System Operator

Umatilla Electric Cooperative; Hermiston (OR); On-site; USD 147,631 - 181,568; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(K) up to 11% Company Match

Pension Plan (100% Employer Sponsored)

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Comprehensive Medical/Dental/Vision Benefits options

Vacation, Sick Leave and 11 paid holidays

Gym Membership Subsidy

Employer Sponsored Training

Various Opportunities for Fundraising and giving back to the community

Job summary

A local utility company in Hermiston, Oregon is seeking a System Operator responsible for safe and reliable system operations during normal and emergency conditions. The ideal candidate should have a BA/BS degree and significant experience in the electric utility sector. This full-time position offers competitive wages and extensive benefits, including health coverage and retirement plans.

Qualifications

• Minimum Eight (8) years’ experience as an electric utility administrator or engineer.
• Experience with computers and office software is required.
• Completion of an approved apprentice program for electrical utility journeyman is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the safe operation of the electric system under normal and emergency conditions.
• Coordinate during outages and direct personnel efficiently.
• Maintain system status displays for real-time updates.

Skills

Electric utility administration

Computer skills

Effective communication

Education

BA/BS in Management/Engineering

Tools

MS Office Products

Distribution analysis software

Job description

Umatilla Electric Cooperative is headquartered in Hermiston, Oregon (population 18,000+), the largest and fastest-growing city in Eastern Oregon. Located seven miles south of the Columbia River, Lake Wallula and the McNary Dam, the Hermiston area has become a hub for logistics and data center activity. The area is 30 minutes south of the Tri‑Cities in Washington, two‑and‑a‑half hours south of Spokane, three hours east of Portland, and three‑and‑a‑half hours northwest of Boise. Cost of living is lower than the national average. Blue Mountain Community College and Eastern Oregon University have branch facilities in Hermiston; Columbia Basin College and a branch campus of Washington State University are a 40‑mile drive. Area activities are plentiful, and include golfing, boating, fishing, hunting, camping, hiking and snow skiing.

Type: Full‑Time/In‑Office

Salary: $147,631–$181,568 DOQ

UEC Company Benefits & Perks

• 401(K) up to 11% Company Match
• Pension Plan (100% Employer Sponsored)
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Comprehensive Medical/Dental/Vision Benefits options
• Competitive Wages
• Vacation, Sick Leave and 11 paid holidays
• Gym Membership Subsidy
• Employer Sponsored Training
• Various Opportunities for Fundraising and giving back to the community

For information on the local area, please visit: https://hermistonchamber.com/

SUMMARY

This position is responsible for ensuring the safe and reliable operation of the system (transmission, and distribution,) under normal, emergency and outage conditions, complying with the UEC, RUS and NERC/WECC reliability standards. Actively promotes a culture of safety and assures safety standards are adhered to. Adheres to and supports company policies and develops specific operating procedures related to system operations. The System Operator will work closely with the Operations Superintendents to assure clear communications and effective teamwork.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

may include other duties as assigned.

• Determines operating status from personnel, station and equipment logs, dispatch board or automated system monitoring device.
• Operates or directs the operation of station equipment through manual or automated systems.
• Develops, issues, and verifies step‑by‑step instructions for switching orders with consideration of impact on system status.
• Issues, transfers or releases work clearances. Maintains up‑to‑date system configuration display for real‑time system status.
• Isolates the cause and nature of abnormal station, equipment or system conditions and takes action to operate or direct operation of equipment to restore lines and equipment to normal operating conditions.
• Coordinates restoration as well as dispatching and directing personnel in a safe, efficient, and reliable manner in response to electric system outages and emergencies.
• Responsible for managing the processes and relationship with the outage call center vendor (CRC).

JOB DUTIES

may include other duties as assigned.

• Maintains the UEC electric system using the Outage Management System (OMS) and various related applications.
• Works with Engineering to monitor interconnected system conditions, UEC and interconnected system line flows, voltages, Remedial Action Schemes, and equipment limits during normal and emergency conditions and communicates status to assure prompt response to any potential issues.
• Facilitates and tracks system equipment outages adhering to established UEC and BPA criteria.
• Reviews, comprehends, and applies operational policy and procedural changes in a time‑constrained atmosphere.
• Performs internal and external notifications of system events in accordance with established requirements.
• Maintains a safety conscious work environment by following Umatilla Electric Cooperative’s safety protocols and safe work practices.
• Delivers information and details for Monthly Board Report.
• Respectfully takes direction from supervisor or manager.
• Ability to function well under stress, particularly during emergency situations and take prompt, appropriate actions during those situations. Must also be able to communicate to the necessary authorities or personnel in a clear, reliable and efficient manner during such emergencies in order to diffuse the situation as necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS

Ability to perform essential job duties with or without reasonable accommodation and without posing a direct threat to safety or health of employee or others. To perform this job successfully, an individual will be required to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITY

This position may have supervisor responsibilities.

Required Qualifications

Education

BA/BS in Management/Engineering preferred. Eight (8) years of experience may be substituted for education.

Experience

Minimum Eight (8) years’ experience as an electric utility administrator, journey level craft worker or engineer. Experience with computers, spreadsheets, calculators, word processing software, distribution analysis software, and automated office equipment. Completion of an approved apprentice program for electrical utility journeyman and transmission lineman experience is a plus.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, members, customers and the general public.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ration, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
• Specialized computer skills. Must be adept at using various applications including MS Office Products and operations within Windows operating system, as well as communication by e‑mail and use of scheduling software. Must understand how to use software programs related to outage management, power quality, AMI metering, CIS software, OMS, and other various software programs for SCADA Controls.
• Must have a valid Drivers’ License for occasional business travel.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled