Director Wildfire Program Strategy & Analytics - FE Operations - Akron FirstEnergy Headquarters

Strategy, Governance & Portfolio Leadership

Establish the enterprise Wildfire Mitigation strategy with clear goals, policies, and decision rights; align with enterprise risk appetite, climate adaptation strategy, asset management, and Grid Modernization plans.

Design and chair the Wildfire Governance Council, integrating Transmission, Distribution, Vegetation Management, System Planning, Regulatory, Legal, and Corporate Affairs.

Own the multi-year WMP portfolio (capital and O&M): set priorities, sequencing, and tradeoffs; ensure alignment to risk models and regulatory recovery pathways.

Provide regular briefings and written reports to the Executive Risk Management Committee and the Board; maintain executive-level dashboards and leading KPIs.

Risk Intelligence, Analytics & Performance

Institutionalize wildfire ignition risk modeling (asset condition, environmental hazards, fault/operations data, weather) to target investments (e.g., covered conductor, sectionalization, fast-curve protection, distribution automation).

Define enterprise KPIs and KRIs, such as ignitions per 1,000 circuit-miles, wire-down events, weather-normalized risk score reductions, PSPS customer-minutes, asset-level risk reduction, and benefits realization against plan.

Build a situational awareness function (meteorology, fire weather indices, camera networks, LiDAR imagery, remote sensing, and field intel) that informs operational posture and investment prioritization.

Drive continuous improvement via post-season/after-action reviews and independent validation of risk reduction claims.

Regulatory Affairs, Policy & Recovery

Serve as executive sponsor and expert witness in relevant state and federal proceedings; lead strategy for WMP filings, PSPS protocols, cost recovery (riders/trackers), and prudency reviews across jurisdictions.

Shape legislative and policy positions in collaboration with State Affairs; develop credible recovery narratives (safety outcomes, equity impacts, system resilience, customer affordability).

Pursue external funding and partnerships (e.g., FEMA/IIJA/BIL grants, state forestry programs, academic/National Lab collaborations).

Program Delivery & Operational Integration

Oversee integrated execution across core pillars: Grid Hardening: covered/insulated conductor, strategic undergrounding, fire-hardening standards, high-impedance fault detection, recloser/relay strategy, sectionalization and automation.

Vegetation Risk Strategy: ignition-centric VM standards (clearance widths, remedial action timelines, hazard tree mitigation), inspection technologies (LiDAR/drones), contractor governance, and QA/QC.

Situational Awareness & Technology: wildfire cameras, satellite data, forecasting, asset health analytics, mobile workforce tools.

Operational Protocols: PSPS criteria and decisioning, communications, and restoration playbooks; integration with EOC/ICS/NIMS.

Stand up robust program controls (scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, change management) and stage-gate governance.

Ensure cyber, data privacy, and records management controls for all analytics and imagery platforms.

Emergency Readiness & Event Support

Partner with Emergency Management to ensure wildfire preparedness plans, drills, and cross-functional playbooks are current and exercised.

During elevated fire weather or active incidents, provide executive decision support, including PSPS recommendations, agency coordination, and external communications alignment.

Ensure rapid post-event assessment, claims coordination, and corrective action plans.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communications

Build trusted relationships with Public Utility Commissions, state forestry and fire agencies, emergency managers, local governments, and community groups.

Oversee customer and community outreach for wildfire season readiness, PSPS education, medical baseline and vulnerable customer support, and critical infrastructure coordination.

Partner with Corporate Communications on proactive media, thought leadership, and transparent performance reporting.

Organization Building & Talent Leadership

Design and scale a Wildfire Prevention & Resilience organization including Strategy & Governance, Risk Analytics & Meteorology, Program Delivery, Vegetation Risk Strategy, Operational Protocols & PSPS, and Stakeholder/Regulatory.

Recruit, develop, and retain senior leaders and technical experts; instill a culture of safety, accountability, data-driven decision making, and continuous improvement.

Establish vendor/contractor strategy and performance management for key workstreams (VM, construction, technology platforms).

Financial Stewardship

Own the multi-year capital and O&M budgets; ensure transparent cost controls, audit-ready documentation, and timely regulatory reporting.

Demonstrate quantified risk reduction and customer value for all major investments; maintain a clear line of sight from spend to outcomes.