Senior Operations Programmer/Analyst

Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is about more than power. We’re about the power of relationships. Our employees have the opportunity to work together to ensure electricity is delivered reliably and affordably to the millions of people living in our service territory. We have been voted one of Arkansas’ Best Places to work by Arkansas Business and we are looking for a member of our team who is passionate about our mission to keep the lights on!

We have a core ideology here at SPP that we stand by: Do the right thing, for the right reason, in the right way.

We believe in supporting our employees through a fantastic benefits package:

• Competitive and transparent pay with bonus opportunities
• Excellent insurance package including three great medical plans to choose from, employer-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Relocation bonus (if applicable)
• Hybrid working environment for positions that are eligible
• Fantastic contributions to your retirement through a 401(k) savings plan with employer-match benefits and a pension (defined benefit plan) fully funded by SPP
  
  

Compensation Information

The salary range(s) represents our good faith estimate for the role at this time. While we strive to provide competitive and transparent compensation, there may be circumstances where an offer is above or outside of the listed range. We are open to discussing salary expectations with qualified candidates considering factors such as the candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, experience and geographic location will all be considered during the hiring process.

Senior Operations Programmer/Analyst - $ 95,200 - $ 123,700

Join our team as a Senior Operations Programmer/Analyst!

The Senior Operations Programmer/Analyst will provide technical and analytical support for the Operations functions performed by SPP. This role is responsible for developing software applications and maintaining processes, procedures, and controls for systems, data exchanges, data interfaces, and modeling. The position supports SPP Coordinated Operations across multiple areas: Integrated Marketplace, Consolidated Balancing Authority (CBA), Reliability, Tariff, Markets, Scheduling, and Engineering. The Senior Programmer/Analyst will be an integral part of system development life cycles, focusing on situational awareness and engineering applications. Critical decision-making in complex, sometimes high-pressure situations, is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Subject Matter Expertise: Obtain enterprise-level subject matter expertise in various technical areas related to SPP Coordinated Operations.
• Application Development & Maintenance: Design, develop, and maintain software applications supporting critical operational functions, including those used for Integrated Marketplace, CBA, Reliability, and Engineering.
• Testing & Release Management: Support release management and testing efforts, including regression testing, by developing test plans, scenarios, and scripts.
• Cross-Department Collaboration: Act as a liaison between Operations and other SPP departments to ensure alignment of tasks with operational considerations.
• Data Management: Create, maintain, and improve data points in the EMS Data Historian, as well as support the Asset Framework.
• Operations Support: Provide on-call duties as needed and address issues reported by SPP staff, members, non-members, and market participants.
• Process Improvement: Support continuous improvement of processes and procedures within the Operations Support team to enhance operational efficiency.
• Mentoring & Leadership: Mentor lower-level personnel and provide guidance on complex issues related to SPP operations.
• Technical Documentation: Create and maintain detailed system documentation, including specifications, architecture diagrams, troubleshooting guides, and more.
• Compliance: Ensure compliance with SPP policies, procedures, and regulations.
• On-Call Duty: Availability for on-call duties as required to ensure operational continuity.
  
  

Development Responsibilities

• Develop and implement solutions to improve operational tools, displays, and processes, with a focus on enhancing situational awareness and reducing human error risks.
• Support the operational archive data systems, including OSIsoft PI, and assist in utilizing historical data for operational decision-making.
• Manage the integration and use of Synchrophasor data for real-time situational awareness and post-event analysis.
• Work with geographic applications to enhance operations support.
  
  

Testing Responsibilities

• Develop and implement comprehensive testing strategies, including unit testing, regression testing, and performance testing to ensure software and systems meet all functional requirements.
  
  

To be successful as Senior Operations Programmer/Analyst, we're looking for:

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Electrical Engineering, or a related field; Two (2) Years of Information Technology development/programming/support experience may be considered in lieu of degree requirement

Six (6) years of Information Technology development/programming/support experience

• Advanced experience with User Experience (UX) design
• Advanced experience in C#, JavaScript, SQL, and other similar development languages
• Advanced experience with MVC, WebAPI, and MVVM
• Advanced understanding of object-oriented analysis and design concepts
• Advanced experience with version control including Git
• Advanced experience working knowledge of Microsoft Windows, UNIX or Linux operations systems, and database management systems
• Strong inter-personal and teaming skills
• Motivation to take appropriate expedited action when required
• Expert written and oral communication skills
  
  

Preferred

• Advanced knowledge of the Southwest Power Pool high voltage transmission system, the SPP Criteria, SPP Business Practices, NERC Reliability Standards, SPP Market Protocols, SPP Regional Tariff, SAS70 Modeling Controls and SPP Change Control procedures
• Working knowledge of NERC Reliability Standards, SPP Criteria, SPP Market Protocols, the SPP OATT and SPP OATT Business Practices.
• Knowledgeable of and conversant with tools such as the EMS, Open Access Same-time Information System, OASIS Automation and scheduling systems
• Initiative to stay abreast of industry developments
  
  

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Position Type And Expected Hours Of Work

This is a full-time position. Days and hours of workweek are Monday through Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Working extended hours may be required.

Travel Requirement

This position requires moderate travel (approximately 10%)

SPP is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans and is committed to excellence. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us at HR@spp.org and let us know the nature of your request. We will only respond to messages left that involve a request for a reasonable accommodation in the application process. We will accommodate the needs of any qualified candidate who requests a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

At SPP we value Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Visit our website to learn more: LINK

Full job descriptions will be made available to those selected for an interview.