Vice President Operations - OH Operations - Akron Fairlawn

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

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp.

This is a hybrid position (3 or more days on-site). While it is preferred the selected candidate reside and work in Akron, the position may be located in Brecksville.

Summary:

The Vice President, Distribution Operations serves as an executive for the State's 24/7 electric utility operations. The position is responsible and accountable for the safe production, delivery, and reliability of electricity in the most cost-effective manner, in compliance with regulatory requirements and with a focus toward ensuring future sustainability of operations. Specific areas of responsibility include Distribution Operations, Construction & Maintenance, Trouble Response, Storm Restoration, Meter Operations, and Customer Experience.

Financial responsibilities include the management of the budgets, including capital and O&M and achievement of KPIs. This position is also charged with working closely with the State President in the development of strategic and long-term operational plans and working closely with the Senior Leadership Team to proactively engage with public officials, industry leaders, suppliers, regulators, environmental groups, and customers, as necessary, to ensure FirstEnergy continues to meet and/or exceed its strategic objectives.

This position will provide ongoing direction and leadership for electric operations and will be charged with achieving performance excellence with a constant focus on continuous improvement by optimizing processes and technologies to improve upon system efficiencies. It provides direction and leadership from the following perspectives:

Foster a leading with safety culture where employees own, promote and reinforce safe behaviors and feel empowered to speak up

Demonstrate FE's core values of safety, integrity, diversity equity & inclusion, performance excellence and stewardship

Establish and develop substantive working relationships with peers, staff and union leadership, and creates an environment of trust while implementing changes, where needed, to enhance FirstEnergy's culture of safety, compliance, inclusion, accountability, and innovation

Initiate and monitor implementation of appropriate safety and environmental safeguards in accordance with applicable regulations and professional practice to ensure that employee, community and environmental hazards and impacts of operational activities are eliminated or reduced to acceptable risk levels

Engage in strategic working relationships with community partners, governmental officials, and regional agencies where needed

Continuously identifies opportunities to improve the customer experience with a focus on both system reliability and affordability

Plan, organize, develop, and monitor the performance of assigned directors, managers, supervisors and staff, establishing plans for performance excellence and personal developmental targets

Plan, organize, control, integrate and evaluate the work of the operational group

Develop, implement, and monitor work plans to achieve organizational mission, goals and strategic objectives

With the State President, direct and prepare annual operational and multi-year capital investment program budgets, establish budgetary control measures, allocate resources and personnel and monitor diverse work programs for compliance with budget targets

Ensure execution of strategic objectives and deliver safe and reliable service, providing long-term value to stakeholders

Operate electric systems in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, to include environmental and State reliability standards

Operate, control and maintain distribution systems to include facilities, lines, and metering

Construction of new and rehabilitation of existing electrical infrastructure

Assume role of Incident Commander during major events in alignment with US FEMA Command Structure along with the execution of yearly preparedness exercises

Qualifications:

Accomplished and approachable leader, with a demonstrated track record of safe operations excellence and people leadership

Strong technical acumen, astute business and commercial skills, combined with the ability to inspire and lead a large team through industry shifts in operational requirements

Fifteen (15) years relevant work experience, with increasing levels of responsibility in leadership roles. Relevant work experience includes utility operations (distribution and substation), distribution engineering, construction and project management, transmission, and distribution support

An undergraduate degree is preferred. PE or MBA is also preferred, but not required

Strategic vision and continuous improvement mindset

Specific knowledge and experience preferences include:

Advanced leadership principles and methods, including strategic goal setting, organizational analysis, program development and implementation

Experience leading safety improvement efforts and / or knowledge of industry related safety practices

Experience leading a large geographically dispersed union workforce

Organizational structure, functions, and interrelationships with other organizations and agencies

Federal, state and local laws, regulations affecting the utility industry such as environmental compliance and reliability

Operational and capital expense budgeting

Electric utility design, engineering, system planning and operations and maintenance practices

Engineering and construction best practices

Reliability performance monitoring

Contracting management practices, performance standards and contract modification

General understanding of rate making and tariffs

Negotiating and implementing collective bargaining agreements and working collaboratively with union leadership teams

Ability to:

Lead by example, facilitate and lead teams through change, and promote the values of trust and integrity

Analyze difficult and complex issues and strategies, reach sound and logical fact-based conclusions and recommendations

Understand, interpret, explain, and apply local, state, and federal policy, law, regulation, and court decisions as they relate to operations

Lead, facilitate and/or participate in the strategic planning, organization design, implementation and monitoring of comprehensive programs

Evaluate departmental practices and make sound recommendations for improvements; develop and implement appropriate procedures and control.