Manager - Customer Funded Development

Job Summary

This position is responsible for developing and leading a diverse team of utility engineering professionals tasked with supporting Customer-Funded Development (CFD) activities. Responsibilities include preparation of project scoping documentation and cost estimates for Distributed Generation (DG), all customer load requests, and NYISO generation interconnection projects. This role requires extensive coordination across internal departments and with external stakeholders to finalize customer interconnection agreements and ensure successful handoff of approved projects to execution teams.

Major Roles And Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and direction to a team responsible for the development of customer-funded transmission, substation, and distribution projects scoped to a conceptual design level suitable for customer review and execution of interconnection agreements.
• Ensures projects are prepared for effective handoff to execution teams for detailed design, procurement, and construction.
• Collaborates closely with the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) regarding generator interconnection requests, facility studies, and annual cluster studies, serving as a key technical and procedural liaison.
• Collaborates closely with the Economic Development, Key Accounts & Municipal Community Business Relations organizations to support customer load growth and generation requests, ensuring timely and coordinated responses to customer and developer inquiries.
• Serves as a lead member and contributor during Gateway Review and Project Vetting Meetings, with responsibility for reviewing, guiding, and approving projects prior to delivery for customer review.
• Serves as a member and contributor during CIAC (Contribution-in-Aid-of-Construction) Governance Approvals, with responsibility for reviewing, guiding, and supporting projects prior to governance approval.
• Maintains regular collaboration with Planning, Operations, and Maintenance personnel to identify, evaluate, and mitigate system impacts associated with Facility Studies, Distributed Generation studies, and CESIR evaluations.
• Prepares, reviews, and delivers presentations and written materials that clearly articulate system needs, decision rationale, and recommended solutions.
• Communicates effectively at both executive-summary and detailed technical levels.
• Builds and sustains strong collaborative relationships across internal business units and with external stakeholders, including customers, regulators, and ISO representatives.
• Manages multiple external engineering consultants and contractors, ensuring scope compliance, quality, schedule adherence, and cost control.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related discipline required, with a minimum of 10 years of relevant utility engineering or planning experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams and managing external consultants.
• Strong working knowledge of electric transmission, distribution, and substation systems.
• Experience with NYISO interconnection processes and customer-funded utility infrastructure projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Self-directed, adaptable, and capable of managing multiple priorities in a regulated environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification