Supervisor Relay Operations

Puget Sound Energy's Substation Department is looking for a Supervisor of Relay Operations to join our team.

The relay operations supervisor manages a team of journeymen relay technicians responsible for operationalizing electric system protective relaying and controllers across PSE's transmission, generation, and distribution systems. The Relay Operations supervisor is focused on research and development related to protection systems and operational procedures, NERC/WECC compliance oversight associated with grid connected devices, advancing and directing team training and skills development, and connects multidisciplinary engineering teams with the field facing technicians that bring major projects online and into service. As the Relay Operations Supervisor you will also respond to emergent system events and guide solutions, decision making, and outcomes. This role works side by side with the relay engineering group under System Protection.

This role is a hands on role where the successful candidate will spend time in the field and laboratory environments working with journeyman, engineers and other key partners to ensure the reliability and safety of our system. The successful candidate will have deep knowledge of substation protection, automation and controls. Knowledge and experience leading a represented workforce is a plus.

This job is considered "safety sensitive" as defined in RCW 49.44.240 and is subject to preemployment drug screening that includes screening for the presence of marijuana and marijuana metabolites.

• Employee Safety, Development & Team Building - Provides employees with coaching, feedback, and developmental opportunities and building effective teams:
  
  
  
  • Demonstrates a passion for safety. Promotes and supports a culture of total safety including eliminating at-risk behaviors by conducting safety audits and inspections, eliminating hazards and near misses, and attending safety meetings.
  • Sets clear expectations and holds employees accountable for performance as well as safety goals/targets where applicable.
  • Oversees training and development of employees directly and indirectly managed and makes effective staffing decisions. Ensures required training is successfully completed.
  • Challenges and inspires employees to achieve business results.
  • Accountable to ensure employees adhere to legal and operational compliance requirements, as well as safety standards.
  • Conducts and ensures the completion of performance reviews.
  • Provides coaching, direction and leadership support to team members in order to achieve employee, business, customer and safety results.
  
  
  
  
• Plans, prioritizes, coordinates, and monitors the work of the Relay Technicians in performing critical construction, commissioning, planned and unplanned maintenance, emergency and non-emergency incident response, and NERC/WECC compliance maintenance testing of protective relaying and control systems.
• Serves as subject matter expert for NERC and WECC regulatory requirements related to electric system protection and equipment and ensures PSE compliance with such standards.
• Engages other departments and serves as the subject-matter expert and point-of-contact for Relay Technician functions and issues.
• Maintains strong working relationships with the Load Office, System Operations, Substation Engineering, Communications, Information Technology, System Planning, Maintenance Planning, Reliability Compliance, and others.
• Serves as rotating "duty supervisor" of Substation Operations.
• Keeps abreast of current industry changes and developments and updates management on implications to PSE.
• Supports emergency response work as requested including immediate and extended restoration efforts driven by weather and other system failures.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Civil Engineering or other appropriate engineering field, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• 5 years experience in substation protective relaying and control systems, preferably in a design engineering role (control schematics, wiring diagrams, and relay settings/calculations).
• Demonstrated knowledge of NERC standards and requirements, especially related to substations and protection systems.
• Strong understanding of protective relaying and control theory and application. Demonstrated ability to use this in troubleshooting and problem solving of unique and complex situations.
• Demonstrated ability to make decisions in a real-time environment with regard to customer service and safety to the public, company and/or contractor personnel and equipment.
• Excellent customer relations skills, including problem solving and conflict resolution.
• Demonstrated skills leading and developing personnel in a collaborative work environment and managing projects.
• Demonstrated safety leader.
• Strong teamwork, coaching, and organizational skills and an aptitude for process improvement.
• Demonstrated experience in collaborating with a wide range of internal and external customers.
• Ability to work independently and with teams.
• Strong business acumen including the ability to organize/prioritize/evaluate work and within budget constraints.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Proficiency with MS Office suite.
• Availability to respond to emergencies, such as outages and storm events, on a 24/7 basis.

• Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Washington State.
• Experience as an instructor in academia, apprentice programs, technical "hands-on" schools, or similar.
• 10 years of experience in substations.
• Active with industry trade groups, committees, and other organizations related to protective relaying and controls.
• Strong existing relationships with equipment manufacturers and other utilities.