Transmission Energy Management Contracts Manager

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Negotiate, develop and administer transmission and ancillary service contracts and operating agreements, in order to maintain reliable and low-cost electric service to Tri-State Utility Members Systems.
• Monitor transmission providers’ tariff changes for impacts to Tri-State and communicate changes to appropriate internal departments. Work with outside counsel and other internal departments, as appropriate to develop Tri-State interventions to tariff filings.
• Manage and develop methods and systems to measure, monitor, oversee and respond to system topology and changes to system topology as it relates to contractual transmission rights, deliverability to Member system load, real-time load/resource balancing and measurement of billing determinates related to transmission and power billing.
• Coordinate and manage workflow processes and reporting in relation to Energy Management’s topology management as it relates to internal departments and third party Transmission Providers including participation in related meetings, initiatives and projects.
• Provide technical expertise in regards to merchant transmission impacts for the evaluation of, and responding to the effects of changing economic and regulatory conditions on the Tri-State system, including possible generating unit retirements, acquisition of resources, negotiation of changes to multi-participant generating project configurations and entry into organized markets.
• Lead efforts to analyze regional transmission capacity with various transmission providers to recommend continuation of existing transmission reservations to support delivery of resources to load or to initiate new purchases.
• Manage reservation purchases or rollovers with transmission providers including supporting analysis and preparation of related board documents requesting approval of transactions.
• Support designation of network resource efforts for new Tri-State resources.
• Responsible for providing technical expertise for regulatory support in regards to filings that impact merchant transmission including Public Utility Commission proceedings, OATT proceedings and other FERC filings.
• Manage the development of short and long term merchant transmission and ancillary service forecasts as an input to the Energy Management budget and forecasting processes.
• Work closely with Utility Member Systems in the implementation of generation projects, load retention and new load acquisition efforts in regards to merchant transmission implications, including ancillary service and organized market cost and compliance responsibility.
• Support Tri-State Board of Directors policy development and revisions related to the functions above.
• Adhere to and demonstrate compliance with appropriate electric utility industry regulatory requirements. Attain knowledge and remain knowledgeable of development in regulations, laws, standards and best practices applicable to the functional area including, but not limited to, Standards of Conduct, Environmental, Employment Law, NERC Reliability Standards and Safety.  Must be familiar with, and comply with, all aspects of Corporate Policy C-54, Compliance.
• Demonstrate behavior consistent with Tri-State’s culture embodied in the Cooperative principles and spirit and core values of technical competency, respect and dignity, accountability, integrity, trustworthiness, and servant leadership to empower or otherwise enable others to optimally perform their job responsibilities. Demonstrate and promote ethics and behaviors consistent with Tri-State’s culture, Board policies, and business practices. Understand and fulfill the role and responsibility for all compliance programs within the company.
• Because Tri-State is an electric utility with continuous service obligations to its customers, regular, reliable, and predictable performance of the essential functions and responsibilities is an essential function of the job.
• Because Tri-State has an obligation to provide continuous, reliable electric service to its customers, the ability to work overtime at any time of the day or week is considered an essential function of the job.

 OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinate the integrated efforts of multiple groups within and external to Energy Resources and Energy Markets, to complete projects that optimize market and Tri-State generation fleet operations, tariff terms, and power purchase and sale contractual terms, and economic opportunities for asset optimization.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

SUCCESS FACTORS/JOB COMPETENCIES:

• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to identify functional area business needs and establish goals and objectives and ensure alignment with enterprise goals.
• Planning: Remain aware of changing industry and market conditions including the effects of carbon regulation, organized market development, and applicable state, NERC, FERC and WECC policies, procedures and regulations, to develop conceptual and technical solutions.
• Management Ability to organize and manage multiple priorities including projects and daily activities
• Time management: Coordinate the efforts and contributions of internal and external resources to develop overall solutions involving economic, technical and operational considerations. Ability to plan work to meet important deadlines.
• Problem analysis and problem resolution at both strategic and functional levels.
• Technical skills and specialized knowledge related to energy markets and market development, energy trading and risk management software systems and integration, settlements, power and transmission contract management, load/resource balancing, and regional utility market positions.  
• Demonstrate behavior consistent with company values.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to clearly and effectively write reports, draft contracts, and work with internal and external legal staff. Excellent presentation skills are required for communication of result to executive management, counterparties, and within the Energy Management organization.
• Negotiation skills. Ability to advocate for commercial terms and conditions that are favorable to Tri-State, while understanding priorities of counterparties so that mutually beneficial agreements can be reached.
• Strong team player with the ability to work in a matrix organization.

REQUIRED JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Training

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Engineering or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Ability:

• Ability to schedule, coordinate and manage the efforts of internal and external staff making contributions to overall effort.
• Ability to successfully negotiate complex and financially significant contracts involving transmission and ancillary services.
• Ability to analyze complex regulatory, financial and technical information and to develop related solutions.
• Ability to interact successfully with executive staff members at Tri-State, Member Systems, and third-party systems.
• Extensive knowledge of regional markets and transmission systems, including the effects of developing organized markets.

Experience:

• Ten (10) years of relevant experience involving electric power utility systems operations with an emphasis on transmission contracts, transmission tariffs, and/or operations.

Other:

• Willingness to travel up to 10% of the time on an annual basis (Must possess a valid driver’s license.)

DESIRED JOB QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Advanced degree in related discipline.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS:  The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the position.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical demands: While performing the duties of this position, the incumbent is primarily required to sit, stand, walk, stoop, and bend.   Specific vision abilities include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
• Mental demands: While performing the duties of this position, the incumbent is required to read, write, analyze data and reports, exercise judgment, develop plans, procedures and goals, present information to others and work under pressure.
• Work Environment: While performing the duties of this position, the incumbent is exposed to moderate level of noise. Majority of duties are performed indoors primarily at a desk.