Director of Engineering

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 an onsite position, preferably based at the Parnall Office in Jackson, MI; however, other locations may also be considered. The selected candidate must be within commuting distance or willing to relocate. A relocation package is available for qualified candidates.

General Summary of Job Responsibilities

The Director of Engineering is responsible for leading multiple engineering teams in the planning, coordination, and execution of various engineering projects. As a core member of the Electric Distribution Innovation & Performance Improvement leadership team, responsible for spearheading the implementation of new innovative initiatives including emerging technologies. This role serves as the key liaison between frontline engineering leaders and senior leadership, working collaboratively to develop and implement the company’s engineering strategy. The Director is also accountable for establishing and maintaining engineering processes and best practices across Consumers Energy, as well as managing budgeting and forecasting for engineering-related costs. This position requires close coordination with other departments to ensure seamless operational performance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

- Monitor project progress and make necessary adjustments to ensure timely and successful completion.

- Evaluate and select vendors for engineering supplies and equipment; negotiate contracts and agreements with external contractors.

- Investigate and resolve complaints related to engineering products or services.

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

- Drive business unit level innovation initiatives; encourage team-generated ideas and experimentation and integrate innovative thinking into daily operations

- Responsible to ensure Electric Distribution Standards align with all applicable code and regulatory requirements and update as necessary to align with industry best practices to improve both reliability and resiliency. Guide subject matter experts to find solutions to highly complex electrical system concerns that impact dozens of other organizations including but not limited to the Legal, Design, Planning, Operations, Finance, Energy Management, and Regulatory groups

- Lead and manage Technology Enablement for Electric Distribution enabling implementation of new technologies that meets performance, schedule, and quality requirements

- Lead Corrective and Preventative Action (CAPA) work group; oversee a team to manage and resolve deviations from quality standards, including root cause analysis, corrective action implementation, and preventative measures, while driving continuous improvement in processes and standards

- Support of MPSC Rate Case testimony for financial items and new technology initiatives

- Oversight for application and compliance of Company Rates & Tariffs that promote economic development and attraction of strategic customers to Michigan

- Prepare reports for senior leadership and regulatory agencies.

- Establish and monitor systems and procedures to track progress and resolve issues.

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

- Guide departmental project activities to ensure alignment with timelines and budgets.

- Review project proposals and plans to assess timelines, funding, staffing, and resource allocation.

- Oversee all engineering projects from initiation to completion, ensuring adherence to budget, schedule, and quality standards.

- Must have an incident command structure leadership role on a storm team.

- Additional responsibilities as required or deemed necessary.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

- Understand MPSC, NESC, NEC and IEEE rules as they apply to the LVD Lines, HVD Lines, Substation and I&C electrical systems.

- Knowledge and application of the LVD, HVD, Substation and I&C, tools and work methods, and corporate safety manuals.

- Knowledge of Company tariffs for service to electric customers covering all sections of the MPSC electric technical standards as well as compliance rules for delivering quality electrical service

- Must be able to research and understand advanced industry trends and provide utility benchmarking with regards to standards, reliability and resiliency.

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

- Excellent verbal and written communication abilities.

- Effective time management for self and team.

- Proven ability to plan, implement, and evaluate programs.

- Demonstrated project management expertise.

- In-depth understanding of quality assurance processes and practices.

- Familiarity with agile development methodologies.

- Expertise working across multiple engineering disciplines.

- Leading change.

- Driving Innovation.

Education and Experience

- Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited program and a minimum of ten (10) years of experience in project management within a regulatory environment.

OR

- Bachelor’s degree in engineering from a non-ABET-accredited program plus a Professional Engineering (PE) license, and at least ten (10) years of experience in project management within a regulatory environment.

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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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