Vice President, Thermal Generation

GRAND RIVER DAM AUTHORITY•Chouteau, OK

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Vice President, Thermal Generation provides executive leadership, strategic direction, and management for GRDA’s thermal generation operations. The position is responsible for the safe, reliable, compliant, and cost-effective operation and maintenance of three generating units comprising approximately 1,370 MW and a workforce of approximately 150 employees. The Vice President directs facility operations, maintenance, workforce development, capital execution, asset management, and risk management in support of GRDA’s public-power mission. The position establishes priorities, allocates resources, advises senior leadership on generation operations and investment needs, and fosters a culture of safety, accountability, collaboration, operational discipline, and continuous improvement. This is an unclassified, exempt position, primarily located at the Grand River Energy Center in Chouteau, Oklahoma, and reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer. It requires up to 15% domestic and occasional international travel, which may include overnight stays and weekend trips. Compensation is commensurate with experience and qualifications, and a highly competitive benefits package is offered.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, operations or energy management, or a related field from an accredited college or university; an equivalent combination of education, technical training, and progressively responsible power generation experience may be considered.
Valid Oklahoma driver’s license, or ability to convert an out-of-state license within 30 days if an Oklahoma resident.
Demonstrated senior leadership capability, including setting strategy, establishing accountability, making sound decisions, and leading through complex operational conditions.
Comprehensive knowledge of utility-scale power generation operations, maintenance, plant systems, reliability, performance, and asset management practices.
Strong commitment to safety, environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance, procedural discipline, and ethical conduct.
Ability to develop, manage, and communicate operations and maintenance budgets, capital budgets, forecasts, business cases, risk assessments, and investment priorities.
Strong organizational, project management, problem-solving, and risk-management skills.
Ability to evaluate complex technical, operational, commercial, and organizational issues and implement practical, risk-informed solutions.
Excellent interpersonal, collaboration, negotiation, presentation, and written communication skills.
Ability to work effectively across divisions and with executive leadership, governing bodies, regulators, customers, contractors, and other external stakeholders.
Ability to remain composed, decisive, and accountable during emergencies, outages, and other high-consequence operating events.
Ability to work independently and develop and achieve defined goals and objectives.
Ability to walk, climb stairs, crawl, and work from ladders and elevated platforms.
Must not have a fear of heights, confined spaces, or working around high-voltage equipment.
Must possess the mental, visual, and auditory acuity necessary to maintain attention to visual and auditory detail.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of plant control, maintenance management, learning management, data historian, and Microsoft productivity systems.
Progressive leadership experience in utility-scale thermal generation operations, maintenance, engineering, asset management, or project execution.
Executive or senior management experience with responsibility for plant safety, reliability, workforce performance, environmental compliance, operations and maintenance budgets, capital programs, and risk management.
Experience with natural gas combined-cycle and/or coal-fired generation facilities.
Experience managing major outages, long-term service agreements, contractors, capital projects, and multidisciplinary technical organizations.

Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership and strategic direction for thermal generation operations, maintenance, engineering, asset management, administrative, project, and contract functions.
Establish organizational priorities, performance expectations, and accountability across multidisciplinary teams.
Advise senior leadership on thermal generation operations, plant performance, long-term service agreements, major maintenance, and facility investment priorities.
Foster collaboration across GRDA business units, including Hydro Operations, Engineering, Transmission, Environmental, Safety, Finance, Legal, and Human Resources.
Direct the safe, reliable, compliant, and cost-effective operation and maintenance of generation facilities in alignment with GRDA’s strategic objectives.
Improve plant availability, reliability, efficiency, and operational readiness through asset management, maintenance strategies, performance monitoring, and corrective action programs.
Lead operational performance, emergency response, and business continuity activities, and provide timely reporting to senior leadership.
Ensure thermal generation assets are effectively and efficiently utilized to support reliability, financial stewardship, and long-term asset value.
Promote safety, environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance, procedural excellence, and ethical conduct through policies, training, and management systems.
Lead identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring of operational, safety, environmental, financial, contractual, workforce, and asset-related risks.
Maintain accountability for compliance with applicable laws, regulations, permits, policies, procedures, and operating standards.
Establish and manage annual operations and maintenance budgets, capital budgets, asset investment plans, forecasts, and resource allocation.
Oversee major outages, capital improvements, and other projects, with accountability for safety, schedule, budget, quality, compliance, and performance outcomes.
Oversee major contracts, long-term service agreements, procurement activities, contractors, consultants, and external partnerships supporting operations and capital projects.
Develop and maintain a qualified, engaged, and accountable workforce through staffing, training, succession planning, qualification programs, hiring, promotion, performance management, and employee development.
Provide leadership, coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback to department managers, supervisors, experienced professionals, and other assigned leaders.
Promote workforce readiness and align resources with operational needs and long-term organizational priorities.
Perform other duties as assigned.