Program Manager, NERC Compliance

Omaha Public Power District; Omaha (NE); On-site; USD 131,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

Omaha Public Power District is seeking a Program Manager, NERC Compliance to lead and strengthen our enterprise NERC compliance program. You will work at the intersection of compliance, operations, risk management, and continuous improvement, coordinating with technical teams, business partners, and leaders to ensure NERC and Regional standards are understood and implemented.

Success comes from building credible relationships, influencing without authority, and turning complex requirements into

Qualifications

• Strong relationship-building and communication skills with the ability to influence across teams.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and drive results without direct authority.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional projects, programs, compliance activities, or complex initiatives.
• A continuous-improvement mindset with initiative to identify gaps and develop practical solutions.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to interpret complex requirements and translate them into clear plans.
• Experience in regulated, compliance, risk, engineering, utility, or similar environments is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead NERC compliance initiatives: develop, implement, and improve NERC compliance framework, policies, controls, and documentation.
• Build relationships across teams to drive compliance outcomes.
• Coordinate cross-functional programs with SMEs and stakeholders to implement standards and manage deliverables.
• Strengthen audit readiness through self-certifications, mock/regulatory audits, and corrective actions.
• Identify and manage risk, develop mitigations, and strengthen internal controls.
• Monitor regulatory change and coordinate implementation across affected areas.
• Drive continuous improvement of compliance processes and reporting.
• Engage with internal and external industry partners to support OPPD interests.
• Use data to track activities, risks, and performance for leadership.

Skills

Relationship skills

Influence without authority

Cross-functional coordination

Continuous improvement

Analytical skills

Requirements interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Opportunity Profile

Are you someone who can build strong relationships, connect the dots across an organization, and turn complex requirements into practical solutions? OPPD is looking for a Program Manager, NERC Compliance to help lead and strengthen our enterprise NERC compliance program.

This role sits at the intersection of compliance, operations, risk management, and continuous improvement. You'll work across OPPD with technical teams, business partners, subject matter experts, and leaders to ensure NERC and Regional reliability requirements are understood, implemented, documented, and continuously improved.

You don't necessarily need to come in as a career NERC compliance expert. We're looking for someone who brings strong judgment, curiosity, communication skills, and the ability to influence and drive results across teams.

What You'll Do

• Lead NERC compliance initiatives: Help develop, implement, and continuously improve OPPD's NERC compliance framework, policies, controls, and supporting documentation.
• Build relationships and influence across teams: Partner with technical and business groups throughout OPPD to drive compliance outcomes, often through influence rather than direct authority.
• Coordinate cross-functional programs: Bring together subject matter experts and stakeholders across multiple disciplines to implement standards, manage deliverables, resolve issues, and keep work moving forward.
• Strengthen audit readiness: Support self-certifications, mock audits, regulatory audits, incident reviews, mitigation plans, corrective actions, and other compliance assurance activities.
• Identify and manage risk: Work with business areas to assess compliance risks and vulnerabilities, develop mitigation strategies, and strengthen internal controls.
• Monitor regulatory change: Stay informed on evolving NERC and Regional Standards and coordinate implementation of new or changing requirements across impacted areas.
• Drive continuous improvement: Identify gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities to improve compliance processes, documentation, reporting, and overall program effectiveness.
• Engage with industry partners: Build relationships with internal stakeholders and external industry organizations and committees while helping represent OPPD’s operational and business interests.
• Use data to tell the story: Track compliance activities, trends, risks, and performance measures and communicate meaningful information to key stakeholders and leadership.

What We're Looking For

• Strong relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with technical professionals, business partners, and leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and drive results without direct authority.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional projects, programs, compliance activities, or complex initiatives.
• A strong continuous-improvement mindset with the initiative to identify gaps, ask questions, and develop practical solutions.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to interpret complex requirements and translate them into clear, actionable plans.
• Experience working in a regulated, compliance, risk, engineering, utility, operations, or similarly complex environment is beneficial.
• Familiarity with NERC Reliability Standards, NERC CIP, Operations & Planning Standards, internal controls, or regulatory compliance is preferred, but deep NERC experience is not required.
• A bachelor's degree, preferably in Engineering or a related discipline, is preferred.
• Electric utility or broader electric-industry experience is preferred.

Candidates must also be able to obtain and maintain the required NERC access to applicable OPPD facilities.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role isn't just knowing the regulations. It's being the person who can bring people together, ask the right questions, identify risks before they become problems, and help teams turn requirements into sustainable business practices.

You’ll be successful if you can build credibility across the organization, communicate effectively with different audiences, keep complex initiatives moving, and continually look for ways to make OPPD's compliance program stronger and more effective.

Why OPPD?

At OPPD, you'll have the opportunity to work on programs that directly support the reliability and integrity of the electric system while partnering with professionals across the organization. This is an opportunity to combine compliance, relationship building, problem solving, and program leadership in a role with broad organizational impact.

Salary Grade: S8

Base: $131,343

Midpoint: $164,179

The OPPD Difference

Our Culture & Mission

At Omaha Public Power District, everything starts with people. Our teams, our communities, and the customer owners who count on us. As the 12th largest public power utility in the U.S., we serve more than 900,000 people across 13 counties, and we take that responsibility seriously.

We lead with integrity, support one another, and do what is right because how we serve matters just as much as what we deliver. Our goal is simple: provide affordable, reliable, and environmentally responsible energy today and for generations to come.

We create power with purpose. Your work here has real impact on families, the environment, and on the future of energy. And we believe great ideas can come from anywhere.

If you want to be part of a team that takes care of the community and the people who serve it, you are in the right place. We back up our mission by taking care of our employees, too, which is why our benefits are among the most comprehensive and competitive in the region.

EOE: Protected Veterans/Disability