ENRA NERC Specialist - Specialist Senior

Enterprise Nerc Reliability Assurance Team Member

The power of AEP comes from our valued team of unique employees.the best in the business! We're proud to be one of the largest electric energy companies in the U.S., powering over 5 million homes and businesses, spanning across 11 states. We're passionate about making an innovative difference in the communities we serve. We're powering the future today! The Enterprise NERC Reliability Assurance (ENRA) team at AEP provides coordination and decision-making authority for NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation) compliance obligations. The team leads cross business unit teams, executes process improvements, performs root cause and incident analysis, provides independent oversight and technical support, project and risk management, metrics development, and engagement and outreach. The team operates in a matrix environment that interfaces directly with federal and regional regulators. Position can reside in ENRA within one of the following areas : Oversight, Compliance Management, Strategic Initiatives, Assurance, or Engagement.

What You'll Do :

Oversight Participate in development and maintenance of enterprise-wide interpretations of obligations within the NERC and Regional Standards.

Develop knowledge of the Standards and communicate with key staff at NERC and / or the Regions adding clarity regarding what is required to demonstrate compliance.

Participate in and support assessment of compliance-related materials to determine readiness for external compliance audits and provide reasonable assurance of compliance status; organize the design and operational effectiveness of reliability and compliance internal controls.

Produce reports to assess health of ENRA program; develop new metrics and reports; distribute reporting to program stakeholders.

Compliance Management Support completion of externally mandated deliverables, including compliance monitoring activities per NERC Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program (CMEP).

Coordinate processes and procedures to support NERC CMEP functions per the NERC Rules of Procedure.

Prepare and submit responses to data requests; analyze data for trends and quality purposes; support consistency in responses enterprise-wide and participate in enterprise-wide audits / other monitoring activities; create relationships with regulators; support AEP's NERC registrations in the region.

Execute investigations, write self-reports, draft mitigation plans, and track milestone execution in response to potential violations of NERC and Regional Reliability Standards; support responsible leaders and subject matter experts (SMEs) in operational BUs.

Strategic Initiatives. Participate in maintenance / periodic assessment of reliability and compliance risks; develop knowledge of risk identification and mitigation techniques; coordinate process improvement efforts; manage projects to facilitate compliance with reliability standards; manage phases of implementation projects.

Participate in FERC dockets, orders, and technical conferences; participate with other utility stakeholders and industry organizations in the consideration of reliability compliance issues and associated regulatory matters.

Engagement & Outreach Support and assist establishing clear communication protocols for relevant face-to-face and digital interactions for all compliance stakeholders; support and coordinate maintenance of intranet site; coordinate engagement and communication to sub-teams; centrally store documents; Coordinate AEP's commenting and balloting and NERC / external committee participation; participate in industry forums / events to keep current on industry best practices, tools, and technology.

Coordinate organizational alignment through an enterprise-wide approach to achieving a state of audit readiness with each new NERC reliability Standard; support governance-related activities.

Coordinate the central reliability compliance training and awareness program; ensure message content consistency and maximize delivery effectiveness.

Assurance Engage key stakeholders to improve NERC controls. Facilitate departmental coordination meetings; verify work activities of SMEs and stakeholders fully demonstrate AEP's compliance with NERC reliability standards; Review operational data to monitor adherence to reliability compliance standards.

Coordinate with stakeholders during new standards development / review process.

Identify appropriate controls and operational processes tracking and monitoring newly developed standards.

Review emerging NERC developments.

Monitor feedback responses to drafting reviewing, and complying with the NERC Reliability Standards, and other standards.

Participate in periodic Regional Entity (RE) and Regional Transmission Operator (RTO) audits, and internal audits as required.

What We're Looking For :

Education : Bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, communications, computer science, business, or related field of study; or associate's degree in one of the aforementioned fields and two (2) years of relevant work experience.

Experience : In addition to any experience required above, three (3) years of experience in the electric utility, or similarly regulated, industry.

Preferred Qualifications :

• Master's Degree is desirable.
• Certification / Licensure is preferred.
• Demonstrate the highest standards of ethical behavior and support of Company's Corporate Compliance policy.
• Demonstrate strong problem-solving skills and ability to initiate solutions to complex technical issues.
• Demonstrate ability to effectively and efficiently develop functional relationships on all levels as well as external partnerships with various regulatory agencies / industry organizations.
• Proficient in oral and written communication skills, including the ability to articulate strategy and provide guidance to management and witnesses on case as required.
• Proficient in navigating and creating spreadsheets is required.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and coordinate deadlines to enable the organization to not miss deadlines.
• Occasional travel will be required.

What You'll Get :

In addition to a competitive compensation, AEP offers a unique comprehensive benefits package that aims to support and enhance the overall well-being of our employees.

Salary Grade : 07 ($85,081.00 - $99,263.00)

Salary Grade : 08 ($96,110 - $115,330.00)

Compensation Grade : SP20-007

Compensation Range : $85,081.00-106,352.50 USD

The Physical Demand Level for this job is : S Sedentary Work : Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and / or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.