city seal

City of Austin - JOB DESCRIPTION

city seal

Transmission Planning Program Manager
FLSA: Standard/Exempt EEO Category: (20) Professionals
Class Code: 15385 Salary Grade: ZV5
Approved: Last Revised: September 11, 2017

Purpose:
  Under limited supervision, the Transmission Planning Program Manager functions as a Planning Supervisor and Lead Engineer for Regulatory Compliance within the T&D Planning and Regulatory Analysis (P&R) workgroup with respect to electric industry planning criteria, reliability standards, market rules and operating guides adopted by pertinent regulatory authorities regarding transmission planning.  This role will supervise transmission planning activities and oversee activities to ensure P&R compliance with electric industry reliability standards and market rules promulgated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Texas Reliability Entity (TRE).
Duties, Functions and Responsibilities:
  Essential duties and functions, pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.
1. Provide critical support to the ESD CIP Budget by executing powerflows, writing project proposals, and compiling the annual T&D Plan Book justifying transmission system expansion improvements.
2. Implement compliance processes within P&R to support ESD’s NERC registration as a Transmission Planner by creating/updating records and documents to be used as evidence for on-site audits, spot checks, and annual self-certification audits.
3. Supervise P&R Nodal modeling activities required by the NMMS system to update the ERCOT Network Model using NOMCRs to accurately predict in-service dates and model construction projects affecting LMP prices.
4.  Perform Operational Planning studies on demand to 1) analyze possible planned outages per the ESD System Operations area, 2) develop Remedial Action Plans (RAP) to enable the outages, and 3) propose Special Protection Systems (SPS) to protect major equipment. 
5. Attend key pre-construction meetings and help ESD Project Management prioritize and properly sequence construction to optimize project costs and benefits.
6. Prepare and file new transmission project proposals with the ERCOT Regional Planning Group (RPG) and gain RPG approvals required for construction.  Monitor RPG activities to stay aware of how nearby system construction will affect the AE system.  
7. Represent AE on the ERCOT Planning Guides Working Group and supervise AE representatives on the ERCOT SSWG, NDSWG, and DWG groups.
8. Support and participate on the AE/LCRA Joint Transmission Oversight Committee as required.
9. Prepare and submit the FERC Form 715 (Annual Transmission Planning and Evaluation Report) to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 
10. Review and verify the annual ERCOT “4 CP” peak load filing at the PUCT used to set Wholesale Transmission Service charges for the current year.
Responsibilities - Supervisor and/or Leadership Exercised:
  • Responsible for the full range of supervisory activities including selection, training, evaluation, counseling, and recommendation for dismissal
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  Must possess required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience and be able to explain and demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodations, that the essential functions of the job can be performed.

• Knowledge of NERC electric reliability standards and PUCT Codes of Conduct
• Knowledge of ERCOT Nodal Market Protocols, Operating Guides, and Planning Criteria
• Knowledge of PUCT wholesale transmission service regulations
• Knowledge of the impacts of recent deregulation trends on transmission services
• Knowledge of systems used to forecast, evaluate, monitor and control the transmission grid
• Knowledge of public agencies and commissions
• Knowledge of ISO 9001:2000 quality management systems requirements
• Transmission planning expertise
• Knowledge of utility financial practices, including budget preparation, financial, regulatory and managerial accounting practices
• Skill in oral and written technical and/or general communication including preparation of written reports.
• Skill in negotiations and handling conflict resolution
• Strong leadership and communication skills
Minimum Qualifications:
  • Graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in Electrical Engineering or in a field related to the job, plus seven (7) years related experience
Licenses and Certifications Required:
 

None

This description is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty required of the position given this title and shall not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of management to assign, direct and control the work of employees under supervision. The listing of duties and responsibilities shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of similar kind or level of difficulty.