Director Wildfire Program Strategy & Analytics - FE Operations - Akron FirstEnergy Headquarters

Director, Wildfire Mitigation

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.

About the Opportunity

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

This is a full-time, on-site position in a FirstEnergy location in Akron, OH; Holmdel, NJ or Morristown, NJ

Reports to: Vice President, Operational Excellence Organization: FirstEnergy Operations

Role Summary

The Director, Wildfire Mitigation is the executive owner for the utility's end-to-end wildfire risk strategyspanning governance, risk analytics, regulatory strategy, program design and execution, operational readiness, and cross-jurisdictional stakeholder engagement. This leader builds and scales a high-performing organization that reduces ignition risk, enhances community and system resilience, and enables sustainable regulatory recovery across multiple state jurisdictions. The role stewards the company's Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP) portfolioincluding grid hardening, vegetation management strategy, situational awareness and meteorology, operational protocols (e.g., PSPS), and emergency coordinationand ensures measurable risk reduction aligned to enterprise goals and Board oversight.

Scope & Impact

• Enterprise remit across all operating companies and service territories; influences capital allocation and O&M priorities tied to wildfire risk.
• Serves as primary executive liaison to the Board Operations/ERMC committees on wildfire risk, and as executive sponsor in state regulatory proceedings.
• Accountable for a multi-year, multi-hundred-million-dollar portfolio with rigorous benefits realization and transparent performance reporting.
• Stands up a center of excellence integrating engineering, data science, field operations, regulatory/legislative affairs, communications, and emergency management.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy, Governance & Portfolio Leadership

• Establish the enterprise Wildfire Mitigation strategy with clear goals, policies, and decision rights; align with enterprise risk appetite, climate adaptation strategy, asset management, and Grid Modernization plans.
• Design and chair the Wildfire Governance Council, integrating Transmission, Distribution, Vegetation Management, System Planning, Regulatory, Legal, and Corporate Affairs.
• Own the multi-year WMP portfolio (capital and O&M): set priorities, sequencing, and tradeoffs; ensure alignment to risk models and regulatory recovery pathways.
• Provide regular briefings and written reports to the Executive Risk Management Committee and the Board; maintain executive-level dashboards and leading KPIs.

Risk Intelligence, Analytics & Performance

• Institutionalize wildfire ignition risk modeling (asset condition, environmental hazards, fault/operations data, weather) to target investments (e.g., covered conductor, sectionalization, fast-curve protection, distribution automation).
• Define enterprise KPIs and KRIs, such as ignitions per 1,000 circuit-miles, wire-down events, weather-normalized risk score reductions, PSPS customer-minutes, asset-level risk reduction, and benefits realization against plan.
• Build a situational awareness function (meteorology, fire weather indices, camera networks, LiDAR imagery, remote sensing, and field intel) that informs operational posture and investment prioritization.
• Drive continuous improvement via post-season/after-action reviews and independent validation of risk reduction claims.

Regulatory Affairs, Policy & Recovery

• Serve as executive sponsor and expert witness in relevant state and federal proceedings; lead strategy for WMP filings, PSPS protocols, cost recovery (riders/trackers), and prudency reviews across jurisdictions.
• Shape legislative and policy positions in collaboration with State Affairs; develop credible recovery narratives (safety outcomes, equity impacts, system resilience, customer affordability).
• Pursue external funding and partnerships (e.g., FEMA/IIJA/BIL grants, state forestry programs, academic/National Lab collaborations).

Program Delivery & Operational Integration

• Oversee integrated execution across core pillars:
• Grid Hardening: covered/insulated conductor, strategic undergrounding, fire-hardening standards, high-impedance fault detection, recloser/relay strategy, sectionalization and automation.
• Vegetation Risk Strategy: ignition-centric VM standards (clearance widths, remedial action timelines, hazard tree mitigation), inspection technologies (LiDAR/drones), contractor governance, and QA/QC.
• Situational Awareness & Technology: wildfire cameras, satellite data, forecasting, asset health analytics, mobile workforce tools.
• Operational Protocols: PSPS criteria and decisioning, communications, and restoration playbooks; integration with EOC/ICS/NIMS.
• Stand up robust program controls (scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, change management) and stage-gate governance.
• Ensure cyber, data privacy, and records management controls for all analytics and imagery platforms.

Emergency Readiness & Event Support

• Partner with Emergency Management to ensure wildfire preparedness plans, drills, and cross-functional playbooks are current and exercised.
• During elevated fire weather or active incidents, provide executive decision support, including PSPS recommendations, agency coordination, and external communications alignment.
• Ensure rapid post-event assessment, claims coordination, and corrective action plans.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communications

• Build trusted relationships with Public Utility Commissions, state forestry and fire agencies, emergency managers, local governments, and community groups.
• Oversee customer and community outreach for wildfire season readiness, PSPS education, medical baseline and vulnerable customer support, and critical infrastructure coordination.
• Partner with Corporate Communications on proactive media, thought leadership, and transparent performance reporting.

Organization Building & Talent Leadership

• Design and scale a Wildfire Prevention & Resilience organization including Strategy & Governance, Risk Analytics & Meteorology, Program Delivery, Vegetation Risk Strategy, Operational Protocols & PSPS, and Stakeholder/Regulatory.
• Recruit, develop, and retain senior leaders and technical experts; instill a culture of safety, accountability, data-driven decision making, and continuous improvement.
• Establish vendor/contractor strategy and performance management for key workstreams (VM, construction, technology platforms).

Financial Stewardship

• Own the multi-year capital and O&M budgets; ensure transparent cost controls, audit-ready documentation, and timely regulatory reporting.
• Demonstrate quantified risk reduction and customer value for all major investments; maintain a clear line of sight from spend to outcomes.

Qualifications

Minimum

• 15+ years of progressive leadership in investor-owned or large public power utilities, energy infrastructure, or critical infrastructure risk domains; 8+ years leading cross-functional programs/portfolios at scale.
• Demonstrated success designing and governing enterprise-wide risk mitigation portfolios with regulatory recovery.
• Expertise in wildfire risk or closely related domains (grid hardening, vegetation risk, emergency management, reliability engineering, power system protection).
• Strong command of utility regulatory constructs, rate mechanisms, and testimony/filing processes.
• Proven leadership of multi-state or multi-jurisdictional initiatives with complex stakeholder environments.
• Exceptional communication skills with Board-level presence; ability to translate technical risk into business and community outcomes.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, Emergency Management, Public Policy, or related field.

Preferred

• Advanced degree (MBA, MPA, MS in Engineering, Data Science, or related).
• Professional credentials such as P.E., PMP, CEM (Certified Emergency Manager), or wildfire/ICS/NIMS certifications.
• Experience establishing PSPS frameworks, wildfire meteorology programs, remote sensing/imagery operations, and modern vegetation risk programs.
• Demonstrated success securing grants/federal funding and managing external research or pilot consortia.

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy,