Participate in daily, weekly, monthly, and long-range outage planning.
Create work schedules and assign work based on priorities and deadlines.
Coordinate work activities with internal departments and external contractors.
Monitor work progress and adjust schedules to meet deadlines.
Assign personnel, equipment, and materials to tasks.
Support completion of work on time and within budget.
Identify and resolve scheduling conflicts or issues.
Provide guidance and support to team members.
Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, company policies, and Company and PJM requirements.
Keep abreast of industry trends and best practices in work planning and coordination.