Supervisor Vegetation Program Management Emergent Technology - Vegetation Management -
FirstEnergy Corp

JOB DESCRIPTION

This is an open position with the FirstEnergy Service Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. [SCOO]

Job Title: Supv, Veg Program Mgmt - Emergent Technology / AVAT

Location: Mobile / Hybrid

FirstEnergy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers' lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.

About the Opportunity

The Supervisor, Vegetation Program Management Emergent Technology reports to the Manager, Program Management in Vegetation Management.This position is classified as Mobile with primary work location as home but may work at or visit a facility.

This position supervises a team of individuals composed of employees and contractors with various technology expertise, providing business unit support for current and future emergent technologies, tools and advanced analytics used in vegetation management.

This position will primarily be responsible leading overall end-to-end project support of current and future emergent technologies within the business unit including but not limited to the Advanced Vegetation Analytics Tool (AVAT), and the Vegetation Management LiDAR Program. This position will be responsible for implementing new enhancements and additional functionality within the Esri based Vegetation Management Solution (VMS) software for future improvements and overall business unit integration of all emergent technologies and analytical tools.

This position will be responsible for providing support of emergent technology data analytics with the use of proprietary advanced and predictive data models and/or tools of business unit to monitor key performance indicators, strategic plan metrics and other emergent technology initiatives to assist in driving performance and reliability improvement opportunities within the company.

This position will work at all levels across the organization to interact collaboratively with subject matter experts and business leaders.

Responsibilities:

• This position is responsible for exemplifying and prioritizing the FirstEnergy Core Values and Behaviors of Safety, Integrity, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Performance Excellence, Stewardship, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Customer Focus and Trust.
• Demonstrating and directing a solid commitment to all aspects of safety and must understand the Company's Accident Prevention Handbook applying this to safety in the workplace with the ability to advise others of safe work practices.
• Provide direct supervision of personnel supporting all aspects of the business unit emergent technologies and advanced data analytics.
• Proactively and regularly engage direct reports in career development.
• Encourage team development and drive opportunities for career enhancement for all team members.
• Lead team of personnel to help establish and achieve business unit timelines, milestones, strategic plans, and key performance indicators for safety, compliance, reliability, vegetation work plans, customer service and operational performance through emergent technologies.
• Exercise sound decision making by developing alternatives and recommendations to drive work processes, improve reliability and operational efficiencies into the vegetation management program.
• Assist with developing and maintaining emergent technology internal program document controls and drive consistency through standardizing, and/or updating forms, templates, talking points, procedures, workflows, work management software, strategic plans, change management plans, innovative solutions, new hardware and software tools, advanced analytics, etc., as needed.
• Identify and support opportunities for program efficiencies and improved reliability, revising business unit processes, procedures, workflows, and other areas of improvement with emergent technologies (i.e. FE Forward initiatives, rate cases, business cases, strategic plans, innovative cost savings measures, predictive modeling, machine learning, automation, advance performance analysis, etc).
• Lead team to provide continual day-to-day operational support for department personnel and contractors with current and future emergent technologies as needed.
• Continuously support the vegetation management program ensuring performance, reliability, compliance, operational and financial metrics associated with improvements/declines in operational key performance indicators, business unit strategic plan goals, provide clear and concise findings, and lead change management/mitigation/action plans for emergent technologies where needed.
• Responsible for providing corporate support of vegetation management program with emergent technology related requests for business unit pertaining to such things as internal/external audits, regulatory rate cases, legal testimonies and hearings, grants, benchmarking surveys, business cases, key regulatory filings, business unit reporting, internal controls, capital portfolio, strategic plans, metrics, charters, priorities for program initiatives and projects.
• Continually oversee business unit analytics with the use of proprietary advanced and predictive data models and/or tools, ensuring effectiveness of business unit processes, conducting research, analyzing data, identifying trends, interpreting results, assisting with artificial intelligent and machine learning data model creation/testing/use, and making recommendations on matters related to emergent technologies for vegetation management leadership.
• Identify and participate in the implementation of continuous improvement, innovative, emergent technologies, business unit initiatives, FE Forward projects and other related to financials, processing and analyzing vegetation related data and scorecard, bid files, contract strategies, assessing financial incentive/penalties for vendors.
• Responsible for providing support for business unit reporting and analytics of emergent technologies to provide data-driven decisions for items such as budgets, regulatory audits, vegetation management workflow, contractor costs, reliability and production statistics using software applications such as SAP, Microsoft Power BI, COUPA, Empower, NMS, FLEX, BIM, Toad Data Point, TAMI (Transmission Asset Mapping), etc. on regular and routine basis.
• Lead and drive agile methodology for business unit with innovation, remote sensing data, retrospective, workshops, sprint planning sessions, daily stand-up meetings, risk and mitigation plans/logs, timeline, budget, define project scope, goals, deliverables, data-driven decisions, short-term and long-term action plans.
• Working knowledge of FirstEnergy's Vegetation Management program, utility vegetation management industry standards and best management practices, and FirstEnergy's Vegetation Management Line Clearance Specifications, and general willingness to learn and/or understanding of emergent technologies.
• Lead business unit research and development of new and innovative emergent technologies in vegetation management industry through investigation, developing, piloting, testing, experimenting with new data, software, hardware, and vendors.
• Lead all support, troubleshooting, enhancements, and development of the current Advanced Vegetation Analytics Tool (AVAT) using remote sensing predictive models and analytics developed by the Digital Factory, Vegetation Management, and external consultants.
• Lead and oversee the current Vegetation Management Aerial LiDAR program including but not limited to data QA/QC, identifying trends and other required analytics, technical communication with LiDAR vendor(s) or internal LiDAR peers, budget management, program integration with work management software, and corporate support.
• Lead development of future enhancements and provide primary back up support for maintenance of the current Esri GIS mapping-based Vegetation Management Solution (VMS) work management software as needed.
• Oversee maintaining, supporting, troubleshooting, developing, training, implementing and integrating emerging technologies, work management systems, databases, cloud applications, azure platforms, data management, artificial intelligence and machine learning, remote sensing data systems including LiDAR, satellite, aerial imagery, maps, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), navigational tools, safety tools, aerial flight tracking tools, and other key vegetation management applications for near real-time connectivity and functionality.
• Ensuring adherence to scope of work and purchase order for development and implementation of new emerging technologies with internal business units, executive leadership, and external vendors is fully understood and executed as required. Tracking project status, resources, communication plan, risk management, timeline and cost for all emergent technologies.
• Assist with ensuring overall data integrity, database and cloud-storage data management, financial costs for technologies, administration of software licenses, supervision of purchase order contracts/scope of work for technologies, software and hardware compliance with FERC Sensitive Information (FSI), internal audit reviews related to data and access, and user access monitoring via Active Directories (AD), Regulatory Access Authorization Database (RAAD), Forefront Identity Management (FIM) Distribution Groups, and Role Based Access for all emergent technologies.
• Lead, develop and support all change management within the business unit associated with existing and future emergent technologies working with management and executive leadership.
• Performing training of internal FirstEnergy employees and external contractors, developing training material and presentations, advising and teaching on topics related to current and new technologies, and monitoring the implementation and oversight of the Emerging Technologies.
• Lead team to collaborate cross-functionally on priorities and actions working with business unit personnel, external consultants, scrum masters, data scientists, data engineers, product owners, initiative owners, peer utilities, and industry vendors to solve vegetation management challenges with emergent technology tools and solutions.
• Collaborate with other business units in the organization to build relationships and provide support for all aspects of the vegetation program with such groups as IT Business Solutions, Digital Factory, GIS Mapping, Work Management, Outage Management, Reliability, Performance and Process Improvement, Communications, Supply Chain, Engineering, Flight Operations, Information Technology, and Safety Departments.
• Create and formally give presentations on emergent technology data and analytics to internal employees, executive leadership, and/or external stakeholders.
• Demonstrate sound internal and external excellent customer service.
• Attending meetings for the development, communication, training, support, and implementation of current, and new program requirements with vegetation management staff, contractors, and any other external stakeholders including industry conferences and peer utilities, as needed.
• Engage peer utilities and other industries for benchmarking on accounting practices, policies, and procedures, including opportunities to enhanced processes and continuous improvement, as needed.
• Collaborate and support other Program Management Supervisors and teams within business unit, as needed.
• Perform and supervise field validations and quality assurance of data integrity and use of emergent technologies as necessary.
• Performing storm restoration activities, field observations and/or field inspections as required.
• This position will require occasional to moderate travel and overnight stays (25%-50%) throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Maryland.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in conservation, forestry science, or computer science or related discipline.
• In lieu of Bachelor's Degree, Associate Degree along with 7 (seven) years of related work experience, or High School Diploma (or GED) along with 14 (fourteen) or more years related work experience in conservation, forestry science, or computer science or related discipline.
• Performs in accordance with the FirstEnergy Core Values & Behaviors, leads by example, and demonstrates how these values and behaviors align with the company and business unit mission, priorities, objectives, and interests.
• Excellent organizational, note-taking, presentation skills and time management skills.
• Proficient computer skills with software and applications including but not limited to Microsoft Office Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including public speaking, ability to generate executive leadership summaries and posses technical writing skills.
• Advanced interpersonal skills necessary to cooperate with internal and external customers and operate in a team or in a consensus decision-making environment.
• Understands the importance of building and fostering positive relationships and professional credibility with customers, contractors and the public in a professional and courteous manner.
• Must be able to resolve conflict, communicate, negotiate, and execute as needed independently and in team environments.
• Must provide excellent customer service in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be able to lead and work in a team environment, to manage, organize and prioritize work and ultimately meet strict deadlines.
• Possess leadership qualities that provides effective guidance and to others, coaches others in effective decision-making, and facilitate meetings as needed.
• Prior supervision of personnel, a plus.
• Collect, organize, report, and analyze information from a variety of sources to manage program expectations, compliance, and financial deadlines.
• Must be able to execute quick assessments, deliver well thought out critical decisions, and demonstrate problem-solving skills and communicate information to leadership and key stakeholders.
• Prior knowledge and experience with emergent technologies and/or advanced predictive data models, a plus.
• Must be able to support strategic process improvement plans, implement and execute new process improvement changes for key performance areas and other future initiatives.
• Knowledge and experience in utility vegetation management or related discipline, a plus.
• Understand and adhere to the Company's Accident Prevention Handbook and possess the ability to work safely.
• Possess the physical ability to perform work in the field in all weather conditions and traverse difficult terrain to support emergent technologies and advanced analytics as needed.
• Must be willing to perform occasional to moderate travel and/or overnight stays (25%-50%).
• Must have a personal vehicle to commute to various locations as required, possessing a valid driver's license.

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at www.firstenergycorp.com to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H-1B visas at this time.

Safety

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all of our business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information, and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co-workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, to maintain an accident-free, injury-free workplace, and to promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals, we dedicate ourselves to achieving world-class safety standards.

FirstEnergy Human Resources Team

This job has expired.