The Field Operations Manager is responsible for managing and overseeing all field operations and service staff. In this role, the Field Operations Manager will be responsible for multiple work disciplines including; substation technicians, relay technicians, field engineers, switching personnel, and transmission line and right-of-way services. The Field Operations Manager will also be responsible for managerial administrative tasks that support field operations such as; developing field operations work plans, annual operations and maintenance (O&M) and capital budgets, contract management, and NERC compliance.
This position will be located in Austin, TX, and will report to the Operations Director. The candidate will be required to work at COMPANY's Austin corporate office 70% of the time and travel to field operations office in Big Spring, TX, 30% of the time.
DUTIES, FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Oversee all transmission line, station, and protection and control field operations staff in Big Spring, TX
Oversee and provide clear direction to local field operations supervision in Big Spring, TX
Oversee and help coordinate switching and clearance operations
Review and approve electrical isolations plans for medium-high risk maintenance activities
Develop and manage annual O&M and capital maintenance budgets and forecasts
Develop and manage annual field operations work plan and outage schedule
Initiate and manage all on-going and new maintenance contracts with external vendors
Manage safety qualifications and onboarding requirements for all contractors working on COMPANY systems
Manage all related field operations NERC compliance requirements (i.e. PRC-005)
Develop weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual field operations performance reports
Manage field operations preventive and corrective work orders using Oracle Fusion Cloud
Support management of implementation of COMPANY's asset management database
Support management of COMPANY's maintenance program
Support management of implementation of COMPANY's field operations safety program
Develop training requirements and frequency of training for field operations staff
Coordinate with COMPANY system operations and outage coordination teams to plan and manage outage activities
Cross-coordination with multiple internal departments such as accounting, IT, planning, engineering, construction, regulatory, and compliance
Cross-coordination with external stakeholders such as NERC, TRE, and ERCOT
Participate and provide input during new project design reviews - review and provide feedback on applicable new project designs
Develop and present reports to internal teams, leadership, and other company departments.
Maintain COMPANY's internal operations events and issues database and coordinate with stakeholder groups to seek resolution of operations issues
Support and manage development of standard operating procedures such as; outage request criteria, field event reporting requirements; equipment operation protocols, clearance acceptance and release, NERC documentation
Assists in developing tools, processes and procedures that enhance safety, system reliability and departmental efficiencies
Support and prepare field staff for third party inspections and general site visits
Manage on-call rotating field schedule and overtime requirements for field staff
Support management of COMPANY's field operations inventory requirements
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Project Management, or Business is required. Other Bachelor's degrees will be considered based on applicability to this position.
Skills and Experience:
Minimum 8 years work experience in field operations, engineering, or project management
Prior experience working in substation or transmission line environment is preferred
Candidate must be familiar with ERCOT nodal protocols and operating guides
Experience with NERC compliance reporting and documentation requirements
Experience with substation equipment (i.e breakers, transformers, switches)
Experience with protection and control equipment (i.e. SEL/GE relays, RTUs)
Experience with transmission line and right of way inspections/maintenance
Work scheduling using P6, Microsoft project, or similar applications
Ability to develop annual O&M and capital budget requirements and forecast
Contract management
Certificates & Licenses:
Professional Engineer (PE) license is preferred but not required.
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is preferred but not required.
Computer Skills:
Ability to use and quickly comprehend computer based systems and databases utilized for content management, data entry, contracts, data tracking, and work processes
Ability to create presentations, charts, tables, and graphs
Microsoft Office (MS Project, Excel, Power Point, Word, Outlook)
Basic AutoCAD principles
Competencies:
Ability to manage a team remotely
Good communication using email, presentation, and verbal methods
Organization of information, tasks, communications, and data
Documentation and tracking of critical information
Basic accounting principles (cash and accrual basics)