Engineering Services Manager

Dakota Electric Association is a member-owned, member-focused electric distribution cooperative, striving to exceed our member’s energy expectations in a changing world. We are an equal opportunity employer and we believe that diversity of ideas, perspectives and backgrounds are essential to our business. As a Dakota Electric employee you would be an essential worker that would have a hand in serving our members. For additional information about Dakota Electric please visit: dakotaelectric.com.

Dakota Electric offers an extensive benefits package:

• 401(k) and Roth 401(k) with an employer contribution of 6% of an employee's base wage, plus matching contribution up to 4%.
• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• HSA and FSA
• Employer-paid life insurance and long-term disability
• Short-term disability and other voluntary benefits
• Wellness reimbursement
• Vacation, sick and personal leave

General Summary

The Engineering Services Manager has technical responsibility for how Dakota Electric designs and constructs the distribution system. This person is responsible for the short and long range planning to ensure sufficient electrical capacity of the distribution system. This includes various engineering studies, such as sectionalizing and the annual work plan engineering analysis. This person has technical and project management responsibility for interpreting, organizing, and executing various large and small projects, including new electrical substations. Other duties include exploration and investigation of new technologies which may impact Dakota Electric’s distribution system. This position makes decisions which are recognized as authoritative and have a far-reaching impact on activities at Dakota Electric. This position is responsible for compiling the annual Work Plan Capital Budget which is in excess of $14,000,000.

Responsibilities

• Comply with established Dakota Electric Association safety and operating rules, policies, procedures, and guidelines. Be responsible for reporting any unsafe practices and/or hazards to a supervisor, manager, or Vice President. Be committed to and actively involved in Dakota Electric’s safety programs, initiatives, and performance measures.
• Construction Standards - Establishes or directs the creation of standards covering system construction and operating procedures. The construction standards include standards for metering and load management installations.
• Responsible for keeping abreast of applicable utility codes (National Electrical Safety Code, ANSI, IEEE etc.) and recommending to the Vice President of Engineering, changes to the distribution system when changes in the codes affect the system or Dakota Electric’s system is found to be not in compliance.
• Directs the preparation and certification of engineering studies on the electrical system, which are required to determine system performance and identify improvements required to maintain reliable and economical service to the members. These studies include; Long Range Work Plans, Long Range Load Forecast, Annual Work Plan, Protection Coordination Study, etc.
• Material Standards – Maintains and creates specifications for the material used on the Dakota Electric distribution system. Serves as a voting member of the Material & Standards committee and provides input as to proper inventory levels for materials to ensure system reliability.
• Supervise the investigation, review and implementation of new technologies. Establish new and review existing Technical Standards, Construction Specifications, guidelines and practices.
• As a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Minnesota, provides the Professional Engineering review and oversight for the design, construction and operation of the Dakota Electric distribution system. This position is authorized to provide the certification of all required engineering documents; this includes the annual certification of compliance required for all borrowing with Dakota Electric’s financing partners.
• Analyzes and compiles the annual capital budget for distribution system work. Compiling this budget involves gathering information from various areas and departments, completing system studies, which identify additional distribution and substation needs and completing economic review of historical trends in costs of construction. Participate in the oversight of capital expenditures throughout the year.
• Provides standards and coordination for generation interconnection projects. Oversees the interconnection process with the members to ensure compliance with standards, a safe interconnection and a smooth interconnection process.
• Develops and provides various training sessions for Dakota Electric and others as required to help get the personnel up to speed on new equipment and/or practices.
• Represents Dakota Electric on various Great River Energy, PUC, IEEE, University of Minnesota & MREA Committees and teams. This position also will be periodically called upon to provide papers and presentations to other groups.
• System Operation – Directs engineers to identify and recommend changes to system equipment and control necessary to ensure reliable electrical service; recommend and implement changes to System Control; coordinates these changes with affected areas within Dakota Electric.
• New Construction – Work with the designers and the design team to ensure reliable and economical system construction. This is done by establishing standards or changes to existing standards for the installation of the distribution system. These standards shall take into consideration economics, reliability, construction and operational issues. Provide Work Order inspection and other field inspection to ensure compliance with the standards.
• Customer Power Quality Problems – Directs employees to provide technical support for power quality investigations. Keep abreast of power quality issues throughout the industry and potential solutions available.
• Perform related work as apparent or assigned.

Supervision/Direction of Others

This position supervises a Senior Project Leader, Senior Engineer, Engineer I/II/III, and Engineering Technology Specialist. This position also provides significant work direction to Field Crews, Substation Technicians-Electricians, Powerline Design Technicians, Project Manager/Designers and others involved with projects.

Position Specifications

Minimum Qualifications

This position requires a degree in Engineering and a minimum of 10 years’ experience with an electric utility and requires the person to be registered as a Professional Electrical Engineer in the State of Minnesota. A minimum of 5 years supervisory training and experience within those 10 years is preferred. Project management certification and an advanced degree is preferred.

This person must maintain technical knowledge in a wide variety of areas including technical competence with national standards and codes, such as the National Electrical Safety Code.

This position has a very high degree of interaction with others throughout Dakota Electric and others outside of Dakota Electric.

This position must have the ability to work extremely well with diverse work groups including supporting teamwork by providing effective participation, cooperation and communication.

The person holding this position must demonstrate creativity, foresight and mature judgment in planning and organizing the projects that they are managing. This person must be able to negotiate controversial issues with employees of Dakota Electric, Vendors and consultants.

Able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

Skilled in both verbal and written communication.

Must possess the ability to work independently, make decisions, assign projects and follow projects through completion as required by the responsibility and authorities in this position description.

Shall possess a valid Minnesota driver’s license.

Answers customer’s inquiries effectively by providing accurate, meaningful, and courteous responses to questions, in a timely manner.

Must be innovative in order to creatively develop new solutions to problems. Seeks, recommends, develops, supports and encourages new ideas.

Working Conditions

This position requires the individual to work typical office hours. A majority of the work is inside office work. This position must be able to travel to the work site and inspect and interact with the field crews and supervisors. Some additional work hours will be required at times along with work outside the normal working hours. Occasional travel within the state of Minnesota and outside the state of Minnesota will be required to attend training sessions, industry conferences and other work-related activities.

Physical Demands

The physical demands for this position are identified on the Office/Professional template. Must have the ability to read computer screens and instrumentation on a continuous basis. In addition, the Engineering Services Manager is occasionally climbing in rugged terrain that may include hills and ditches and occasionally will have to wear a hard hat, safety vest, and safety glasses.

All duties should be considered essential functions per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disabled and veterans.