Director, Customer Access and Project Engineering
The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) is responsible for the safe, reliable, and economic planning and operation of the Alberta Interconnected Electric System. We provide open and non-discriminatory access to Alberta's interconnected power grid and also facilitate Alberta's competitive wholesale electricity market. The AESO strives to foster an inclusive, diverse and equitable workplace where people feel respected and welcomed for who they are, together we deliver high performance and innovative results.
Job Description
If you are a current AESO employee or contractor, please view openings and apply through our internal site at Workday.
Reporting to the Vice President, Grid Reliability Projects and Planning the Director, the Director, Customer Access and Project Engineering will have leadership accountability for functional managers and has overall accountability for Customer NID filings and the timely, efficient, predictable, and reliable delivery of all project engineering and customer access study work products which are produced in support of customer projects and AESO driven transmission projects. Some of the key work products include (Engineering Connection Assessments, Study Scopes, Preliminary and Detailed Assessment Reports, Functional Specifications, Project Data Update Packages, and Facility Scopes).
This role involves strategic business planning, resource management, and fostering a culture of high employee engagement and positive customer experience. This position is expected to defend all System Access Service needs approval applications, including determining regulatory filing strategies, in coordination with regulatory and legal teams, and be an expert witness in regulatory proceedings or inquires.
Internal and external stakeholder relations are critically important. The position will also provide important support to the Director of Customer Projects and Services with managing project escalations. Additionally, this role coordinates cross functionally with other departments and business units across the AESO including but not limited to Grid Planning & Operations Engineering, Operations Integration, Grid Reliability Services, and Forecasting and Analytics, and is responsible for relationships with government, Transmission Facility Owners (TFOs), Distribution Facility Owners (DFOs), Market Participants and ratepayer interest groups.
Qualities to support your success in this role:
You have solid understanding of the TPL Planning standards, Alberta's Electric Utilities Act and Transmission Regulation, and the overall planning framework in Alberta.
You have strong understanding Transmission facility design and power system operations, business acumen, including a broad understanding of the Alberta electric industry legal and regulatory framework, ISO Tariff and Alberta electricity markets.
You are effective working in a high pace environment which has high customer demands and schedule pressures.
You have comprehensive knowledge and experience leading and developing people.
You are a strategic thinker and align employees to strategy and sets clear expectations.
You have strong business acumen, including a broad understanding of the Alberta electric industry legal and regulatory framework, ISO Tariff, Alberta electricity markets and AIES system operations.
You are an effective risk-based decision maker who understands when to take appropriate risk and delegates decisions to appropriate levels.
You have good analytical and interpersonal skills with expertise in distilling complicated topics to a broader audience.
You are effective at managing healthy conflict resolution with internal and external stakeholders.
You have demonstrated strong communication and public speaking skills.
You have experience with change leadership, guiding and mentoring teams through change.
You have strong knowledge of project management fundamentals, and customer connection processes.
You are results driven and champions continuous learning and process improvement.
Key accountabilities include:
Business and Strategic Leadership:
Accountable for providing market participants with a reasonable opportunity to obtain system access service.
Accountable for determining whether expansion or enhancement of the capability of the transmission system is required to respond to a request for system access service, determining the scope of the AESO's preferred transmission development, and ensuring the AESO's preferred transmission development is in alignment with the long-term transmission plan (LTP) and is in the public interest.
Accountable for determining whether facilities required to respond to a request for system access service are in excess of Good Electric Industry Practice.
Accountable for System Access Service needs approval applications (Needs Identification Documents and overseeing approvals issued under the Abbreviated Needs Approval Process); Responsible for successful system access service regulatory proceedings, which includes coordinating with regulatory and legal teams to determine regulatory filing and proceeding strategies, and participation in hearings as a panel witness.
Accountable for the DER Roadmap and to support other AESO initiatives, including Energy Storage, and Reliability Requirements Roadmap.
Oversee and ensure timely, efficient, predictable and reliable delivery of all project engineering and customer access study work products which are produced in support of customer projects and AESO driven system transmission projects.
Oversee the development, implementation of effective strategies for delivery of the teams accountabilities and work products
Ensure adequate functional business practices, systems and processes, quality control procedures and resources are in place to support staff to perform their roles effectively.
Work proactively and closely with the AESO's Operations and System Planning teams to ensure the impacts of customer projects to the AIES (including reliability impacts and congestion impacts) are assessed and the grid reliability and integrity is intact.
Implement and support the development of appropriate engineering requirement and technical rules to ensure the reliability of the AIES.
Support key engineering aspects of system projects and long-term transmission plan development, such as telecommunication plan, protection and control implementations, and functional specification development.
Accountable for development and maintenance of the AESO cost benchmarking data base.
Collaborate effectively with the AESO's forecasting team to ensure they are aware of the customer application trends and technologies, contribute in development of the AESO forecasts, and ensure the proper forecasts are used in connection studies and assessments.
Be a Responsible Member for the AESO PPMP.
Maintain compliance to applicable ARS standards, ISO rules and the ISO tariff.
Support project escalations, both internal and external.
Support continuous improvement for the Connection Process and relevant stakeholder engagement.
Maintain a solid understanding of the AESO corporate strategy and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)
Assist the VP, Grid Reliability Projects & Planning with the development of strategic business plans.
Develop and implement OKRs for the department, including monitoring assessing and reporting.
Effectively direct resources towards team objectives.
Overall team resource planning, budgets, monitoring and forecasting of expenses.
Ensure succession plans are in place for key roles within the team
Lead effective implementation of regulation changes (e.g. transmission policy) that may change from time-to-time impacting the engineering practices for providing system access service.
Values and maintains high regard for cross functional coordination amongst the organization, including the vital importance of ensuring seamless coordination and alignment with the Director, Customer Projects and Services.
Develop and maintain an effective and constructive working relationship with the industry players in Alberta.
Represent the AESO in related technical committees, such as related NERC, IEC, IEEE, FERC, and WECC committees.
People Leadership:
Build a culture of high employee engagement, that supports the AESO Values
Ensure staff understand how their work contributes to the AESO corporate strategy and objectives.
Ensuring adequate career development plans are in place to support employee growth and are aligned with succession planning.
Provide coaching to direct reports:
Understand the pace, technical and non-technical challenges, assist leaders with your guidance and input on prioritization and risk-based decision making.
Setting clear expectations for the team
Providing appropriate recognition and constructive and timely feedback
Giving and receiving feedback with a growth mindset
Effectively manage performance objectives and holds leaders and staff accountable when not delivering or representing the AESO values and Cultural Traits
Customer Centric Leadership
Build a culture of positive customer experience understanding the economic benefit to Alberta of enabling customer connections and seeking continuous improvement.
Build and manage external relationships at a strategic and tactical level.
Enable customers with easy interfaces, efficient connections, flexibility and optionality.
Value continuous improvement and removing barriers for internal teams and external clients.
Manage customer escalations in a professional and responsive manner.
External spokesperson representing the AESO.
Education and skills required for this role:
Bachelor's Degree Electrical Engineering; APEGA Member.
Project Management certification, MBA or MSc is a benefit.
Approximately fifteen or more years of experience in the electric utility industry.
Application deadline: October 2, 2024
If you are contacted for a pre-screening and/or interview, please advise of any accommodation measures required to enable you to fully participate. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.
The Alberta Electric System Operator is unable to accept unsolicited agency resumes.
The Alberta Electric System Operator, and its members, officers, employees and agents (collectively, the "AESO") is committed to protecting personal information provided to it. When you submit your personal information to the AESO for the purpose of pursuing employment with the AESO, the collection, use and disclosure of personal information is in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act) of Alberta.
As noted, the AESO is mandated to maintain the safe and reliable operations of the provincial power grid. As part of meeting its obligations, the AESO may require the successful candidate to undergo a criminal background check for the position. This collection of personal information for the purposes of a check will be conducted in accordance with Section 33 of the FOIP Act.