Lead Standards Coordinator

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Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is about more than power. We’re about the power of relationships. Our employees have the opportunity to work together to ensure electricity is delivered reliably and affordably to the millions of people living in our service territory. We have been voted one of Arkansas’ Best Places to work by Arkansas Business and we are looking for a member of our team who is passionate about our mission to keep the lights on!

We have a core ideology here at SPP that we stand by: Do the right thing, for the right reason, in the right way.

We believe in supporting our employees through a fantastic benefits package:

• Competitive and transparent pay with bonus opportunities
• Excellent insurance package including three great medical plans to choose from, employer-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Relocation bonus (if applicable)
• Hybrid working environment for positions that are eligible
• Fantastic contributions to your retirement through a 401(k) savings plan with employer-match benefits and a pension (defined benefit plan) fully funded by SPP

COMPENSATION INFORMATION
The salary range(s) represents our good faith estimate for the role at this time. While we strive to provide competitive and transparent compensation, there may be circumstances where an offer is above or outside of the listed range. We are open to discussing salary expectations with qualified candidates considering factors such as the candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, experience and geographic location will all be considered during the hiring process.

Lead Standards Coordinator Pay Range: $109,500.00 -$142,250.00

Join SPP and Shape the Future of Reliability Standards!

Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for shaping the future of reliability standards? Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is seeking a dynamic Lead Reliability Standards Coordinator to spearhead the development and refinement of reliability standards critical to ensuring a reliable Bulk Electric System (BES). This role is your opportunity to lead, influence, and contribute to the development of meaningful and achievable standards that ensure grid reliability on a national and regional scale.

As the Lead Reliability Standards Coordinator, you will play a central role in developing, refining, maintaining, communicating, training, and implementing national and regional reliability standards. You’ll work closely with both internal and external stakeholders to drive SPP's reliability excellence and influence the future of grid standards. This is a high-impact position that offers the chance to work at the intersection of policy development, industry collaboration, and regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Provide Strategic Leadership: Work with the Director of Compliance to set the direction for SPP staff and management engaged in reliability standards.
• Lead Standards Development: Guide and coordinate SPP’s working groups in developing, refining, and implementing national and regional reliability standards.
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Identify, analyze, and refine frequently violated reliability standards, leading initiatives to improve compliance and performance across the SPP region.
• Champion Policy Advocacy: Represent SPP’s interests with external stakeholders such as NERC, the ISO/RTO Council, and other industry organizations to influence the outcomes of standards development processes.
• Collaborate & Train: Partner with internal stakeholders and the Stakeholder Services Group to provide training on compliance applicability and emerging standards.
• Engage Stakeholders: Lead discussions with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment with corporate strategies and support successful outcomes for SPP in standards development.
• Monitor Industry Trends: Stay informed on emerging NERC, NAESB, and regional reliability standards and policies, and proactively propose improvements.
• Analyze Emerging Issues: Track ongoing and emerging NERC and regional activities, identifying potential impacts on SPP’s registered functions and developing strategies for alignment.
• Measure & Report Progress: Develop comprehensive outreach reports, tracking progress and highlighting the value created through departmental efforts.
• Support Strategic Initiatives: Propose and implement initiatives to ensure SPP is proactive in its approach to emerging reliability policies and business practices.
• Foster Best Practices: Analyze industry best practices and propose improvements to policy, procedures, and technical standards to align with those practices.
• Represent SPP’s Interests: Actively represent SPP and its members in NERC, NAESB, and regional reliability standard development processes, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives.

If you’re ready to lead the charge in the development of critical reliability standards and make a tangible impact on the future of the electric grid, apply now and help us build a more reliable and sustainable energy future!

To be successful in the role we're looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree in a business or technically-oriented field of study; Two(2) Years of relevant job-related experience may be considered in lieu of degree requirement)
• Ten (10) years of experience with NERC Reliability Standards, NAESB, or similar standards organization; OR Ten (10) years of electric utility experience related to transmission system dispatch, transmission system operations, or another area of pertinent responsibility; OR Eight (8) years of experience obtained in a responsible role within SPP Operations and/or Planning and Engineering with a Professional Engineer license.
• In-depth knowledge of power system operations
• Working knowledge of NERC Reliability Standards
• Strong communication and facilitation skills
• Motivation to take appropriate action when required
• Ability to work with a broad spectrum of stakeholders with diverse interests when resolving problems
• Understanding of, compliance with and enforcement of SPP Policies and Procedures

Preferred: 

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering from an ABET accredited university. Degree should be in a calculus-based engineering field such as: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Systems Engineering
• Six (6) years of formal writing experience (professional writing, to include reports, executive summaries, whitepapers, formal research, and the like)
• Working knowledge of SPP Criteria, the SPP OATT, and FERC regulatory orders of regional significance to SPP strongly desired
• Prior experience with NERC-specific Reliability Standards compliance and regional Reliability Standards, Criteria, or variances

Work Environment:

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines

Position Type, Location, and Hours:

This is a full-time, hybrid position based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The standard workweek is Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with extended hours potentially required.

Travel Requirement:

This position requires travel of approximately 20%.

SPP is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans and is committed to excellence. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us at HR@spp.org and let us know the nature of your request. We will only respond to messages left that involve a request for a reasonable accommodation in the application process. We will accommodate the needs of any qualified candidate who requests a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

At SPP we believe in a culture of belonging. Learn more here: Culture of Belonging - Southwest Power Pool .

Full job descriptions will be made available to those selected for an interview.

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Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)