Director Electric Transmission

Job Description

Puget Sound Energy is on a journey to deliver on our clean energy goals with a major milestone occurring by 2030.  In order to support a decarbonized energy system, PSE is seeking a Director of Transmission to join our team.  

The Director of Transmission is critical to the success of PSE and our customers.  This role has four pillars that they will be responsible for:

Long Haul Strategy
As PSE continues to acquire and develop more clean energy, we need a leader that is strategic so we can move further and faster than we ever have.  The Director of Transmission will play a critical role in accessing renewable energy zones that are not currently in our transmission footprint.  To ensure viability, this role will lead a team that will review risk and play a critical role in determining which projects PSE will implement in order to hit our clean energy goals.  The successful candidate will need experience with transmission studies, transmission design, regulatory issues and more to be successful.

System Planning
As the Pacific Northwest continues to grow, we also need to be mindful of our current infrastructure.  This role will determine how we bring these resources to our system and make sure we have the right plan in place.  This role will partner with our System Planning and Engineering departments to ensure that PSE has prudent local transmission strategy in place to support our delivery needs.

OATT
PSE is a FERC regulated entity and operates an Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) in accordance with FERC requirements.  This role oversees the compliance of PSE’s OATT including the interconnection to our system for loads and resources, as well as how we contract and how we communicate with our customers.  Ideally, the successful candidate will also have organized market experience to support oversight of PSE’s OATT in the context of a broader market footprint.

Markets+
As the needs of our customers evolve, PSE must also evolve in order to meet their needs.  As such, PSE has committed to joining Markets+ in the next two years.  This project will update our OATT and customer settlements to align with a new tariff under the Southwest Power Pool.  

The successful candidate must be passionate about serving and giving back to our community.  Lead by putting the needs of others first and empowering the team to do their best.  Lead by example showing commitment and passion through your actions.  This role will need to be able to tell a story with data to sell the business case such that senior executives and the Board of Directors understand the needs of the organization and our customers.

Job Responsibilities

• Employee Safety, Development & Team Building - Provides employees with coaching, feedback, and developmental opportunities and builds effective teams:
  • Demonstrates a passion for safety. Promotes and supports a culture of total safety including eliminating at-risk behaviors by conducting safety audits and inspections, eliminating hazards and near misses, and attending safety meetings.
  • Sets clear expectations and holds employees accountable for performance as well as safety goals/targets where applicable.
  • Oversees training and development of employees directly and indirectly managed and makes effective staffing decisions. Ensures required training is successfully completed.
  • Challenges and inspires employees to achieve business results.
  • Accountable to ensure employees adhere to legal and operational compliance requirements, as well as safety standards.
  • Provides coaching, direction and leadership support to team members in order to achieve employee, business, customer, and safety results.
• Transmission Development & Optimization:
  • Oversee local area and long haul transmission planning activities to identify critical system needs while developing a range of potential transmission solutions to maintain system reliability and enable the clean energy transition.
  • Acquire or develop incremental owned transmission capacity through joint ownership or standalone ventures.
  • Lead all efforts in preparing business case justification including needs assessment, power engineering studies, design alternatives, construction and cost estimates, risk assessments, financial planning, and regulatory strategies.
  • Oversee the development of local area transmission plans to information PSE’s infrastructure development and capital planning process.
• Transmission Function Oversight:
  • Lead PSE’s Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) management in compliance with applicable FERC requirements.
  • Oversee requisite power flow study analysis and engage with internal engineering and construction teams to ensure timely execution of customer interconnection and transmission service requests.
  • Lead the review and execution of transmission agreements including customer agreements, peer utility agreements and regional planning or coordination agreements.
  • Lead the review and implementation of FERC orders pertaining to PSE’s OATT function.
  • Oversee the engagement with transmission customers and the settlement of charges applicable to PSE’s OATT.
  • Execute on PSE’s plan to join a regional day ahead market by leading updates to PSE’s OATT and necessary changes to PSE’s transmission customer settlements.
• Transmission Policy:
  • Represent PSE in executive-level discussions pertaining to:
    • Regional need for additional transmission capacity to realize clean energy objectives.
    • FERC rate-making and formula rate proceedings.
    • WUTC regulatory proceedings on transmission and Resource Strategy issues.
  • Ensure that all work performed is compliant with federal and State codes, WECC and NERC standards, FERC orders, and PSE Operating Standards and Field Procedures.
  • Oversee the development and management of department and project budgets and key performance indicators to meet company and departmental metrics and goals, including applicable Service Quality Indicators (SQI’s).
  • Provide leadership on continuous improvements, new options/programs to drive improved performance or lower risk.
  • Provide leadership during emergencies, emergency response or other efforts required for business continuity.
  • Formulate and conduct presentations to PSE executives and to industry representatives.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• BS/BA degree in Business, Economics, Engineering or related technical or business discipline.
• Ten (10) or more years of experience in the areas of transmission planning, development, policy, or utility operational related roles including five (5) or more years of leadership experience.
• Proven track record of leading and developing transmission assets or agreements under an OATT framework.
• Proven track record of successful leadership within matrixed organizations.
• Experience in strategic planning and execution.
• Understanding of self-build transmission resources, acquisition of assets, clean energy objectives, and customer rate impacts.
• Experience cultivating and leveraging strong commercial relationships, with prospective, newly acquired, and existing customers, while achieving company, department and personal goals through a strong customer focus.
• Proven track record developing new business, successful account management, communicating and implementing strategies.
• Ability to identify, communicate, and avoid risk.
• Proven track record of achievement, meeting and exceeding targets and metrics; Strong time management skills and the ability to prioritize tasks.
• Must be able to communicate and interact effectively with multi-functional teams, and across all levels within an organization.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Desired Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree in applicable area.
• Leadership experience in a similar position of responsibility and expertise in the utility industry.
• Advanced knowledge of utility operations, project development, contracts, construction and personnel management.
• Established network of local, regional and West-wide electric system planning and operating professional contacts and subject matter experts.
• Understanding of utility economics, business practices and trends.
• Proficiency with presentation software applications and excellent presentation skills.

Additional Information