Manager, District Energy

Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, LES is customer-owned and is one of the nation’s leading utility companies. We are recognized for low costs, unmatched reliability, financial stability, cutting-edge innovation, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service while fostering a culture that celebrates passion, talent, and high standards. If you're not just looking for a job but a fulfilling career in a workplace that values excellence, the environment, and the community we call home, LES might just be the perfect fit for you. Join us and power a brighter future!

• LES is interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States.
• LES is unable to sponsor employment-based immigrant or non-immigrant visas.
• This is not a remote position and requires residency within a reasonable commuting distance to LES in Lincoln, Nebraska.

JOB SUMMARY

Responsible for the overall management of the District Energy Corporation (DEC), an inter-local corporation managed by LES, which provides thermal energy and other associated services to public and private entities in Lincoln, Lancaster County. Specific responsibilities include supervising staff, overseeing DEC plant maintenance and operations, maintaining DEC plant facilities, establishing department short and long-term goals, developing capital and operating budgets for all DEC plants, maintaining currency in utility operations, complying with all regulatory requirements, creating and evaluating business plans for expanding corporate facilities. Consistent and reliable attendance is an essential function of this position.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND COMPETENCIES

• Provides strategic leadership for department and oversees the effective supervision of staff to include prioritizing and assigning work, conducting performance evaluations, monitoring employee performance, ensuring staff members are trained and cross trained, resolving conflicts, and making hiring, termination, and disciplinary recommendations.

• Manages internal resources to ensure applicable safety, security, and environmental compliance for DEC facilities.

• Coordinates with external stakeholders including DEC customers, DEC Board members, City/County government officials, project developers, and others as needed to manage, maintain, and promote the DEC.

• Monitors service delivery and analyzes ongoing operational responsibilities using customer service metrics, department performance metrics, utility benchmarks, etc., to ensure continuous improvement of department operations.

• Oversees and ensures maintenance plans and activities are executed and documented for annual review by Insurance Technical Risk Consultants and facilitate unit operations and outages for Boiler Licensing requirements.

• Prepares and presents background information, documentation, reports with justification, and recommendations for capital improvement projects, standards, written directives, work methods, materials, and guidelines to the DEC Board of Directors.

  
  

Communication -Expresses ideas and information in a clear and concise manner whether verbally, written, or other means; tailors message to fit the interests and needs of the audience; delivers information in a manner that is interesting and compelling.

Customer Focus -Putting customers, both internal and external, at the center of business decisions in order to identify and respond to current and future customer needs. Builds customer confidence, is committed to increasing customer satisfaction, sets achievable customer expectations, assumes responsibility for solving customer problems, ensures commitments to customers are met, solicits opinions and ideas from customers, responds to internal customers.

Decision Making -Moves quickly to make good decisions and commit to a clear course of action; comfortable making sound decisions based on partial information; willing to take appropriate risks in order to maintain momentum; shows a strong bias toward action.

Leading/Facilitating Teams -Helps team develop a vision, objectives, and goals consistent with the organization’s mission while encouraging personal ownership, anticipating and resolving conflicts, and fostering an environment where team members are motivated to do their best work.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of electric theory, distribution systems, mechanical systems, and energy consuming equipment and devices.

• Knowledge of capital, operational, and corporate budgeting.

• Ability to apply expert knowledge of preventative and corrective maintenance programs.

• Knowledge of applicable Federal, State, and Local laws, rules, and regulations.

• Ability to apply mathematical, economic, and accounting practices.

• Ability to stay late, come in early, and take phone calls from staff and DEC customers at odd hours, perform weekend work, and provide immediate call backs to the plant.

  
  

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical, engineering, or related field, and

• Ten years of progressively responsible operations and maintenance experience in a thermal energy or industrial facility, including five years of supervisory or management experience, or

• An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job.

  
  

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Valid driver’s license

• Professional Engineer’s (PE) license preferred

  
  

EEO Minorities/Women/Disabled/Veterans