Operational Technology Manager

SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative); Sumterville (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative) is seeking a seasoned OT leader to drive the operational technology roadmap across GIS, DERMS, OMS, and AMI. You will oversee vendor relationships, contract negotiations, and multi-year project delivery to modernize grid operations.

The role requires strong leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and deep experience with utility OT systems. Travel for training and development is expected, with a focus on reliability and security.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, CS, or related field.
• 3+ years in OT/IT-OT integration or utility system management.
• Supervisory experience leading technical teams.
• Hands-on experience with GIS, OMS, AMI, DERMS.
• Strong vendor management and contract negotiation.
• Willingness to travel for training.

Responsibilities

• Manage SECO’s OT roadmap across GIS, DERMS, OMS, AMI.
• Oversee vendor relationships, contracts, and performance across platforms.
• Coordinate system upgrades, integrations, and replacements.
• Ensure interoperability of OT platforms to support ADMS and DER integration.
• Collaborate with operations, engineering, and IT to deliver OT solutions.
• Lead planning and execution of SECO’s multi-year OT roadmap.
• Oversee budgets, risks, and vendor SLAs for OT initiatives.
• Coordinate cross-departmental teams to deliver projects on time.

Skills

Leadership

Vendor management

Contract negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, CS, or related field

Master’s degree in CS/IT/PM/Business or related field

PMP certification

Utility certifications (GIS, OMS, DERMS)

ITIL or cybersecurity certification

Tools

GIS

DERMS

OMS

AMI

ESRI GIS

Siemens/Oracle OMS

Job description

General Purpose

Oversees SECO’s operational technology portfolio and ensures alignment with the technology roadmap. Manages deployment and optimization of OT platforms, including GIS, DERMS, OMS, and AMI. Builds and maintains vendor relationships, negotiates contracts, and ensures that OT systems support modernization, distributed energy integration, and reliable, real‑time utility operations.

Minimum Required Qualifications and Competencies

• Education
  • Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, or related field
  • Preferred: Master’s degree in computer science, information technology, project management, business administration or related field.
  • Preferred: PMP® or equivalent project management certification.
  • Preferred: Utility‑specific certifications (e.g., ESRI GIS, Siemens/Oracle OMS, DERMS platforms).
  • Preferred: ITIL or cybersecurity‑related certification a plus.
  • Job‑related experience may be substituted for the required education on a year‑for‑year basis.
• Experience
  • Minimum: Three + (3) years of experience in operational technology, IT/OT integration, or utility system management.
  • Minimum: One + (1) year of supervisory experience leading high‑performing technical teams, with a leadership style that builds trust and collaboration.
  • Minimum: Hands‑on experience with GIS, OMS, AMI, and DERMS systems.
  • Minimum: Strong vendor management and contract negotiation experience.
  • Minimum: Previous experience managing large‑scale, multifaceted enterprise‑wide operational technologies projects in an electric or gas utility environment.
  • Minimum: Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to listen actively, ask insightful questions, and collaborate with senior team members to influence decisions and drive meaningful outcomes and effective solutions.
  • Preferred: Seven + (7) years of experience in operational technology, IT/OT integration, or utility system management.
  • Preferred: Three + (3) years of supervisory experience leading high‑performing technical teams, with a leadership style that builds trust and collaboration.
• Other Requirements
  • Ability to operate a variety of office equipment, including a personal computer, printers, copy machines and telephone.
  • Ability to work irregular hours for assignment completion and flexibility to change scheduling and report to work on short notice during emergency situations.
  • Normal work hours will be eight (8) hours Monday through Friday, between 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.
  • Some business travel for training and development.
  • Successful completion of pre‑employment background check, physical and drug screen.

Core and Job‑Specific Competencies

• Safety: Follows safety procedures diligently, identifies potential hazards, and takes appropriate action to maintain a safe working environment.
• Member Commitment: Provides exceptional service to members, actively listening to their needs and ensuring satisfaction.
• Honesty & Integrity: Acts with honesty and integrity in all tasks, maintaining transparency and ethical standards.
• Work Ethic: Demonstrates a strong work ethic by consistently meeting deadlines and achieving high performance.
• Inclusive Culture: Contributes to an inclusive culture by respecting and valuing diverse perspectives and collaborating effectively.
• Accountability: Takes responsibility for actions and decisions, ensuring commitments are met.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively, sharing information and supporting collective goals.
• Independent and Team Work Execution: Demonstrates ability to work independently and collaboratively within team environments.
• Judgment and Decision‑Making: Applies sound judgment, discretion, and reasoning skills to make independent decisions.
• Planning and Organizational Skills: Exhibits strong planning, prioritization, and organizational competencies.
• System Documentation and Lifecycle Support: Demonstrates ability to create and manage comprehensive technical documentation.
• Confidentiality and Information Security: Exhibits high level of integrity and professionalism by applying confidentiality standards.
• Multitasking and Stress Management: Demonstrates ability to adapt to changing priorities and maintain composure in high‑pressure environments.
• Data Analysis and Visualization: Applies analytical and technical skills to generate accurate reports, visualizations, dashboards.
• Communication & Information Interpretation: Demonstrates effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Customer Service and Interpersonal Competency: Exhibits strong customer service orientation and interpersonal skills.
• Technical Proficiency and Software Utilization: Demonstrates proficiency in personal computers and relevant software applications, including Microsoft Office.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage and execute SECO’s operational technology roadmap across GIS, DERMS, OMS, and AMI.
• Oversee vendor relationships, contracts, and performance across multiple technology platforms.
• Coordinate system upgrades, integrations, and replacements to align with modernization goals.
• Ensure interoperability of OT platforms to support ADMS and DER integration.
• Collaborate with operations, engineering, and IT teams to deliver reliable, secure, and scalable OT solutions.
• Promote common technical approaches and solutions for OT infrastructure while coordinating with various internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead planning and execution of SECO’s multi‑year operational technology roadmap.
• Oversee charters, schedules, budgets, and risk registers for operational technology initiatives.
• Coordinate cross‑departmental teams to deliver projects on time and within scope.
• Apply PMP/Agile methods to manage large capital projects and smaller pilots.
• Track milestones and report performance to leadership and stakeholders.
• Develop and manage annual budgets for GIS, DERMS, OMS, AMI, and related systems.
• Monitor and control project expenditures to reduce variance from forecasts.
• Conduct ROI and cost‑benefit analyses for technology investments.
• Support long‑range capital and O&M planning tied to grid modernization goals.
• Deliver regular budget updates and justifications to senior leadership.
• Build and maintain relationships with vendors and technology partners.
• Negotiate contracts and oversee licensing and service agreements.
• Monitor vendor performance against SLAs and elevate issues as needed.
• Evaluate vendor proposals and recommend best‑fit solutions for SECO.
• Ensure vendor compliance with cybersecurity, interoperability, and regulatory standards.
• Oversee integration of OT platforms (GIS, DERMS, OMS, AMI) with enterprise systems.
• Establish standards for reliability, system uptime, and data governance.
• Improve accuracy, quality, and accessibility of operational data for analytics.
• Leverage analytics to drive outage reduction, DER optimization, and operational intelligence.
• Identify emerging OT technologies with potential value to SECO.
• Pilot and evaluate solutions that enhance grid reliability and renewable integration.
• Promote process improvements that streamline operations.
• Benchmark SECO’s OT capabilities against industry peers and best practices.
• Encourage a culture of continuous learning and innovation across teams.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by or encountered to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities. The position is primarily sedentary, with occasional walking, standing, and lifting up to 10 pounds. Standard office hours are Monday‑Friday 7:00 am–6:00 pm, with some business travel for training and development.

Equal Employment Opportunity

SECO Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to age, race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, marital status, veteran status, the presence of any physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Discrimination or harassment based upon any of these factors is inconsistent with our company values and will not be tolerated.
SECO Energy participates in E‑Verify. The posting will be closed and no longer available to receive applications upon SECO Energy’s discretion.