Senior Manager, Substations, Protection & Telecom (Exec 2)

City of Seattle; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Seattle City Light is seeking a Senior Manager (Exec 2) for Substations, Protection & Telecommunications Engineering. You will lead eight direct reports and an indirect staff of about 30 engineers, guiding design, reliability, and compliance for high-voltage substations and related systems.

As part of the management team, you will oversee CIP and O&M budgets, shape work plans, coordinate with agencies and utilities, and drive performance across two engineering groups to deliver critical

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related Power Engineering field.
• Eight+ years in utility management/engineering with at least five years as a manager in a large, diverse organization.
• Professional Engineer license in the United States (WA) within 12 months of appointment and valid WA driver's license.
• Desirable: Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering; knowledge of safety codes and city work rules.

Responsibilities

• Oversee CIP and O&M budgets and long-term plans for Substations, Protection & Telecom.
• Provide management oversight of engineering activities for 15 high-voltage substations.
• Develop and implement the Substation Engineering Work Plan.
• Coordinate with agencies and neighboring utilities for interties.
• Mentor managers and staff, ensuring staffing levels and workloads align with priorities.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related Power Engineering field

Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (desirable)

Job description

City Light is hiring a Senior Manager (Exec 2) for its Substations, Protection & Telecommunications Engineering groups. In this position, you will provide management and leadership direction for the Substation, Protection and Telecommunications Engineering functions. You will serve as a key member of the City Light management team, with eight direct reports and an indirect staff of 30 licensed and non-licensed engineers across two work groups.

The Substation Engineering Production Group includes 16 employees and is responsible for MCR Meter, Control and Relay design support for Substation Engineering’s ten Capital Improvement Programs. The Group also works with Substation Engineering Station Service, Processes, As-builts and CAD work. Work includes transformers, breakers, relays, disconnects, meters, station service and bus work replacements, and additions for City Light’s sixteen major substations. This group comprises the bulk of the work for the manager in this role, so a background in Substations is critical.

The Protection & Telecom Groups are smaller (three and six employees, respectively), and are responsible for the development and testing of protection schemes, AC and DC schematics, relay settings, short-circuit studies, NERC PRC compliance, root cause analysis for system events, and other miscellaneous analyses for electrical transmission and distribution systems at the voltage levels of 13kV, 26kV, 115kV, and 230kV.

This position will report to the Engineering & Technology Operations Director.

Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked very hard to keep Seattle's electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

Here is more about what you’ll be doing:

• Provide oversight of a $44.6 million Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget and $3.4 million Operations & Maintenance (O&M) budget. The Substations Group’s budget is $38M, with Telecom at $3M to $4M and Protection at $1M.
• Manage CIP and O & M long-term plans and budgets related to Substations, Protection & Telecomm bodies of work
• Manage and enhance processes related to Substations, Protection & Telecomm bodies of work
• Participate in design and development of two new substations that will exceed $150 million each.
• Develop the Substation Engineering Work Plan.
• Provide oversight of engineering activities for 15 high-voltage substations, serving all of City Light’s customers and connecting to both adjacent electric utility intertie partners, the Bonneville Power Administration and Puget Sound Energy.
• Implement the Work and Asset management System (WAMS) for substations. Participate in Phase II planning and development.
• Meet regularly with Substation Operations to review and discuss substation work planning and interactions between Engineering and Operations.
• Meet with Power Dispatch personnel, as needed, to discuss and review substation projects, and to solicit dispatcher and operator needs in substations.
• Communicate and coordinate with other federal, state and local agencies, and other Seattle municipal departments, as well as public and private utilities.
• Provide general work assignments and recommend staffing levels.
• Provide oversight of section workloads, project schedules and budget.

Required Qualifications:

In addition to the skills and experience mentioned below, a successful applicant will have experience that reflects a commitment to creating fair and equitable outcomes and has:

Education:

A Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related Power Engineering field.

Experience:

Management and leadership experience in utility management, operations, engineering or related areas of responsibility, typically gained through eight or more years of progressively responsible assignments, with a minimum of five years’ experience as a manager or supervisor in a large, complex, multicultural and diverse organization.

Certification/License:

• Professional Engineer state licensure within the United States and up to 12 months after appointment to attain State of Washington registration.
• Current Washington State driver's license or evidence of equivalent mobility.

Desired Qualifications:

You will be successful if you have the following experience, skills, and abilities:

• Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
• Extensive experience with, and knowledge and understanding of, National & Local Electrical Safety Codes, and City Light work rules, practices, methods and procedures
• Extensive experience with substation-related capital projects such as transformer and breaker relay replacements & updates
• Experience working with multiple engineering disciplines (civil, electrical, and mechanical) to accomplish work in a utility environment.
• Experience developing and implementing performance management and organizational measurement methodologies and techniques.
• Experience interpreting economic modeling and forecasting data.
• Experience creating and delivering public presentations to a variety of constituents.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Ability to coordinate effectively with other employees, divisions and agencies.

Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or withoutnotice

Emergency Response Commitment:

Seattle City Light is committed to reliable service during emergencies. Through our Emergency Response Program, each employee is assigned a role usually aligned with their regular duties to support emergency operations. Your participation is required and vital to helping the utility stay prepared and serve our community when it matters most.

The full salary range for this position is $66.88 to $110.35 per hour ($139,645.44 - $230,410.80 annually).

Who May Apply

This position is open to all candidates that meet the qualifications. Seattle City Light values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Seattle City Light encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.

Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process, including the completion of a background check. The background check will involve a criminal history check, which includes conviction and arrest records in compliance with Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17 and the City of Seattle Personnel Rule 10.3. A driving history review may be conducted in compliance with SMC 4.79.020. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain or correct background information.

• The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.

More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits

Want to know more about Seattle City Light? Check out our web page: https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/about-us/careers.