What are the responsibilities and job description for the Program Manager, Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) position at SERC Reliability Corporation?
The electric grid is vital to our everyday lives. It is fundamental for the health, safety, and well-being of our communities, and provides the platform for our economy and our societal and technological advances. SERC's mission is to reduce risks to the reliability and security of the electric grid (also known as the bulk power system), not only for today but also for the future.
To achieve this mission, we maintain a diverse team of experts across numerous disciplines in order to address the complex, evolving, and dynamic challenges facing the grid. Our team also partners with the best and brightest individuals from both the power industry and the federal government to understand and address the challenges facing the grid. These key partnerships make our work more informed, pragmatic, responsive, and impactful.
The Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Program Manager is responsible for providing leadership, project management, technical expertise, and coordination for the SERC CIP Committee. The Committee supports 30 members that are security and operational professionals, from utilities across the SERC footprint, dedicated to promoting the security and the reliability of the Bulk Power System. Through SERC's committee structure, this group strives to identify, prioritize, and reduce security risks to the Bulk Power System by raising awareness, sharing lessons learned, developing training content, commenting on NERC Standards and more. To accomplish this critical work, we are in need of a strong collaborator and technical security professional that loves to work with others on solving problems.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Provide leadership, planning, and execution of the SERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Committee program.
- Lead, plan, and coordinate regularly scheduled SERC CIPC and subgroup meetings that effectively operate the committee business and support security awareness and education.
- Collaborate with CIPC leadership, members, and SERC staff to identify, classify, and share security risks to the Region.
- Participate in strategic program efforts and support implementation plans associated with the SERC CIP Committee, subgroups, and other activities.
- Develop and execute a three-year work plan and other program documents in alignment with other SERC Technical Committees.
- Participate in other FERC, NERC and ERO-level committees, work groups, and task forces (ex: SERC's inter-regional study groups) to support collaboration and organizational effectiveness.
- Provide cyber or operational security expertise to both large and small groups interested in critical infrastructure protection and security topics.
- Develop and maintain detailed knowledge of associated NERC CIP Reliability Standards.
- Monitor FERC and NERC activities to provide prompt notification to SERC staff and stakeholders of emerging issues and projects.
- Monitor security threat intelligence information from the NERC Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC), InfraGard, US-CERT and other sources to timely inform internal and external security partners.
- Schedule and facilitate development of comments by members on NERC CIP Standards as part of the SERC standards development process.
- Develop and enhance relationships with members and industry security experts.
- Other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Seven years of experience in the electric utility industry.
- Seven years of experience in a operational, cyber, or IT security role.
- Bachelor's degree in technical, security, or engineering related fields. An equivalent combination of education and experience is acceptable.
- Master's degree in related field preferred.
- Industry recognized security certifications.
- Ability to present technical data in person and remotely.
- Provide training for technical and non-technical audiences.
- Effective project management skills.
- Solid computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Products (i.e., Office, SharePoint, Project, etc.)
- Proven ability to exercise independent and insightful judgment.
- Proven ability to execute work effectively with little day-to-day direction.
- Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing technical policies, procedures, and processes.
- Excellent oral and written (technical writing) communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with others both inside and outside the organization.
- An ability to show logical analytical thinking leading to sensible conclusions from data gathering.
- Ability to work with and communicate with large and small groups.
- Sound understanding of emotional intelligence concerning conflict resolution and problem solving.
- Training experience a plus.
COMMITMENT TO CULTURE:
SERC is dedicated to being a highly desirable place to work through culture and purpose. We place a strategic focus on critical elements such as Diversity & Inclusion, Innovation & Collaboration, and Organizational Development & Talent Management. Through this strategic focus, SERC has identified its four Cultural Attributes that we believe keeps us on the path of continuous improvement.
CULTURAL ATTRIBUTES:
- Leader - Is trustworthy, principled, and respectful and strive to create value that reduces risk. Has a positive vision and is actively building support to execute it. A leader takes personal accountability for the outcomes of their choices and actions, acts with professionalism and adapts to change in a calm and positive manner. A leader will, when appropriate, ask questions and recommend alternative solutions to new processes or procedures.
- Collaborative - Partner and engage, both internally and externally, to drive meaningful action by leveraging skills, knowledge and tools. This would include effective written and verbal communication to ensure ideas and messages are clearly and concisely conveyed, being responsive to all stakeholders, understanding goals and objectives while exceeding key metrics and targets. Encourages dialog and candor while making it safe for others to voice their opinion to ensure all alternative viewpoints are heard, they are an active listener.
- Expert - Being credible, objective, disciplined, and sought after to help with continuous learning, improvements, and innovations. Exhibit knowledge of and ensures compliance with industry best practices and regulations. Take initiative to set priorities and convey important information in a timely and efficient manner. Employ good judgment when evaluating a problem by analyzing risk and identifying consequences while demonstrating a sense of organizational stewardship.
- Purposeful - Proactively demonstrate initiative, intentionality and resourcefulness to help anticipate and navigate current and future challenges. Committed to the quality of work and ensures work is delivered at appropriate deadlines while seeking operational efficiencies. Initiate appropriate follow-up while leveraging industry knowledge and business acumen to make appropriate decisions. Treat others with compassion and empathy and embrace the organization's mission and vision while providing meaningful contributions to organizational endeavors.
If the traits and characteristics listed in our Cultural Attributes resonate with you, we encourage you to apply!
SALARY/BENEFITS:
The salary range for this position is DOE. We offer a generous PTO package; paid holidays; medical, dental, vision, life, short-term and long-term disability insurance, and a 401(k) plan with an organization contribution of up to 14%.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Hybrid work environment; 50/50 Split in-office and remote work (weekly common day = Tuesday); ability to travel as needed.
SERC is an Equal Opportunity Employer