Distribution Program Manager

FirstEnergy Corp.; Akron (OH); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Pension plan

401(k) plan with employer matching

Medical, prescription, dental, vision,

Life insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Professional development

Job summary

FirstEnergy, headquartered in Akron, Ohio, is seeking a Distribution Program Manager II-IV to lead distribution capital programs, including line projects and substation rebuilds, across New Jersey locations. The role emphasizes end-to-end program oversight, regulatory coordination, and cross-functional collaboration with Engineering, IT, Legal, Strategy, and external partners.

The successful candidate will drive scope, budgets, timelines, and benefits realization while ensuring safety and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Project Management, or related discipline and minimum 5 years related utility distribution experience.
• Or High School Diploma / GED with minimum 7 years related utility distribution experience.
• 5 years of project management experience or the equivalent.
• Ability to manage budgets, schedules, risks, and performance metrics.
• Experience with regulatory environments and/or utility programs preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with senior leadership and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end program management, including planning, execution, monitoring, and reporting.
• Defining program scope, deliverables, timelines, budgets, and resource plans in coordination with cross-functional teams.
• Managing program execution to deliver within approved scope, cost, and schedule while achieving expected business outcomes.
• Monitoring program performance; identify risks, resolve issues, and manage escalations.
• Leading cross-functional stakeholders (Regulatory, Engineering, IT, Legal, Strategy) and external partners to ensure alignment and delivery.
• Supporting regulatory filings, discovery responses, and reporting to commissions and stakeholders.

Skills

Project management

Budget management

Regulatory experience

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Excellent communication

Analytical thinking

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering / Business / Project Management or related discipline

High School Diploma / GED with 7+ years experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

General business systems

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 safety, reliability, and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,500 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of 3,780 megawatts.

About the Opportunity

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Co., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp.

Distribution Program Manager II-IV

The Program Manager leads the development, execution, and oversight of Distribution capital programs in the New Jersey operating companies. This role drives program delivery within approved scope, cost, and schedule while ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and enterprise strategy.

Programs in scope include distribution line projects, substation rebuilds and other similar programs.

The preferred reporting location is the FirstEnergy Headquarters in Morristown, NJ. The role can be located at any FirstEnergy location in the New Jersey footprint.

Responsibilities Include

• Leading end-to-end program management, including planning, execution, monitoring, and reporting.
• Defining program scope, deliverables, timelines, budgets, and resource plans in coordination with cross-functional teams.
• Managing program execution to deliver within approved scope, cost, and schedule while achieving expected business outcomes.
• Monitoring program performance; identify risks, resolve issues, and manage escalations.
• Leading cross-functional stakeholders (Regulatory, Engineering, IT, Legal, Strategy) and external partners to ensure alignment and delivery.
• Supporting regulatory filings, discovery responses, and reporting to commissions and stakeholders.
• Tracking and validating realization of program benefits and business outcomes.
• Developing and delivering leadership updates, communication plans, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Ensuring compliance with safety, operational, and corporate standards.
• Supporting development of long-term strategy, technology standards, and integration of engineering and IT systems.
• Managing vendor engagement and support issue resolution as needed.
• Developing presentations and communications for leadership, internal stakeholders, and external partners.
• Demonstrating a commitment to safety, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Willingness to travel, including overnight, as required.

An employee hired at the Distribution Program Manager II level will be expected to perform all the above responsibilities with more proficiency, and in a more independent manner. Further, the Distribution Program Manager IV level employee will be assigned additional responsibilities related to those above.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Project Management, or related discipline and minimum 5 years related utility distribution experience is required.
• In lieu of a degree, High School Diploma / GED and minimum 7 years related utility distribution experience are required.
• 5 years of project management experience or the equivalent is required.
• Strong project management skills with an ability to develop, manage, and control multiple tasks.
• Experience with regulatory environments and/or utility programs preferred.
• Able to manage budgets, schedules, risks, and performance metrics.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with senior leadership and external stakeholders.
• Able to work across multiple departments and geographic locations.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and general business systems.
• Works collaboratively and possess a willingness to work in a team environment.

Qualifications at the Distribution Program Manager IV level include all the above plus:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Project Management, or related discipline and minimum 7-10 years related utility distribution experience is required.
• OR Associate degree in Engineering Technology, Business, Project Management, or related discipline and minimum 8+ years of related utility distribution experience are required.
• In lieu of a degree, High School Diploma / GED and minimum 13 years related distribution experience are required.
• Minimum 6 years of project management experience or the equivalent is required.
• Greater proficiency in program leadership, stakeholder management, and independent decision-making.
• Experience supporting regulatory filings, reporting, and utility program execution.

Additional Preferred Qualifications

• Preferred qualifications
• Master’s degree
• PMP (Project Management Professional)
• Strong analytical ability to observe, investigate and interpret a given situation for proactive risk identification and development of creative operational solutions seeing past today's challenges to implement new innovative approaches

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