System Operator, Next Gen - II

About the role

This position is covered by NERC CIP cyber security standards. Prior to being hired, promoted, or transferred into the position, the candidate must successfully pass a Personnel Risk Assessment, which includes identity verification and a criminal background check. Prior to being granted unescorted access to cyber secure areas, the candidate must attend cyber security training. Annual cyber security training is also required.

Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate logs of system performance, incidents, and maintenance activities, advises co-workers and management of normal and abnormal system conditions, and reporting any irregularities to senior staff.
• Operate and maintain reliability, balancing, energy imbalance market and electrical transmission systems.
• Monitor System Performance: Use specialized equipment and controls to monitor balance, interchange, market participation, electrical transmission systems, including voltage, current, and frequency.
• Assist in Operation & Maintenance: Operation of balance, interchange, market participation, transmission lines, substations, and related facilities to ensure stable and efficient power transmission.
• Troubleshoot & Resolve Issues: Assist in identifying and resolving issues related to balancing, reliability, interchange, market participation and transmission system performance, under the guidance of senior operators.
• Adhere to Safety Standards: Maintain safety guidelines, protocols, and procedures to ensure personal and team safety while working in high-risk environments.
• Implements real-time actions, up to and including shedding firm load, to ensure stable and reliable operation of the Bulk Electric System.
• Directs all actions for safety and reliability of the electric grid, of any hosted entities, field crews, or merchant scheduling organizations operating within or using the company’s balancing area in matters that affect electric grid reliability.
• Responds to requests by other utilities and wholesale marketers to use company-owned transmission system in accordance with established FERC guidelines via OASIS and ERCOT protocols for transmission services.
• Administers FERC approved tariff rates and ensures compliance with strict Standards of Conduct and ERCOT protocols for transmission services.
• Follows all guidelines written by senior staff.
• Operates the system on a minute-by-minute basis to match firm and interruptible resources to obligations, balance generation and transmission shares between utility companies/market entities, and verify metered flow quantities from PNM to other utilities.
• Responds to generation and transmission disturbances within established regulatory, industry, reserve sharing groups, and company standards to assure a continuous supply of electricity to customers.
• Maintains positive Nomogram Operating Margin/Operating Criteria and system voltages using complex system equipment in the most efficient and economical manner.
• Advise co-workers and management of normal and abnormal system conditions.
• Maintains reactive reserves and monitors Remedial Action Schemes (RAS) to ensure system reliability.
• Documents and communicates to various groups, all company and inter-utility system developments that could impact the Company’s inter-utility relationships or the security, reliability, and safety of the company’s transmission system, or the ability to serve load.
• Makes sound judgments and crucial decisions in short amounts of time.
• Solves practical problems and deals with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Interprets a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Combines complex data sets including weather, grid conditions, electrical voltages, customer load, power plant operation capabilities, system disturbance data, liaison utility conditions, etc. to determine actions required to ensure continuous operation and balance on the electrical grid.
• Has the authority to take or direct timely and appropriate real-time actions, without obtaining approval from the higher-level personnel within own operating authority vicinity.
• During emergency operating conditions, has additional independent authority to shed firm load to prevent or alleviate Operating Security Limit violations without higher-level approval.

Qualifications

• Minimum Education and/or Experience: A high school diploma or GED with college coursework demonstrating proficiency in math and electrical theory, and/or 1 to three years of relevant previous work experience showcasing basic electrical utility knowledge, process operations, mechanical or industrial experience, or a comparable combination of education and experience.
• Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Must obtain North American Electric Reliability Corporation System Operator Certification within six to nine months of employment and prior to independently performing the transmission, reliability, balancing and EIM functions. Failure to obtain North American Electric Reliability Corporation certification may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Skills

• Develops, maintains, and increases knowledge of the Company's generation and transmission system, electrical theory, and associated operating procedures and guidelines.
• Shows a strong desire for additional intensive training and progresses towards System Operator training within the first two years of employment.
• Strong sense of ambition, motivation, and confidence.
• Ability to work in a stressful and fast-paced environment.
• Ability to make sound judgments and crucial decisions in short amounts of time.
• Ability to understand and assimilate complex technical information.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with teammates and external utility contacts.
• Ability to work with little supervision and only general guidelines at times.

Benefits

N/A

Pay

• System Operator I: $73,060 - $96,804 - $120,548

Schedule

• Shift Rotation Coverage: 24/7/365