VP of Engineering

South Central Power Company, Ohio’s largest electric cooperative, is seeking an individual to fill the position of Vice President of Engineering.

The Vice President of Engineering will be responsible for oversight of all engineering functions of the cooperative, including transmission and distribution line design, planning and reliability and technical services (substations and system operations center). This position will be responsible for providing high quality leadership, communication and supervision for their areas of responsibility. This position is accountable for planning, coordinating and implementing a variety of work to support the cooperative’s business goals and objectives.

At present the cooperative serves over 125,000 accounts and owns, operates and maintains 11,600 miles of distribution line, 265 miles of 69kV transmission line, and over 70 delivery points. We utilize Survalent for SCADA, Milsoft for outage management, Sensus AMI, and NISC for line staking and operate a 24/7 dispatch center. Among the key strategic goals for this department are improving reliability, constructing a fiber network on the transmission infrastructure, and expanding our smart grid capabilities. The 2024 capital budget was $45 million.

This role requires a strategic leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment with extensive experience in electric utility engineering to ensure efficient, reliable, and safe delivery of services. The successful candidate will promote and maintain a safe working environment, observe all safety rules, and support South Central Power Company’s mission, vision, and values. The Vice President of Engineering will report directly to the President & CEO and will have direct reports including the Director of Engineering, Director of Planning and Reliability, and the Director of Technical Services. This position reports to our headquarters based in Lancaster, Ohio. 

 What the job requires:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or another related field required. Professional Engineer license required. Must have a minimum of 12 years in practical utility experience including 5 years of supervisory and senior leadership experience. 
• Strong interpersonal, leadership and change management skills required. Exceptional written and verbal communications and ability to tailor message and style to different audiences. Strong management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple and changing project deliverables at the same time.
• Must possess knowledge of construction, operations, maintenance, and service functions associated with distribution and transmission plant and substation facilities, National Electric Safety Code (NESC), safety rules and Cooperative policies and practices. Knowledge and experience with RUS Specifications and Standards preferred. Must have knowledge of management and supervisory techniques.
• Extensive internal and external contacts requiring a high degree of diplomacy, negotiation, and the ability to interact with and influence people in all types of positions and advise as senior management