Posted 7 months ago

Associate Director (Transmission)

San FranciscoHybridFull-time

AI Summary

The Associate Director (Transmission) leads strategy and project delivery for electric transmission and substation projects, guiding clients through integrated planning, stakeholder coordination, and execution.

About this role

Why You Should Join the E3 Team

When you join the E3 team, you will be working on some of the most important energy issues with some of the top minds in the electricity industry. We help shape energy and climate policy, play vital roles in regulatory proceedings, advise executives, and inform investment and planning selections. At E3, you will be challenged and inspired.

Who We Are

Founded in 1989, Energy + Environmental Economics (E3) is a fast-growing energy consulting firm that helps utilities, regulators, policy makers, developers, and investors make the most educated strategic decisions possible as they implement new public policies, deploy and develop new technologies, and address customers’ shifting expectations. We have offices in San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Denver, and Calgary.  

Because E3 works with customers from all sectors of the electricity industry, we provide a 360-degree knowledge of markets, planning, policy, regulation, and environmental factors. Just as important, we are driven to deliver clear, unbiased evaluations that help customers make informed decisions. 

E3 works on high-profile, high-impact projects in jurisdictions that spearhead the implementation of clean energy policy. In California, Hawaii, and New York, we are advising state agencies and regulators about how to implement clean energy policies with an emphasis on customer incentives and markets.

About You

We look for people who combine deep experience in electric transmission project delivery with strong project management, commercial, and stakeholder coordination skills. You bring subject matter expertise in bulk-system transmission and substation development and thrive in complex, multi-party project environments.

For this role role specifically, we are looking for a candidate to lead our clients in an advisory capacity - guiding them in the development of an integrated transmission planning organization bringing together planning, engineering, construction, commercial and regulatory considerations. You bring structure to ambiguity, proactively identify risks, and drive projects forward with clarity and accountability. You have experience working across utilities, EPC contractors, owner's engineers and regulators and can effectively align stakeholders and influence decisions in high-stakes environments. You are equally comfortable diving into project controls and stepping back to provide strategic guidance.

Internally, our Associate Directors take on a pivotal role to help manage, shape, and continue to develop an E3 Practice Area. In this position, you will help to drive the continued growth of E3's business through strategic project and thought leadership, developing our next generation of leaders and further advancing our reputation for best-in-class solutions to our broad case of clients. You bring curiosity, thrive in a rigorous and quantitative solution- finding environment, take a collaborative approach to project work, are comfortable coaching and providing feedback to others, and are practiced at working closely with clients and stakeholders while supporting the execution of our business and mission. We seek those that are inquisitive and look at all sides of an issue to make informed recommendations with confidence and clarity. You pride yourself in your technical aptitude and deep subject matter expertise. You bring a strong attention to detail and your project management and leadership techniques help you independently create and actualize work plans that are efficient while delivering an elevate level of guidance to our customers.

The Role

The Associate Director (Transmission) will lead strategy engagements for utilities and their transmission businesses. Your team will work with our clients to develop and execute an end-to-end process for the delivery of transmission and substation projects across multiple development models. Initially executing the work while training and transitioning that work to client staff.

Work Environment

E3 has adopted a hybrid and flexible work environment that adapts to changing needs of projects and safety requirements. Because E3 thrives in a strong collaborative office-based working environment, we encourage our E3 employees to work from the office at least 2-3 days per week, usually including Tuesdays and Thursdays. Must be able to work for extended hours in front of a computer screen and conduct meetings on the telephone and virtually.     

Role Details

Hours: Full Time

Travel: Occasional (up to 10%)

Office Location: Hybrid work schedule from our San Francisco office or client's site in the Bay Area, as needed

Key Areas of Expertise

Project delivery oversight and governance, including managing scope, cost, schedule, quality, safety, and risk; supporting stage-gate readiness; preparing decision materials; and providing clear executive reporting and escalation

Interface management and stakeholder coordination across internal teams (Engineering, Commercial, Planning, Finance, etc.) and external stakeholders (permitting agencies, landowners, regulators)

Integrated planning and project controls, including development and management of master schedules, cost baselines, forecasts, and KPI-driven performance tracking

Cost estimation and lifecycle forecasting, with experience developing robust owner’s cost baselines aligned with AACE standards and stage-gate requirements

Risk and opportunity management, including maintaining risk registers, facilitating cross-functional risk reviews, quantifying financial impacts, managing contingency, and proactively escalating material risks

Responsibilities

Lead the delivery of customer work through client interactions, guiding analytical work streams, delivering presentations, writing and owning customer requests
Design and implement a Transmission Strategy for clients: work with the client to define key success factors and organization governance including decision rights, an executive steering committee, scope, schedule, and execute across work streams
Guide the definition of a new internal strategy and processes for transmission and guide the business processes from current state to desired state: org structure, resource plan, capability gaps, governance, and interfaces with ISO/RTO, regulatory and community stakeholders
Build the KPI framework for transmission buildout (e.g., miles energized per year, permit lead times, ROW acquisition progress, deliverability milestones, cost and schedule variance); design dashboards and routines to use them
Lead stakeholders alignment across utility executives, ISO/RTO, regulators, communities, and delivery partners, design strategies to unblock tough issues and drive to decision
Conduct independent research using your ingenuity and curiosity to make reasonable assumptions and produce appropriate solutions, at times with incomplete information
Fulfill end-to-end project obligations
Deliver presentations to customers and reply to questions
Translate results of research and evaluations into clear visual representations
Track and manage actual performance of project teams against the established plan, with ongoing communication to project team members
Capture project learnings and repeatable products and work samples for future use according to knowledge management processes
Assist with internal initiatives as needed

Requirements

Master's Degree or Ph.D. in engineering, economics, computer science, public policy or related field (or Bachelor's and equivalent work experience)

Demonstrated hands-on experience or extensive knowledge in, or related to our practice areas

7- 10+ years of experience in transmission, substation, or generation project delivery, engineering, or construction management

Significant experience/subject matter expertise in electric transmission development or planning (e.g. interconnection and deliverability concepts, corridor/ROW and permitting basics, capital planning, utility regulation)

Experience working with or advising on transmission and substation asset delivery models

Strong understanding of project controls (cost, schedule, risk, and change management)

Experience coordinating across engineering, procurement, construction, and regulatory functions

Demonstrated experience working with utilities, developers, or large infrastructure projects

Extensive project management experience leading collaborative project efforts while helping each member of your team do their finest work

Aptitude to write and communicate clearly

Experience crafting a clear and compelling message both in writing and via presentations

Demonstrated experience working directly with clients, stakeholders or customers

Passionate about the transition to a low-carbon economy

Demonstrated success guiding ideas, people, and projects

High fluency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; quantitative modeling methods and/or programming knowledge and experience are also valued 

Desire to work in a dynamic office environment with other staff

Things that Set you Apart

Deep subject matter expertise specifically in energy, economics or finance, and climate change issues 

Significant project management and leadership experience in a technical or analytical environment

Extensive experience coordinating with customers on a regular basis

You believe it is essential to achieve a transition to a low-carbon economy and love thinking about the future of energy

You work collaboratively and help each member of your team to do their finest work, aware that each brings different experiences, techniques, and qualifications to the table

You enjoy translating technical concepts to a broader audience 

You take ownership of your work, proactively seeking out answers to questions and enjoy finding creative solutions to issues you encounter

Skills

Cost EstimationISO/RTO RulesKPI DevelopmentMaster SchedulingProject ManagementRisk ManagementStakeholder CoordinationSubstation DevelopmentTransmission PlanningUtility Regulation