Senior Data Analyst, Reliability Assessment

Our Company

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is a not-for-profit international regulatory authority whose mission is to assure the effective and efficient reduction of risks to the reliability and security of the grid. NERC develops and enforces Reliability Standards; annually assesses seasonal and long‐term reliability; monitors the bulk power system through system awareness; and educates, trains, and certifies industry personnel. NERC’s area of responsibility spans the continental United States, Canada, and the northern portion of Baja California, Mexico. NERC is the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) for North America, subject to oversight by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and provincial authorities in Canada. NERC’s jurisdiction includes users, owners, and operators of the bulk power system, which serves nearly 400 million people.

Our Mission

The vision for the ERO Enterprise, which is comprised of NERC and the six Regional Entities, is a highly reliable and secure North American bulk power system. Our mission is to assure the effective and efficient reduction of risks to the reliability and security of the grid.

Your Impact

The Senior Data Analyst, Reliability Assessment, applies technical skill, experience, and subject-matter expertise in the areas of data management and analysis to support the ERO’s efforts to independently assess and report on the overall reliability, adequacy, and associated risks to the interconnected North American bulk power system. This Senior Data Analyst role includes responsibilities to collect, process, and analyze data necessary for assessing risks that could arise from the growing reliance on natural gas for electricity generation, with application to resource adequacy and bulk power system reliability assessments.

The Senior Data Analyst is part of the reliability assessment team that provides superior technical analysis and designs ERO processes for developing and publishing NERC’s reliability assessment reports, including the Long-Term Reliability Assessment and seasonal assessments. The Senior Data Analyst coordinates with the Performance Analysis team to provide reliability assessment information and analysis for the State of Reliability report and the Data and Analytics Integration team on data management, data quality, and analysis.

The Senior Data Analyst, Reliability Assessment, reports to the Manager, Reliability Assessments.

Your Role

• Working with members of the reliability assessment team, analyze and interpret energy supply and infrastructure information, including: electricity generation, load, and transmission system data; and natural gas supply and infrastructure data. 

• Develop data requests and manage timely collection of reliability data from NERC registered entities to support the identification of electric reliability risks in NERC reliability assessments, with a focus on risks related to interdependent electric-natural gas energy systems.

• Develop, implement and manage approaches, methods, and processes to promote data quality and reduce potential for data errors following best practices on data management. 
• Support the transformation of complex data into visualizations for use in NERC reliability assessments products.
• Collaborate with NERC and ERO Enterprise subject matter experts that manage and use various reliability data systems on projects to make systems more compatible and interoperable. 
• Make use of available datasets containing generation, load, transmission, and natural gas fuel supply information to augment NERC’s collected data in analyzing trends and emerging risks to electric reliability. 
• Proactively identify and suggest solutions to technical analysis and data problems.
• Develop working knowledge of the fundamentals of NERC Reliability Assessments.
• Develop, implement and adhere to policies, procedures, and processes for the collection, storage, safeguarding, and authorized dissemination of data. 
• Support internal coordination with the Performance Analysis, Event Analysis, Engineering, Standards, and Compliance teams, as needed.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have at a minimum:

• BS in Engineering, Economics, Statistics, Data Analytics, Computer Science, Information Management, or similar combination of education and training. 
• Previous experience within the energy sector performing a regulatory, monitoring, or analysis role. 
• Familiarity with publicly available historical energy data sets (EIA, DOE, FERC, Natural Gas Pipeline Electronic Bulletin Boards (EBBs), etc.) as well as any pertinent proprietary data sets.
• Intermediate-level computer and programming skills in applications such as Python, Microsoft SQL Server, and Excel (i.e., Macro, VBA, PowerPivot). 
• Exceptional interpersonal and communications skills, both oral and written. 
• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Capability to work both independently and collaboratively on teams and support multiple tasks concurrently. 

Preferred candidates will also have:

• Advanced degree and professional certifications or credentials.
• Understanding of roles and responsibilities for North American bulk power system owners and operators.
• Proficiency in writing for technical and general audiences.

Other

• A background check will be conducted prior to employment.
• In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.
• This position has been classified as exempt.
• The position may be based remotely but must be able to travel to NERC offices or meeting locations when needed. Reimbursement of travel expenses will be in accordance with the company’s travel and expense reimbursement policies.

Our Culture Declarations

• Everyone at NERC is a leader.
• We are accountable personally and organizationally to deliver on commitments.
• We develop ourselves and people in the organization to ensure that NERC realizes its strategic objectives.
• We are resilient and adaptable to the challenges and needs of the business and our team.
• We exude a growth mindset and empower teams to take risks.
• We build collaborative relationships within NERC, the ERO, and the stakeholders of NERC.
• We exemplify NERC cultural behaviors:
  • Reward high-quality, creative, and innovative work
  • Attract, engage, and retain top talent
  • Value and respect diverse perspectives
  • Provide a safe, inclusive, and collaborative work environment
  • Form strong relationships within the company, and with the ERO Enterprise

• We demonstrate curiosity in a wide variety of areas and are open to exploring new situations, knowledge, and opportunities for growth and development.
• We demonstrate an anticipatory mindset, preventing problems and building contingencies where appropriate.
• We are champions for diversity and inclusion, seeking out and values diverse perspectives.
• We value well-being, prioritizing collaboration, engagement, and connection among our team.