Application Configuration Analyst

About the Opportunity

FirstEnergy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers' lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.

Preferred work location is Akron, OH

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. [SC00]

The ability to work remotely within the United States may be available based on business need. This option is not currently available in the states of California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, or Washington.

This position can be filled in Akron, OH; Greensburg, PA; or Reading, PA.

Description Summary: Drive and participate in the production support and enhancement lifecycle of FirstEnergy's Advanced Metering systems, with a focus on the Head-end Collection Engine, Meter Data Management System, Field Network Director System, and related functionality. This role will have duties that include business process understanding, application installation and configuration, project management, unit testing, and troubleshooting as part of high-quality support of our systems and related interfaces.

Responsibilities include:- Work closely with a Product Manager, collaborating and providing input to support the development of the product roadmap that aligns to the overall vision and strategy of the product portfolio

- Production support - ensuring FirstEnergy's Smart Meter Operations can successfully interrogate meters, connect and disconnect service, detect power outages and restorations, gather information, prepare and disseminate reports, and pass applicable data for billing, outage detection, settlement, and other teams. Activities include: - Investigating and resolving problems reported via Help Desk or directly with ED customers, including some 24x7 off-hours support (within a team rotation schedule).

- Providing analytical and operational support to our business clients.

- Troubleshooting configuration related hardware issues with Connected Grid Routers and Industrial Routers.

- Manage the testing and deployment of patches and software upgrades.

- Perform system security administration tasks.

- Collaborating with teammates, vendor, other IT teams, and business clients to resolve issues and correct root causes, while providing consistent communication.

- Enhancements - leading or facilitating change requests through their entire lifecycle, including: - Requirements gathering - working directly with business units to collect requirements, develop quality functional specifications and/or business process maps.

- Design - analysis and recommending best technical approach (with estimates).

- Construction - configuring solutions that adhere to FE standards.

- Testing - creating and executing or facilitating comprehensive unit, integration, performance, and/or user acceptance test plans.

- Implementation - developing and managing detailed production migration plans.

- Knowledge sharing - providing clear documentation for prod support, hardware management, and other team processes.

- Process improvement - looking ahead to identify, recommend, and build process improvements that allow our team to serve our business clients more completely, accurately, and effectively.

- Control - adhering to IT SOX controls/procedures for data and application changes, including but not limited to necessary approvals, segregation of duties, and applicable documentation evidence

- Project management - when necessary, creating project charters, developing and executing work plans, aligning with applicable release schedules, monitoring progress, and communicating with stakeholders.

An employee hired at a Level II, III, or IV will be expected to perform the above responsibilities with greater proficiency and in a more independent manner.

Qualifications include:- Bachelor's or associate degree in Business Administration, Computer Science, Computer/Management Information Systems or commensurate experience; - In lieu of a degree, a minimum of 2 years related experience, including but not limited to: - Providing IT hardware or software support services;

- Administering, configuring, or developing applications;

- Experience with database query processes and tools such as QlikView, TOAD or MS Access.

- Highly motivated to work independently, utilizing virtual technologies, and learn quickly;

- Willingness to undertake assignments involving unfamiliar subjects;

- Demonstrated communication skills, both verbal and written, to effectively participate on a team and in remote meetings and conference calls;

- Proven team player, contributes to team goals, encourages, and supports team members;

- Analytical skills to resolve problems and think creatively;

- Strong attention to detail;

- Organizational skills to prioritize and plan work, multi-task and meet deadlines;

- Sound understanding of Microsoft Office line of products, especially Word, Excel and PowerPoint;

- Demonstration of basic technological aptitude through work experience, education, or other means;

- Willingness to embrace IT application development standards and processes;

- Ability to work flexible hours as applicable and be available for call-in and after-hours support as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:- Working knowledge of Agile/Scrum methodologies with a strong desire for continued learning and growth

- Experience with Azure DevOps, Jira, or similar agile development platforms encouraged.

- Linux, Unix, Windows Server and Windows PC operating system administration or support

- Coding or scripting skills (e.g. SQL, PowerShell, C, Perl, Python, Java, .Net, etc.)

- Knowledge of database architecture and design

- Knowledge of data communication, networking, security, or integration

- Experience with relational databases (Oracle, MS SQL, and TeraData), including reading and revising data through software applications

- Experience with advanced metering infrastructure, SAP, and software application configuration

- Experience with stress testing high volume time sensitive application processes

- Basic understanding of, or experience with, Structured Query Language (SQL)

- Experience installing, configuring, or administering both on-premise, server-hosted applications as well as SAAS solutions

- Understanding and comfort with utilities or energy delivery business processes - e.g. meter reading, smart meter operations, billing, outage detection and restoration

- Participation in IT software implementation projects or upgrades

- Understanding of IT change management and incident management concepts and practices

- Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools such as Excel, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at www.firstenergycorp.com to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H-1B visas at this time.

Safety

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all of our business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information, and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co-workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, to maintain an accident-free, injury-free workplace, and to promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals, we dedicate ourselves to achieving world-class safety standards.

Position Classification

Exempt

FirstEnergy Human Resources Team