City of Austin - JOB DESCRIPTION

Power Plant Operations Director

Provides power plant operations leadership for Austin Energy’s operated generation facilities. Provides direction and oversight to jointly-owned and independently-operated power plant facilities.

1. Provides leadership for operations at Sand Hill Energy Center and Decker Creek Power Station ensuring safe, compliant, reliable, and efficient power generation.
2. Provides direction and guidance to Austin Energy Management Committees at the co-owned Fayette Power Project (FPP) and South Texas Project Electric Generating Station (STP) Nuclear Operating Company facilities. Ensures generation at a competitive market price with a high degree of safety, reliability, and environmental compliance, and in close coordination with the market operation’s needs.
3. Directs activities associated with the Power Production Team’s Quality Management Systems (QMS) for ISO 9001 certification and oversees North Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) compliance programs for Power Production.
4. Bears responsibility for management of the Power Production Team’s Business Plan, including development and alignment of performance measures, project portfolio, capital budget and initiatives within Austin Energy and through the Joint Projects management committees.
5. Provides input and makes recommendations to the Austin Energy Executive Management Team on issues and industry trends for thermal power plants.
6. Provides leadership for the thermal plant operations following all applicable engineering, regulatory, commercial, and safety policies, procedures, and standards.
7. Provides technical support and troubleshooting assistance to the power plants in areas of expertise following all applicable engineering and safety policies, procedures, and standards.
8. Initiates and drives improvements in safety, efficiency, reliability, production costs, and work processes.

Responsible for the full range of supervisory activities: selection, training, evaluation, counseling and recommendation for dismissal.

• Knowledge of risk management and compliance programs.
• Knowledge of strategic business planning methods.
• Knowledge of power plant operations and maintenance.
• Knowledge of environmental regulation and compliance.
• Knowledge of functions and operations of inter-governmental, private, or public agencies.
• Knowledge of engineering principles.
• Skill in managing design/build construction of large industrial facilities.
• Skill in deploying quality systems.
• Skill in development, negotiation, management and administration of design build, EPC, multi-contracts and/or other commercial agreements in excess of $100M in value.
• Skill in advanced negotiation and commercial value engineering techniques.
• Skill in construction site planning, commissioning means/methods, budget/schedule control, and advanced supplier management skills.
• Skill in risk mitigation and management, commercial terms and contract management.
• Skill in deploying quality systems and improvement methods.
• Skill in verbal and written communication.

Graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in Engineering, plus five (5) years of experience in a field related to power station operation and maintenance, including three (3) years of experience in a supervisory or managerial capacity.