Director Wildfire Program Strategy & Analytics - FE Operations - Akron FirstEnergy Headquarters

US Diversity Job Search; Morristown (NJ); On-site; USD 201,000 - 284,000; Full time

Job summary

FirstEnergy is seeking a Director of Wildfire Mitigation to lead the end-to-end risk strategy, governance, and portfolio execution across multiple jurisdictions. This executive will oversee the Wildfire Mitigation Plan, including grid hardening, vegetation management, and PSPS protocols, with a focus on measurable risk reduction and regulatory alignment.

The role reports to the VP of Operational Excellence and requires extensive leadership experience in large utilities, with expertise in risk

Qualifications

• Minimum 15+ years of progressive leadership in investor-owned or large public power utilities or related fields.
• Experience designing and governing enterprise-wide risk mitigation portfolios with regulatory recovery.
• Strong knowledge of wildfire risk, grid hardening, vegetation risk and emergency management.

Responsibilities

• Establish the enterprise Wildfire Mitigation strategy with clear goals and governance; align with risk appetite and asset management.
• Oversee the multi-year WMP portfolio including capital and O&M; provide executive dashboards and KPIs.
• Lead strategy and filings for PSPS protocols, cost recovery, and regulatory proceedings; engage stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Regulatory affairs

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, Emergency Management, Public Policy, or related field

Advanced degree (MBA, MPA, MS in Engineering, Data Science, or related)

P.E., PMP, CEM or wildfire/ICS/NIMS certifications

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION FirstEnergy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers' lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.

About the Opportunity

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. This is a full-time, on-site position in a FirstEnergy location in Akron, OH; Holmdel, NJ or Morristown, NJ. Reports to: Vice President, Operational Excellence. Organization: FirstEnergy Operations.

Role Summary

The Director, Wildfire Mitigation is the executive owner for the utility's end-to-end wildfire risk strategy—spanning governance, risk analytics, regulatory strategy, program design and execution, operational readiness, and cross-jurisdictional stakeholder engagement. This leader builds and scales a high-performing organization that reduces ignition risk, enhances community and system resilience, and enables sustainable regulatory recovery across multiple state jurisdictions. The role stewards the company's Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP) portfolio—including grid hardening, vegetation management strategy, situational awareness and meteorology, operational protocols (e.g., PSPS), and emergency coordination—and ensures measurable risk reduction aligned to enterprise goals and Board oversight.

Scope & Impact

Enterprise remit across all operating companies and service territories; influences capital allocation and O&M priorities tied to wildfire risk. Serves as primary executive liaison to the Board Operations/ERMC committees on wildfire risk, and as executive sponsor in state regulatory proceedings. Accountable for a multi-year, multi-hundred-million-dollar portfolio with rigorous benefits realization and transparent performance reporting. Stands up a center of excellence integrating engineering, data science, field operations, regulatory/legislative affairs, communications, and emergency management.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy, Governance & Portfolio Leadership

Establish the enterprise Wildfire Mitigation strategy with clear goals, policies, and decision rights; align with enterprise risk appetite, climate adaptation strategy, asset management, and Grid Modernization plans. Design and chair the Wildfire Governance Council, integrating Transmission, Distribution, Vegetation Management, System Planning, Regulatory, Legal, and Corporate Affairs. Own the multi-year WMP portfolio (capital and O&M): set priorities, sequencing, and tradeoffs; ensure alignment to risk models and regulatory recovery pathways. Provide regular briefings and written reports to the Executive Risk Management Committee and the Board; maintain executive-level dashboards and leading KPIs.

Risk Intelligence, Analytics & Performance

Institutionalize wildfire ignition risk modeling (asset condition, environmental hazards, fault/operations data, weather) to target investments (e.g., covered conductor, sectionalization, fast-curve protection, distribution automation). Define enterprise KPIs and KRIs, such as ignitions per 1,000 circuit-miles, wire-down events, weather-normalized risk score reductions, PSPS customer-minutes, asset-level risk reduction, and benefits realization against plan. Build a situational awareness function (meteorology, fire weather indices, camera networks, LiDAR imagery, remote sensing, and field intel) that informs operational posture and investment prioritization. Drive continuous improvement via post-season/after-action reviews and independent validation of risk reduction claims.

Regulatory Affairs, Policy & Recovery

Serve as executive sponsor and expert witness in relevant state and federal proceedings; lead strategy for WMP filings, PSPS protocols, cost recovery (riders/trackers), and prudency reviews across jurisdictions. Shape legislative and policy positions in collaboration with State Affairs; develop credible recovery narratives (safety outcomes, equity impacts, system resilience, customer affordability). Pursue external funding and partnerships (e.g., FEMA/IIJA/BIL grants, state forestry programs, academic/National Lab collaborations).

Program Delivery & Operational Integration

Oversee integrated execution across core pillars: Grid Hardening: covered/insulated conductor, strategic undergrounding, fire-hardening standards, high-impedance fault detection, recloser/relay strategy, sectionalization and automation. Vegetation Risk Strategy: ignition-centric VM standards (clearance widths, remedial action timelines, hazard tree mitigation), inspection technologies (LiDAR/drones), contractor governance, and QA/QC. Situational Awareness & Technology: wildfire cameras, satellite data, forecasting, asset health analytics, mobile workforce tools. Operational Protocols: PSPS criteria and decisioning, communications, and restoration playbooks; integration with EOC/ICS/NIMS. Stand up robust program controls (scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, change management) and stage-gate governance. Ensure cyber, data privacy, and records management controls for all analytics and imagery platforms.

Emergency Readiness & Event Support

Partner with Emergency Management to ensure wildfire preparedness plans, drills, and cross-functional playbooks are current and exercised. During elevated fire weather or active incidents, provide executive decision support, including PSPS recommendations, agency coordination, and external communications alignment. Ensure rapid post-event assessment, claims coordination, and corrective action plans.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communications

Build trusted relationships with Public Utility Commissions, state forestry and fire agencies, emergency managers, local governments, and community groups. Oversee customer and community outreach for wildfire season readiness, PSPS education, medical baseline and vulnerable customer support, and critical infrastructure coordination. Partner with Corporate Communications on proactive media, thought leadership, and transparent performance reporting.

Organization Building & Talent Leadership

Design and scale a Wildfire Prevention & Resilience organization including Strategy & Governance, Risk Analytics & Meteorology, Program Delivery, Vegetation Risk Strategy, Operational Protocols & PSPS, and Stakeholder/Regulatory. Recruit, develop, and retain senior leaders and technical experts; instill a culture of safety, accountability, data-driven decision making, and continuous improvement. Establish vendor/contractor strategy and performance management for key workstreams (VM, construction, technology platforms).

Financial Stewardship

Own the multi-year capital and O&M budgets; ensure transparent cost controls, audit-ready documentation, and timely regulatory reporting. Demonstrate quantified risk reduction and customer value for all major investments; maintain a clear line of sight from spend to outcomes.

Qualifications

Minimum 15+ years of progressive leadership in investor-owned or large public power utilities, energy infrastructure, or critical infrastructure risk domains; 8+ years leading cross-functional programs/portfolios at scale. Demonstrated success designing and governing enterprise-wide risk mitigation portfolios with regulatory recovery. Expertise in wildfire risk or closely related domains (grid hardening, vegetation risk, emergency management, reliability engineering, power system protection). Strong command of utility regulatory constructs, rate mechanisms, and testimony/filing processes. Proven leadership of multi-state or multi-jurisdictional initiatives with complex stakeholder environments. Exceptional communication skills with Board-level presence; ability to translate technical risk into business and community outcomes. Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, Emergency Management, Public Policy, or related field. Preferred Advanced degree (MBA, MPA, MS in Engineering, Data Science, or related). Professional credentials such as P.E., PMP, CEM (Certified Emergency Manager), or wildfire/ICS/NIMS certifications. Experience establishing PSPS frameworks, wildfire meteorology programs, remote sensing/imagery operations, and modern vegetation risk programs. Demonstrated success securing grants/federal funding and managing external research or pilot consortia.

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at www.firstenergycorp.com to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H-1B visas at this time.

Safety

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all of our business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information, and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co-workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, to maintain an accident-free, injury-free workplace, and to promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals, we dedicate ourselves to achieving world-class safety standards.

Position Classification

Exempt. FirstEnergy Human Resources Team. FirstEnergy takes a market-based approach to pay, which may vary depending on your location. In addition, your actual base salary will depend on various factors such as your skills, qualifications, and experience. The estimated pay range for this role is $ 197,000. The pay range for certain locations, including the state of New Jersey, include a 20% differential to account for an increased cost of living, making the pay range for $ 200,940 - $ 283,680.