Director - New Service and Electric Distribution Engineering

Director New Service and Electric Distribution Engineering

Job Purpose

Provides strategic leadership for new service engineering and electric distribution engineering, establishing the vision, priorities, and governance necessary to deliver safe, reliable, and timely engineering solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Leads the engineering teams responsible for the design and coordination of new and upgraded electric services supporting customer development and system expansion, as well as the distribution system design standards that underpin them. Partners with executive leadership to align engineering, planning, and compliance objectives with corporate strategy, distribution system standards, regulatory requirements, and company service objectives.

Core Responsibilities

Note: This list is not all-inclusive

• Lead the New Service and Electric Distribution Engineering functions, establishing strategic direction, priorities, and performance expectations aligned with organizational objectives.
• Provide strategic direction for the engineering design and coordination of new and upgraded electric services supporting customer development, service upgrades, and system expansion for residential, commercial, and industrial customers.
• Direct electric distribution engineering strategy, including system design, capacity and constructability considerations, engineering standards, specifications, and quality practices that support safe and reliable service.
• Establish governance, standards, processes, and documentation that ensure engineering designs meet safety standards, engineering practices, and regulatory requirements, and support consistent, efficient project execution.
• Oversee engineering review and approval practices for service requests, load requirements, and infrastructure needs associated with new development and system modifications.
• Direct workload planning, project prioritization, and resource allocation to deliver timely, cost-effective engineering solutions that support customer growth and system reliability.
• Support long-range planning by identifying emerging service demand trends, regional development activity, and infrastructure needs, and translate them into investment and capital planning priorities.
• Manage capital and O&M budgets within company guidance, including annual budget development, monthly forecasting, and reporting to senior leadership.
• Collaborate with executive leadership, distribution engineering, construction, field operations, and customer-facing teams to align engineering, operational, financial, safety, and regulatory objectives while proactively identifying and mitigating risk.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with municipalities, developers, contractors, regulatory agencies, and industry organizations to facilitate new development and service expansion initiatives.
• Lead and develop engineering leaders and build organizational capability through coaching, leadership development, succession planning, workforce planning, and effective talent management practices.

Behavioral Competencies

• Strategic Thinking – Anticipates future needs and aligns work with long-term priorities.
• Customer Focus – Understands customer needs and improves service outcomes.
• Decision Quality – Uses sound judgment and information to make effective decisions.
• Coaching and Development – Supports employee growth through coaching, feedback, and development opportunities.
• Accountability – Takes ownership for commitments, actions, and results.

Skills

• Electric Distribution Engineering – Provides strategic direction for distribution system design, standards, and technical practices that support safe and reliable service. (Expert)
• Service and New Development Engineering – Directs engineering design and coordination for new and upgraded customer services, service upgrades, and development-related projects. (Expert)
• Engineering Standards and Compliance – Establishes and oversees engineering, safety, and regulatory standards and governance practices. (Expert)
• Strategic Planning – Develops long-term plans and priorities that align functional objectives with organizational goals. (Advanced)
• Financial Planning – Guides capital and O&M budgeting, forecasting, resource allocation, and financial decision-making. (Advanced)
• Risk Assessment – Evaluates operational, regulatory, safety, and business risks to support informed decision-making and mitigation strategies. (Advanced)
• Stakeholder Management – Builds productive relationships with municipalities, developers, contractors, regulators, and internal partners to advance organizational objectives. (Advanced)
• Leadership Development – Develops leaders and technical staff through coaching, succession planning, and workforce planning. (Advanced)

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, or a related field).
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or relevant industry certification preferred.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in electric distribution engineering, service engineering, utility infrastructure engineering, or related disciplines.
• 5+ years of experience leading managers, professional staff, or multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience working within a regulated utility, infrastructure, energy, or engineering environment, including work with municipalities, developers, regulatory agencies, or industry organizations.

Pre-employment will require satisfactory completion of a background check and drug screen.

We are an AA/EOE employer and consider all qualified candidates without regard to protected status.