Project Leader/Project Manager - Large Load

About the role

PPL Corporation is one of the largest investor-owned utility companies in the United States, serving 3.5 million customers through its regulated utilities: PPL Electric Utilities, Louisville Gas and Electric, Kentucky Utilities, and Rhode Island Energy. The company invests in infrastructure and technology to build a smarter, more reliable energy grid and is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 while maintaining energy reliability and affordability.

The Project Leader is the single point of accountability for medium-size PPL Electric Utilities transmission and distribution projects, responsible for planning and managing all aspects from development through closeout. The Project Manager is the single point of accountability for large capital projects (Transmission, Distribution, and Substation), delivering the assigned project portfolio through all project life-cycle phases.

Responsibilities

Project Leader

• Fully accountable for scope, schedule, cost, and quality attainment for assigned projects, including establishing project plans, identifying risks and mitigation plans, monitoring status, and implementing corrective action.
• Develop and manage project teams, integrating various disciplines as necessary.
• Represent PPL Electric Utilities with the highest standards of professional conduct and integrity.
• Plan and manage small to medium-size projects from development through closeout.
• Establish project controls, metrics, and key success indicators.
• Manage the trade-off between scope, schedule, quality, and cost.
• Manage change through all project phases and control expenditures, schedule, and quality to execute within budget.
• Manage communications, including project reports and status meetings with stakeholders.
• Track and report progress; document obstacles, delays, and claims.
• Participate in contracting decisions; identify contract obligations, develop dispute resolution processes, and assist in contract final closure.
• Responsible for all financial aspects of the project, including budget oversight, timely invoice payment, obtaining authorizations, and financial closeout.
• Complies with all policies and standards.

Project Manager

• Manage a portfolio of projects with budgets ranging from $1M to $100M and individual project budgets from $100k to $100M, with varying complexity and duration.
• Plan, direct, and ensure successful management of assigned project portfolio using project management office resources and teams.
• Maintain communication with upper management to ensure smooth project operations.
• Advise leadership on project portfolio status, budget, and resource planning for strategic business projects.
• Establish and nurture positive relationships with internal and customer organizations.
• Responsible for the development, execution, and maintenance of project management plans for each assigned project, including scope, schedule, cost, quality, communication, resource, issues, risks, change control, and contractor management plans.
• Responsible for all project management activities throughout the project life cycle (planning, detailed design, construction, closeout, and turnover to operations).
• Apply PPL PM methodology and enforce project standards.
• Identify and manage project teams; develop and manage the project communication plan.
• Manage team deliverables delivery (e.g., conception design, siting studies, constructibility walkdown, design packages, contractor contracts).
• Manage gate reviews and quality assurance procedures.
• Manage day-to-day operational aspects of a project and scope.
• Manage project changes (scope, budget, and schedule) through the project governance structure.

Essential Functions

• Proactively identify risks and mitigation plans; monitor project status; recognize trends and variances; coordinate corrective action.
• Ensure project documents are complete, current, and stored appropriately.
• Manage project budget; determine revenue recognition; ensure timely and accurate invoicing; monitor receivables.
• Accurately forecast project cost to complete; manage cash flows and final project cost, variances, and corrective actions.
• Responsible for project contract management, including bid processes, identifying contract obligations, developing dispute resolution options, and assisting in contract final closure.
• Oversight on the invoice/payment process and updates/quality assurance to financial systems.
• Expert experience in Project/Program Management; lead coaching and mentoring of team members to achieve expectations and deliverables.
• Demonstrate ability to adapt to and lead change; coach others in accepting and supporting change.
• Support development and maintenance of project management support policies, standards, and procedures.
• Assume leadership role in educating the business and technical community on project and program management processes and expertise.
• Take ownership and delivery responsibility for special projects and company initiatives.
• Provide ongoing reconciliation between long-term goals and short-term actions.
• Initiate and implement new technologies, methodologies, processes, and procedures supporting PPL’s short- and long-term goals.
• May be assigned an Electric Utilities emergency and storm role requiring after-hours work to restore power or respond to customer service issues.
• Complies with all policies and standards.

Qualifications

Project Leader

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Engineering, Mathematics, Science, or related discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3+ years of experience in project management, construction management, project controls, budgeting, or team leadership.
• Budget, cost control, reporting, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) credentials or other recognized project management certification.
• Strong written, oral, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated initiative and leadership skills.
• Engineering economics skills.
• Critical path methodology knowledge.

Project Manager

• Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum of 4 years of project management experience, or Master’s Degree with a minimum of 2 years of project management experience, or a minimum of 8 years of specific related experience.
• Strong skill set in budgeting, cost control, scheduling, reporting, and writing.
• Clear understanding of project management methodology as outlined by the Project Management Institute’s Project Manager Book of Knowledge (PMBOK).

Preferred Qualifications

• B.S. in Business, Engineering, or Science.
• Project management certification by a recognized organization such as the Project Management Institute.
• Familiarity with electric utilities equipment and processes.
• Customer interface experience.
• Strong written, oral, presentation, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated initiative and leadership.

Skills

• Critical path risk assessment and tools.
• Engineering economics skills.
• Schedule and cost risk assessment and management.