Are you passionate about shaping the future of energy? Are you a power systems expert looking to make an impact on energy reliability in the West? Are you skilled in facilitating technical committees, analyzing operational data, and driving industry best practices?
Well, you’re in the right place! Western Power Pool is hiring a Principal Operations Advisor to join our team in Portland, OR!
Key Details:
- Pay: $152,750-$175,000/year DOE
- Location: Remote - must reside in one of the following states: OR, WA, ID, MT, AZ, CA, CO, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY, or El Paso, TX
- Schedule: Full-time, Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm PST
- Benefits: Employer-paid health, dental, vision, and life insurance; PTO, 10 paid holidays, company-funded Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), 401k with 6% match, and flexible hybrid/remote working schedule
Who We Are: WPP is a non-profit organization that helps keep the lights on by ensuring power utilities in the West achieve maximum benefits from coordinated operations. Our work is member-driven, relationship-based, and collaborative.
We’ve been serving the energy sector for over 80 years and are at the forefront of ensuring the reliability and security of the power grid while spearheading the integration of renewable energy sources. As a leader in the energy sector, we manage power generation and transmission across multiple states, facilitate competitive energy markets, and foster innovation to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
If interested, please submit your application to apply@westernpowerpool.org.
Western Power Pool is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are dedicated to creating an inclusive atmosphere for all employees.
Who You Are: You are a strategic and detail-oriented professional with expertise in power system operations, NERC and WECC reliability standards, and compliance reporting. You thrive in collaborative environments, supporting cross-functional teams to ensure operational excellence and regulatory adherence. Your experience in balancing area operations, frequency response, and reserve sharing programs makes you a trusted technical advisor. Skilled in facilitating committees, analyzing operational data, and developing reliability solutions, you communicate complex technical concepts effectively. You engage in regional industry workgroups and support compliance activities to uphold program integrity. Passionate about grid reliability and operational efficiency, you contribute to training, policy development, and technical advisory support. You manage multiple priorities, ensuring seamless operations while driving continuous improvement.
Qualifications include:
- 10+ years of experience in Power System Operations, Operational Planning, or a related field
- Expertise in Balancing Area operations, NERC and WECC reliability standards, and compliance reporting
- Experience facilitating and managing committees, including agenda setting, meeting coordination, and documentation
- Demonstrated ability to interpret complex operational data and develop solutions for reliability programs
- Knowledge of ICCP/SCADA, Energy Management Systems (EMS), and Tagging/Scheduling software (OATI)
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present technical information clearly to diverse audiences
- Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills, with experience representing organizations in regional or national industry workgroups
- Public speaking and training experience, including on-camera interview participation
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, or a related technical field; or equivalent practical experience
- NERC System Operator Certification preferred
- Ability to travel nationally on a bi-monthly basis
What You’ll Do: You'll serve as a key technical advisor, managing the day-to-day operations of the Western Power Pool (WPP) Operations Committee (OC) while providing expert guidance on power system operations, reliability standards, and compliance reporting. You’ll facilitate and coordinate OC meetings, develop agendas, document action items, and oversee onboarding for new members. You'll support the Reserve Sharing Group (RSG) and Western Frequency Response Sharing Group (WFRSG) by assisting with compliance reviews, data analytics, and program performance assessments. You'll collaborate with industry stakeholders, participate in NERC and WECC workgroups, and contribute to the development of regional policies and procedures. You'll also provide technical training and advisory support, ensuring members understand evolving operational standards.
Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Manage administrative coordination for OC, RSG, and WFRSG meetings, including agenda development, action item tracking, and onboarding support for new members.
- Conduct in-depth technical analysis and data reviews for RSG and WFRSG, ensuring program compliance with BAL-002-3 and BAL-003-1 standards.
- Support compliance assurance activities by conducting annual reviews of RSG and WFRSG data and assisting in documentation processes.
- Monitor and update the WPP website, ensuring committee documents, program resources, and public information remain current.
- Rotate as an on-call resource for the WPP RSGC hotline, providing operational support as needed.
- Develop and maintain regional policies, methodologies, and governance documents related to power system operations and compliance.
- Represent WPP in industry workgroups and committees, contributing expertise on power system operations, reliability standards, and compliance strategies.
- Support internal training efforts, providing technical expertise for eLearning development and participating in on-camera training interviews as requested.
Check us out on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/western-power-pool/.
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Know Your Rights (EEO)
https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/EEOC_KnowYourRights_screen_reader_10_20.pdf - English
https://www.eeoc.gov/es/conozca-sus-derechos-la-discriminacion-en-el-lugar-de-trabajo-es-ilegal - Spanish
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