Manager, System Operations
Location: Great Falls, Montana
Employment Type: Full-Time
Position Overview
CPC & Associates is assisting our client in the search
for an experienced Manager, System Operations to join its Network
Operations Center in Great Falls, Montana.
This position supports the safe, reliable, and compliant
real-time operation of the organization’s Balancing Authorities, generation
assets, Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) participation, and
energy-scheduling functions.
The Manager, System Operations provides leadership and
oversight to System Operators while supporting compliance with North American
Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), Western Electricity Coordinating
Council (WECC), Alberta Reliability Standards (ARS), and Alberta Electric
System Operator (AESO) ISO rules.
This individual will serve as a key operational and
compliance resource for the Network Operations Center. Responsibilities include
supporting real-time operations, outage coordination, operator development,
compliance reporting, procedure development, regulatory audits, and continuous
operational readiness.
The position also collaborates with internal teams,
regulatory organizations, market operators, and external partners to support
reliable bulk electric system operations and successful participation in
current and emerging energy markets, including WEIM and the Extended Day-Ahead
Market (EDAM).
Key Responsibilities
- Provide
leadership, supervision, and operational support for real-time Balancing
Authority activities, generation operations, energy scheduling, and market
participation.
- Ensure
compliance with applicable NERC, WECC, Generator Owner (GO), Generator
Operator (GOP), Balancing Authority (BA), ARS, and AESO reliability
standards and reporting requirements.
- Coordinate
outage management, switching activities, operational logging, and
compliance documentation.
- Develop,
implement, and maintain operating procedures, policies, training
materials, and operator qualification programs.
- Support
the implementation and effective use of Energy Management Systems (EMS),
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Automatic Generation
Control (AGC), forecasting tools, and other operational technologies.
- Assist
with NERC audits, internal compliance assessments, mitigation plans,
regulatory reporting, and audit preparation.
- Support
the optimization of generation dispatch, transmission utilization,
operating reserves, and energy scheduling.
- Maintain
operational readiness and help ensure appropriate staffing and coverage
for a 24/7 control-room environment.
- Represent
the organization in industry, reliability, regulatory, and energy-market
stakeholder meetings.
- Maintain
the required NERC certification and complete all applicable continuing
education requirements.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s
degree in Electrical Engineering, Energy Management, Business, Economics,
Finance, Environmental Studies, or a related field. An equivalent
combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
- At
least six years of experience in utility operations, energy markets,
energy scheduling, Balancing Authority operations, power marketing,
renewable energy, or a related field.
- At
least five years of leadership or supervisory experience supporting
real-time operations.
- Working
knowledge of NERC, WECC, ARS, and AESO reliability standards and
compliance requirements.
- Ability
to obtain a NERC System Operator Certification—Balancing, Interchange and
Transmission Operator (BIT) or Reliability Coordinator (RC)—within six
months of hire.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience
with Balancing Authority operations, energy scheduling, power system
operations, or control-room operations.
- Experience
working within WEIM, CAISO, AESO, ERCOT, MISO, PJM, or another organized
energy market.
- Hands-on
experience with EMS, SCADA, AGC, forecasting platforms, and related
operational technology systems.
- Experience
with high-voltage system operations, switching procedures, and outage
coordination.
- Experience
negotiating or managing energy service agreements, market arrangements,
and commercial relationships.
- Current
NERC System Operator Certification is strongly preferred.
Work Environment and Schedule
This position is based in a Network Operations Center in Great
Falls, Montana. The successful candidate must be available to support a
24/7 operating environment, including participation in an on-call rotation and
occasional nights, weekends, holidays, and extended shifts as operational needs
require.
Qualified candidates interested in this opportunity are
encouraged to apply through CPC & Associates as we are working directly
with the HR Manager.