Director Engineering Support of the Pipeline Safety Managemet System

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy knows job number one is to keep the lights on for customers. We are committed to delivering reliable, clean, and affordable energy to our customers 24/7.

Location:

This is a hybrid (virtual/onsite) position with required onsite days on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and may be assigned to any Consumers Energy Service Center located throughout Michigan's lower Peninsula. The selected candidate must be within a commutable distance or willing to relocate (relocation package is available for those that qualify).

General Summary of Job Responsibilities

The Director Engineering Support of the Pipeline Safety Management System is responsible for leading and managing engineering support teams within a designated area. This role oversees the planning, budgeting, staffing, and execution of complex projects, while contributing to the development of long-term departmental strategies. Key responsibilities include evaluating technologies and processes for projects and programs and determining optimal implementation approaches.

The Director collaborates cross-functionally with other Engineering Support managers and engineering leaders to drive the development and implementation of new procedures. This includes designing training programs for new hires, updating existing materials, and establishing systems for tracking projects, tasks, and performance metrics. This position will partner with internal stakeholders in addition to leading individual element owners to advance PSMS programs and apply Plan-Do-Check-Act type management processes to ensure effective governance and widespread conformance across the entire organization. The position will also regularly evaluate the progress of the company’s PSMS programs relative to industry peers and drive maturity and continuous improvement of the PSMS.

This role will provide strategic leadership in the integration and advancement of the company’s Pipeline Safety Management System (PSMS) in alignment with API RP 1173. The Director will collaborate across departments to embed safety management principles into engineering and operational processes, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and ensure conformance with regulatory and industry standards. This includes managing cross-functional element owners, conducting gap assessments, and delivering executive-level communications on PSMS maturity and performance. The role will also support incident investigation governance and partner with corporate safety to promote a strong safety culture throughout engineering and operations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

- Review budgets, schedules, and performance standards for engineering programs.

- Collaborate with project personnel to define work plans, assign responsibilities, and establish scope of authority.

- Direct and coordinate project activities to ensure timely progress and adherence to budget.

- Develop systems and procedures for tracking progress and resolving issues with project managers, engineering technicians, technical analysts, and customers.

- Evaluate project proposals and plans to determine timelines, funding requirements, staffing needs, and resource allocation.

- Prepare and present reports for senior leadership, stakeholders, and shareholders as needed.

- Foster strong working relationships with internal and external customers, partners, and suppliers.

- Provide leadership and mentorship to engineering technicians, technical analysts, and support staff.

- Serve as the primary point of contact for engineering support, overseeing projects from initiation to completion while ensuring compliance with budget, schedule, and quality standards.

- Stay current with emerging technologies and industry developments to maintain the company’s competitive edge.

- Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

- In-depth knowledge of API 1173 standards and pipeline safety regulations.

- Strong gas utility knowledge.

- Working knowledge of Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations.

- Familiarity with industry standards and codes, including MPSC, NEC, NESC, IEEE, ANSI, ASCE, and other applicable regulations related to the company’s electric system.

- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.

- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

- Effective time management for self and team.

- Ability to plan, implement, and evaluate programs and projects.

- Proven project management skills.

- Collaborative mindset with a willingness to learn and adapt.

- Knowledge of Lean tools and methodologies.

- Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.

Education and Experience

- Bachelor's degree in a technical field with ten (10) or more years of experience with successful delivery of engineering technical analyst projects.

- OR Associate’s degree in a technical field with twelve (12) or more years of experience with successful delivery of engineering technical analyst projects.

- OR High school diploma with fourteen (14) or more years of experience with successful delivery of engineering technical analyst projects.

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Why should you join our team?

At Consumers Energy, we offer more than just a place to work. We foster a culture that supports career development, growth, and stability, and we take pride in offering our co-workers excellent benefits and compensation packages. We are deliberately creating an inclusive culture that makes our diverse team of co-workers feel valued, supported, and empowered every day. We're a company made up of thousands of people, all with different stories to share and work to do, but we stand united in our company purpose: world class performance delivering hometown service.

What we offer:

- Competitive compensation packages

- Medical, Dental and Vision

- 401k with company match

- Paid parental leave

- Up to 13 paid Holidays

- Paid time off

- Educational Assistance Program

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

We, at CMS Energy, value Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. It is part of our DNA. We treat our employees with respect, we treat each other fairly and we value the opinions of others. We are passionate about building and nurturing an environment where everyone feels included. We don’t discriminate. We seek to learn about each other and better understand our unique differences. Our uniqueness makes us authentic. We create safe spaces where everyone can be who they truly are. We invite difficult conversations and uncomfortable topics. We value diverse perspectives; this is what makes us great together. We harbor an inclusive environment where employees feel empowered to share their backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. Our Employee Resource Groups, Women in Energy (WE), Minority Advisory Panel (MAP), Pride Alliance of Consumers Energy (PACE), GENERGY, capABLE, Interfaith and Veterans Advisory Panel (VAP) are key enablers to living the values of our company culture: Caring, Empowered, Deliberate, Agility, and Ownership.

All qualified applicants will not be discriminated against and will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected veteran status, disability, race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.

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