Town of Clayton: Assistant Electric System Director

ElectriCities of NC; Clayton (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

ElectriCities of NC seeks an experienced Electric Department leader to plan, organize, direct, and manage the Town’s electric utility system and departmental operations. The role supports the Electric Director and serves on the Town’s leadership team, overseeing planning, construction, maintenance, reliability, customer service, and administrative functions.

This role demands strong leadership, strategic thinking, and a commitment to safe, reliable electric service for residents.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of electric distribution systems, operations, and reliability.
• Experience with budgeting, procurement, and capital projects.
• Ability to supervise, train, and evaluate staff and contractors.
• Excellent communication with officials, customers, and partners.
• Ability to plan and oversee CIP and infrastructure expansion.
• Willingness to respond to outages and emergencies.

Responsibilities

• Assists in planning and directing Electric Department operations.
• Represents the department before Town leadership and external partners.
• Plans, organizes, and directs electric utility operations including construction and maintenance.
• Oversees staff performance and coordinates with engineers, contractors, and agencies.
• Manages budgets and resource allocations.
• Responds to outages and complex service issues.

Skills

Staff supervision

Communication

Project planning

Budgeting

Emergency response

Job description

Job Summary

Performs difficult professional, technical, and administrative work assisting in the planning, organizing, directing, and management of the Town’s electric utility system and departmental operations.

Job Summary

Performs difficult professional, technical, and administrative work assisting in the planning, organizing, directing, and management of the Town’s electric utility system and departmental operations. An employee in this class serves as a key member of the Town’s leadership team and supports the Electric Director in overseeing all aspects of electric utility operations including system planning, construction, maintenance, reliability, customer service, and administrative functions. Work includes participation in organizational strategic planning, policy development, capital improvement programming, and coordination with other departments, elected officials, outside agencies, and the public. The position exercises independent judgment in managing operations, personnel, and resources and may act on behalf of the Electric Director when assigned.

Primary Responsibilities

• Assists in planning, organizing, and directing the overall operations of the Electric Department
• Participates in policy development and strategic initiatives to align departmental operations with Town goals
• Represents the department before the Town Manager, Council, boards, and external partners
• Serves as acting Electric Director when assigned or in the Director’s absence
• Plans, organizes, and directs electric utility operations including construction, maintenance, outage response, reliability, and customer service
• Oversees and evaluates work of staff, contractors, and partners vs. primarily coordinating crews
• Establishes performance standards and monitors service levels to ensure efficiency and quality
• Assists with short- and long-range system planning
• Participates in capital improvement program (CIP) development and infrastructure expansion planning
• Supports and helps administer the department budget
• Evaluates and recommends resource allocations, staffing, equipment, and capital investments
• Oversees and manages electric system projects rather than primarily assisting with documentation
• Participates in contract development, negotiation, and administration
• Coordinates with engineers, developers, contractors, and other agencies
• Provides leadership and direction to staff and supervisors instead of primarily assisting with coordination
• Oversees hiring, performance management, discipline, and professional development
• Supports training and promotes safe work practices
• Responds to complex service issues, outages, and public concerns
• Maintains relationships with customers, public officials, and external agencies
• Performs other duties as assigned

Job Requirements

• Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of electric distribution systems, electric utility operations, loading, capacity, maintenance, and basic system design.
• Thorough knowledge of materials, tools, vehicles, equipment, and methods used in the construction, maintenance, and repair of overhead and underground electric distribution lines and related facilities.
• Thorough knowledge of occupational hazards, applicable safety practices, personal protective equipment, and emergency procedures associated with electric utility work.
• Working knowledge of governmental budgeting, purchasing, inventory control, personnel practices, and customer service practices related to municipal utility operations.
• Working knowledge of information technology, mapping, work management, metering, reporting, and other technical resources used in electric utility operations.
• Skill in supervising, training, coaching, motivating, communicating with, and coordinating the work of field crews and support staff.
• Skill in reading and interpreting electrical plans, maps, drawings, specifications, work orders, standards, and related technical documents.
• Ability to plan, assign, coordinate, inspect, and evaluate electric utility construction, maintenance, repair, and outage restoration work.
• Ability to assist with long- and short-range planning and to recommend improvements that support system reliability, safety, efficiency, and customer service.
• Ability to prepare accurate records, reports, estimates, schedules, and project documentation.
• Ability to respond effectively to emergencies, outages, customer concerns, and changing operational priorities.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with public officials, employees, contractors, utility companies, customers, and the general public.
• Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written forms.