Manager, Operations - Erie Region

FirstEnergy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers’ lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.

About the Opportunity

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. [PN01]

This position is for a Manager, Operations and will be based out of the Erie service center.

Summary:

The Manager serves as a leader for the area’s 24/7/365 electric utility operations, managing the lines and meter services unit for the Erie region.

The position is responsible and accountable for the safe and reliable delivery of electricity, in compliance with regulatory requirements and with an eye toward ensuring future sustainability of operations. It will plan, organize, direct and review activities within a regional area, ensuring compliance with all applicable regulatory, operational, procedural, and budget guidelines.

This position will provide leadership consistent with our core values, holding safety, DE&I, ethical and complaint behavior, stewardship and customers service as essential to success. This position will lead, direct, and provide technical expertise and guidance to the operational groups managed, including essential personnel required to respond to and react to a variety of emergency / urgent situations. It requires significant field and administrative responsibilities.

This position will provide direction and leadership from the following perspectives:

• Foster a high-performing safety culture where employees own, promote, and reinforce safe behaviors and feel empowered to speak up
• Establish and develop substantive working relationships with peers, staff and union leadership, and create an environment and implement changes where needed to enhance FirstEnergy’s culture of safety, compliance, inclusion, accountability, and innovation, foster a learning organization in which employees feel empowered to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and think creatively.
• Initiate and monitor implementation of appropriate safety and environmental safeguards in accordance with applicable regulations and professional practice to ensure that employee, community and environmental hazards and impacts of operational activities are eliminated or reduced to acceptable risk levels
• Serve as a member of the management team and participate in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, priorities, policies, procedures, project prioritization and problem resolution
• Plan, organize, control, integrate and evaluate the work of the operational group. Compile and assess data to review progress of work. Review and advise staff at various phases of work and provide support as needed
• Work with director, other managers, and supervisors to engage employees to establish and achieve milestones and appropriate benchmarking measures for safety, reliability, customer service, financial performance, and compliance
• Interpret and apply collective bargaining agreements and company policies
• Respond to customer complaints and formal regulatory authority inquiries
• Oversee preparation and subsequent control of area budget for personnel, material, equipment, construction, operations and maintenance.
• Plan, organize, develop and monitor the performance of assigned supervisors and staff, establishing performance requirements and personal development targets, monitor performance and provide direction for performance improvement and development
• Engage with employees and union leadership to create a culture of inclusion and teamwork
• Recommend appropriate staffing levels and actively promote developmental assignments for high potential employees to ensure adequate succession and career development opportunities
• Coordinate response efforts and assist in the emergency outage restoration process

Qualifications:

• Highly motivated and approachable leader, with a demonstrated track record of safe operations excellence and people leadership
• Functions both independently and as part of a team and can communicate, promote, and drive positive change and continuous improvement
• Demonstrated learning agility and ability to develop technical acumen and working knowledge of distribution operations
• Seven years’ experience in the electric utility industry highly preferred – distribution engineering, transmission, line construction, maintenance practices, including performance in a leadership capacity. Equivalent training and experience in progressive leadership roles will be considered in lieu of industry specific experience
• Bachelor’s degree preferred. In lieu of degree, equivalent training / experience will be considered.
• Experience administering collective bargaining agreements and HR policies fairly and equitably for all employees is highly desirable.

Ability to:

• Lead by example, facilitate and lead teams through change, promotes the values of trust and integrity
• Analyze difficult and complex issues and strategies, reach sound and logical fact-based conclusions and recommendations
• Evaluate departmental practices and make sound recommendations for improvements; develop and implement appropriate procedures and controls
• Exercise sound expert independent judgment and political acumen within general policy guidelines
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of employees
Operate and learn various computer applications