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City of Austin - JOB DESCRIPTION

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Austin Energy Deputy General Manager & Chief Customer Officer


FLSA: Executives/2 EEO Category: (10) Official/Adm
Class Code: 12454 Salary Grade: E00
Approved: October 26, 2016 Last Revised: January 18, 2023


Purpose:
 

Reporting to the General Manager (GM), and operating with a high level of autonomy, this position provides leadership, oversight, and strategic direction for customer service operations of Austin Energy (AE) including Customer Care, Customer Account Management, and Customer Energy Solutions (customer functions). This position has full responsibility for the customer functions of the electric utility, Austin 311, and support services for other City of Austin departments.

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. Provides overall leadership, direction, and financial management of AE customer functions including integrating excellent customer service with innovation and environmental leadership.
  2. Attains high service-level performance standards in meeting the needs and expectations of customers.
  3. Plans, deploys, and promotes cost-effective programs to enhance and improve the customer experience, promote energy efficiency and sustainable outcomes, and expand customer participation.
  4. Develops and implements innovative wraparound customer assistance and customer discount programs.
  5. Plans, deploys, manages, and ensures security of customer billing and information systems in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
  6. Oversees effective and efficient planning, management, and development of the AE customer service workforce with an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  7. Represents AE in matters of interest with governmental and regulatory agencies, boards, councils, commissions, and partnerships with oversight bodies.
  8. Advises the GM and other executives on matters pertaining to AE customer functions and ensures all functions are operating together effectively to achieve strategic initiatives and goals.
  9. Assumes AE GM duties and responsibilities in their absence.
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 Local, State, and Federal laws, regulations, and ordinances affecting the utility.
  • Knowledge of the areas of electric industry and municipal utility Customer Care, including high volume call center operations, Customer Account Management, and Customer Energy Solutions.
  • Knowledge of strategic business planning, reengineering, organizational change strategies, and performance measurement to achieve business excellence.
  • Knowledge of the concepts of equity, including experience in applying equity frameworks to established laws, ordinances, and long-standing practices.
  • Skill in developing flexible and adaptable strategies to achieve organizational goals by understanding the organizational capabilities and external market conditions, the regulatory environment, and technological advancements.
  • Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with City employees, City Council, the media, and the public.
  • Skill in creating customer value and addressing evolving customer needs.
  • Ability to design short- and long-term strategies/programs that are scalable and efficient in a large and complex organization.
  • Ability to meet customer expectations.
  • Ability to implement current best practices of leadership and management through training and maintaining an engaged work environment; and to develop staff to act with a focus on the future, be adaptable, overcome resistance to change, and execute with a sense of urgency.
  • Ability to use an equity lens and framework to create inclusive, diverse, and safe workplaces and community programs.
  • Ability to manage diversity, understand inclusion, and work with diverse communities or populations to build constructive and effective relationships.
  • Ability to develop, implement, and administer goals, objectives, and procedures for providing effective and efficient services for AE and the City of Austin.
  • Ability to work with, and coordinate between, multiple City departments and internal business units to meet goals and objectives.
  • Ability to make decisions and develop innovative approaches to deal with frequent change or unexpected events and to handle conflict and uncertain situations.
  • Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing; to develop and deliver public presentations.
Minimum Qualifications:
 
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in Public or Business Administration, Engineering or in a field related to the job.
  • Minimum eight (8) years of progressively increasing responsibilities relevant to the electric utility industry; including four (4) years in an executive capacity.
  • Master’s degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for (2) two years of the required non-executive 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.