Project Manager (Staff – Staff Sr.) | NEW GENERATION (Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) )

About the role

Manage multiple projects or programs at the highest level of complexity within a matrix team environment. Provide leadership, direction, training, coordination, and effective communication to initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close projects in a safe, efficient, economical, risk-balanced approach to achieve short- and long-range goals and to obtain maximum customer satisfaction. Provide project transparency and develop relationships with all stakeholders including internal customers, external customers, team members, suppliers, contractors, vendors, and industry peers, enabling them to make sound business decisions.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, direct, coordinate and manage assigned project activities with expert-level proficiency in all aspects.
• Skillfully and successfully use project management principles and techniques (Waterfall, Agile) for project management.
• Support and hold employees and contractors accountable for the AEP System Safety Process, ensuring a safe working environment focused on Zero Harm.
• Manage, develop, review and coordinate the project plan, schedule, budget, tools, and staff. Effectively and efficiently manage cost and timely reallocate funding.
• Effectively communicate project/outage details and status updates. Lead planning meetings and project updates including detailed and complex stakeholder presentations.
• Develop and actively manage working relationships with project teams, plant and operating company staff, internal and external customers or partners, contractors, vendors, and suppliers.
• Provide a wide range of detailed guidance, instruction, and training to others to improve design, systems, processes, procedures, schedules, and costs.
• Ensure maximum customer satisfaction and demonstrate performance as a subject matter expert on all responsible projects.
• Represent AEP, as required, with industrial customers, vendors, and regulators as assigned projects dictate.
• Use and help align the organization with the AEP project management organizational standards. Manage projects to those standards.
• Provide strategic thinking, planning, risk assessment, and prioritization of project activities.
• Organize project activities, delegate task assignments, set team requirements and expectations, manage deliverables, and hold team members accountable.
• Effectively prioritize and manage conflict to provide solutions that maximize synergies with an overriding goal to do the "right thing" for the company.
• Highly proficient in scope management, evaluation of technical solutions, and project risk management.
• Proficient and highly effective in contract development and management, especially skilled in allocating risk between owner and contractor within terms of the contract.
• Evaluate and determine the skill sets and capabilities of team members and provide constructive feedback to ensure project or program success.
• Act with integrity by demonstrating accountability for project assignments.
• Seek input from other Subject Matter Experts by asking the right questions and understanding nuances.
• Promote continuous improvement and maintain a strong questioning attitude.
• Safely and effectively perform light physical duties, including construction site walkdowns on unstable surfaces, climbing ladders, and awareness of hazardous site conditions.
• Perform work at various AEP locations in varying conditions, including home, office, power plants (including nuclear), and construction sites for Distribution, Transmission, Generation, and Telecom infrastructure.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business, Computer Science, or related field with ten (10) years of qualified experience; OR, Associate’s degree in the same disciplines with twelve (12) years of qualified experience; OR, High School Diploma/GED with fourteen (14) years of qualified experience.
• Three (3) years of experience as a PROJECT MANAGER PRINCIPAL (Grade 9) is preferred, OR demonstrated competencies, knowledge, and skillset through achieved results in a shorter timeline.
• Qualified experience includes work in project management, major construction field experience, project estimating, project controls, project engineering, and/or comparable internal or external experience in a competitive production environment.
• Demonstrated mastery-level PM knowledge capability in areas of construction safety, negotiations, scope development and control, cost estimating, construction contracting, project controls and reporting, quality control, risk management, etc.
• Experience in utilities, commercial nuclear power, and/or IT systems is favorable.
• PMP certification required unless waived by the organization's SVP or OPCO President.
• Valid state driver's license.
• Effective leadership, team building, and meeting management as outlined by the certifying body and AEP leadership and values.
• Demonstrated high level of ability, motivation, and attitude in leading a team, program, project, and those supervised to success.
• Effective and compelling communication, including active listening, with all stakeholders.
• Apply economic analysis techniques and business acumen in project decision-making.
• Influence Engineering & Design, Procurement, Contracting, Estimating, Construction, and Startup procedures and processes to optimize a project.
• Identify opportunities for business process improvement across projects or programs and drive implementation.
• Apply working knowledge of certifying body Project Management tools and techniques and integrate these into internal procedures and processes.
• Provide strategic thinking, planning, risk assessment, and prioritization of project activities.
• Demonstrate sound decision-making practices.
• Act with integrity and demonstrate accountability for project assignments.

Pay

Base Salary: $137,000 - $208,000 per year, depending on education, experience, and internal equity. Specific ranges for roles:

• Project Manager Staff Sr. (Grade 11): $161,000 - $208,000
• Project Manager Staff (Grade 10): $137,000 - $177,000

In addition to base salary, AEP offers competitive Total Rewards including discretionary annual/long-term incentives, 401(k), pension, health insurance, vacation, and educational assistance.

Schedule

• Travel typically 25% or less but could be up to 50% of work schedule for short durations.
• Work sites include home, office, power plants (including nuclear), and construction sites for Distribution, Transmission, Generation, and Telecom infrastructure.

Physical Demands

The role is classified as Light Work: exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or 10 to 12 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 5-6 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Physical demands include:

• Walking or standing to a significant degree.
• Sitting most of the time but entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg controls.
• Working at a production rate pace entailing constant pushing and/or pulling of materials even if the weight is negligible.
• Construction site walkdowns on unstable surfaces, climbing ladders, and awareness of hazardous site conditions.
• Work at nuclear power sites may involve work in hazardous areas and possible radiation exposure within limits prescribed by the NRC.