Planner Scheduler/Readiness Coordinator

FirstEnergy; Reading (Berks County); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

FirstEnergy in Reading, PA seeks a Lines Planner/Scheduler to support short- and mid-term work planning for overhead/underground facilities. You will analyze workloads, develop weekly and monthly plans, and coordinate crews, equipment, and materials with operations teams.

Responsibilities include maintaining FEWS-based schedules, responding to changing conditions, and providing performance reports to help optimize the regional work program while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology or related field required.
• 0-1 years related work experience; higher for senior lines planner levels.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel as needed.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate commitment to safety in all planning activities.
• Plan and schedule two-week and monthly work periods for operations.
• Maintain FEWS-based schedules and update daily/weekly plans.
• Coordinate with crews, equipment, and materials to meet project timelines.
• Provide management with progress reports and performance metrics.

Skills

Communication

Time management

Planning/scheduling

Team coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology or related

Tools

SAP

FEWS

PowerOn

AutoCAD

CREWS

Job description

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 Pennsylvania Electric, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. This is a full-time, on-site position located in Reading, PA and will cover the Reading, PA & Lebanon, PA region.

Summary

This position is responsible for short-range planning and scheduling operational processes, analyzing results, and supporting the implementation of process improvements with an eye on maximizing operational productivity and efficiency associated with FirstEnergy’s work management system.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate and direct a solid commitment to all aspects of safety.
• Assist in providing reliable support to operations supervision by planning and scheduling activities, managing the work queue, staffing, equipment, materials, tools, switching orders, permits, work package instructions, etc. required to operate, maintain and/or construct overhead/underground line facilities.
• Develop a firm two-week plan of assigned operations center activities, and a one-month projection of anticipated future activities providing management with a daily work plan and job contingency strategy.
• Assist supervision in establishing work commitment dates and take steps to expedite projects when necessary and/or practical, as well as adjust schedule daily due to changes in available resources and/or other external conditions.
• Reflect lines employees crewing and vehicle assignments in FEWS and dispatch work daily to assigned crews.
• Utilize FEWS to create the troubleman/serviceman schedule and assign work.
• Participate in interactions with internal/external customers on inquiries concerning construction and maintenance activities.
• Coordinate work request activities with the appropriate groups to establish job start and completion dates.
• Aid in performing pre-construction work request assessments to facilitate optimal resource utilization.
• Ensure UG Utility locates are completed (i.e., OUPS, PA ONE CALL, MISO Utility Tickets).
• Ensure switching/hold offs are completed.
• Manage time and priorities, and update management on work in progress, backlog of work, section productivity and all other applicable status updates.
• Assist management by providing technical reports and metrics to ensure compliance with FirstEnergy practices and procedures. Interpret report analysis and prepare recommendations based on analysis.
• Collaborate with Consolidated Planning regarding alignment between the actual work and the budgeted annual work plan, review actual work hours vs forecasted and provide variance explanations and communicate areas requiring forecast adjustments.
• Follow existing processes and improvement practices to develop and support appropriate documentation, communication, and training.
• Discuss work to be performed with operations team to address special needs, equipment, vehicles, flaggers, and review prints when necessary.
• Plan and schedule accelerated/service work.
• Assist during emergencies and storm-related activities and travel to various off-site locations as well as FirstEnergy office locations, training facilities and customer sites, when requested.
• Attend all required regulatory training.
• Provide day to day support to supervision and other employees on assigned activities.

Qualifications

• Professionalism to work with engineer and management personnel, as well as interface and work cooperatively with customers, contractors, and the general public, in a courteous manner that demonstrates FirstEnergy’s rules of engagement.
• Self-motivated and able to multitask and balance competing priorities.
• Possess solid verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience with PC software applications including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook), along with knowledge of SAP, geographic information system (GIS), customer request work scheduling (CREWS), FEWS, power outage reporting system (PowerOn), computer aided drafting (CAD/AutoCAD), and Energy Delivery Outage Application. Experience with database query tools.
• Gain knowledge of planning/scheduling best practices, processes, and tools.
• Gain knowledge of National Electric Safety Code (NESC), National Electric Code (NEC), Customer Guide for Electric Services (CGES).
• Gain an understanding of the Company’s Accident Prevention Handbook and Manual of Operations and the practical application in the workplace.
• Gain knowledge of the purpose, function, and operating characteristics of equipment, distribution design, residential, commercial, and utility electrical distribution systems, and construction methods, maintenance practices, service practices, standards, and procedures.
• Gain an understanding and knowledge of legal and regulatory requirements as appropriate.
• Must have personal vehicle to commute to various facilities and locations as required and possess a valid driver’s license.
• Education - Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology or related discipline + 0-1 years related work experience. In lieu of Bachelor’s Degree, minimum of 2 years related work experience is required. Related work experience is knowledge of planning/scheduling of work, construction and maintenance practices, procedures, work methods, materials, equipment, and tools which would be used to determine the resources necessary to perform construction and maintenance work activities.
• Lines Planner/Scheduler II level:
  • Education - Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology or related discipline + 1-2 years related work experience. In lieu of Bachelor’s Degree, minimum of 3 years related work experience is required.
• Lines Planner/Scheduler III level:
  • Education - Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology or related discipline + 2-4 years related work experience. In lieu of Bachelor’s Degree, minimum of 5 years related work experience is required.
• Lines Planner/Scheduler IV level:
  • Education - Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology or related discipline + 4-6 years related work experience. In lieu of Bachelor’s Degree, minimum of 7 years related work experience is required.