NRTC is Member Driven and Technology Focused – providing solutions that help our 1,500 electric and telephone members bring all the advantages of today’s evolving technology to rural America. NRTC’s solutions are developed specifically to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers, and include integrated smart grid solutions, advanced metering networks, next-generation energy solutions, grid intelligence, broadband, managed services, mobile, and video. We are a dynamic, growing cooperative with more than 800 employees operating out of eight office locations. We are looking to add experienced staff to our Smart Grid team to help our utility cooperative members develop smart grid technology roadmaps. Our approach is to educate and support our members as we work with them through a consultative process. 

Job Summary 

As a Director, Smart Grid Technology Planning, you will leverage your experience working with electric cooperatives to help them develop ten-year smart grid technology roadmaps. As an individual contributor, you will be responsible for working with subject matter experts in reliability, beneficial electrification, demand reduction, metering, and communications to help cooperatives understand the benefits and costs associated with recommended smart grid initiatives. You analyze data collected from smart grid devices across member’s utility operations augmented with publicly available information to validate projections. You will continually learn as you collaborate with the NRTC subject matter experts and our members to develop technology roadmaps that help our members answer the: what, why, when, how, and how much; about smart grid initiatives you recommend they implement. 

You will bring an understanding of electric distribution utility operations, a knowledge of the data sets utilities need to get the most out of business and operational software platforms, an awareness of how key data moves between these systems, as well as a keen ability to develop frameworks to answer complex questions specifically when calculating financial costs or benefits. Your “been there, done that” experience will enable you to tie the relationships of smart grid systems to business operations to define the electric cooperative of the future and provide anecdotal case studies to help our members see the path to the future.  You will be able to translate this knowledge through financial analysis and the development of business cases to help members understand the value of the smart grid roadmap initiatives and see how to get from their current state to their future vision.   

You will be able to demonstrate proven ability to successfully work across organizational boundaries for project execution. You will also have strong capabilities with Microsoft Office tools, especially PowerPoint, Excel, and Teams. 

Responsibilities 

• Assist the Senior Director of Smart Grid Technology Planning in management and delivery of smart grid technology roadmap projects by interviewing and procuring data from member co-ops, organizing, and facilitating workshops on smart grid topics, development of business cases and preparation of presentation materials. 

• Become a thought leader in communicating the future of smart grid technologies and analytics. 

• Create and/or modify business plans and financial models. 

• Create and present compelling stories that demonstrate insight in presentation format. 

• Stay current on smart grid technologies and roadmaps and to provide thoughtful insights based on member challenges and capabilities.  

• Contribute to thought leadership and content around smart grid technology planning and grow into a recognized leader in the cooperative utility space around the future of data analytics and smart grid solutions. 

• Assist team members in the prospecting and deployment of Smart Grid solutions for AMI, resiliency, grid intelligence, distributed energy resources and strategic road map development. 

• Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities  

• Effective time/project management, relationship-building, and negotiation skill. Excellent written and oral communication, and interpersonal skills. 

• Ability to resolve conflicts and maintain positive relationships with internal and external clients. 

• Proficiency in Excel, Power Point, and Teams 

• Exceptional leadership skills, work ethic, and professionalism. 

• Ability to create high-level electric utility financial models designed to represent the performance of a financial asset, project, or other investment. 

• Candidates should be self-driven, able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, and comfortable interfacing with internal and external stakeholders.  

• Strong written, analytical, presentation, and problem-solving skills. 

• Experience working on teams in electric utilities working with areas such as metering, reliability and outage management, load management, power quality, and/or solar/storage a plus. 

Minimum Education and Experience  

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, business management related field, or equivalent experience working with electric cooperatives. Master’s degree a plus including MSEE or MBA. 

• 5+ years working at an electric cooperative/ 10-years work experience. Direct knowledge of meter data management systems and data analysis software a plus.  

• 5+ years of experience in smart grid technology and/or consulting.  

• Exceptional leadership skills, work ethic, and professionalism. 

• Ability to create high-level electric utility financial models designed to represent the performance of a financial asset, project, or other investment. 

• Candidates should be self-driven, able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, and comfortable interfacing with internal and external stakeholders.  

• Strong written, analytical, presentation, and problem-solving skills. 

• Experience working on teams in electric utilities working with areas such as metering, reliability and outage management, load management, power quality, and/or solar/storage a plus. 

Physical Demands 

• Remote environment with the expectation to travel 40-60% 

About NRTC

NRTC is Member Driven and Technology Focused – providing solutions that help our 1,500 electric and telephone members bring all the advantages of today’s evolving technology to rural America. NRTC’s solutions are developed specifically to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers, and include integrated smart grid solutions, metering networks, next-generation energy, demand management, broadband, managed services, mobile and video. We are a dynamic, growing cooperative with more than 650 employees operating out of seven office locations. We are looking to add experienced staff to our Smart Grid Solutions (SGS) team to enhance and accelerate the development of those solutions for the benefit of our members.

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