Associate, Operations Services Specialist

Share Our Purpose. Be Yourself. Feel Valued. People are the heart of our business. As an American Water employee, you will be offered a competitive salary and health benefits package, along with opportunities to develop, grow, and evolve your career. Our benefits packages focus on key areas such as health & wellness, emotional & well-being, and savings for current & future goals. We are Beautifully Different. We strongly believe having diversity across our company makes us more successful and helps us provide essential services to our customers. We are stronger because we embrace different ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. American Water is the best choice for your next role! Click here for more information on our inclusion, diversity, and equity journey. About American Water American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people across 14 regulated jurisdictions and 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders. As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $30 to $34 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years. The company has a long-standing history of executing its core operations, aligned with sustainable best practices, through its commitments to safety, affordability, customer service, protecting the environment, an inclusive workforce and strengthening communities. American Water has been recognized on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Indexfor the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18th on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense® Excellence Award, among additional state, local and national recognitions. For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Primary Role The Associate Specialist, Operations Services supports a range of services aiding operational service delivery, and implements practical, targeted solutions to drive business and operations performance improvement opportunities.Key Accountabilities

• Lead and/or support the delivery of projects to drive operational improvement and standardization.
• Provide support for state operations in the effective adoption and use of company-defined standardized operational systems.
• Assist with the due diligence and integration of new acquisition targets and closed acquisition transactions, as requested.
• Support the provision of state-owned customer service-related activities to deliver high-levels of customer service and address customer complaints.
• Analyze state- and district-level operational performance data provided by the centralized Operational Performance and Planning team, to identify opportunities for performance improvements within the assigned state of responsibility.Knowledge/Skills
• Core professional competence in Service Delivery and project management within a related field, knowledge of utility operations, maintenance, and/or capital program management/delivery.
• Knowledge of contract administration.
• Working knowledge of new technology and current trends in water quality, water treatment, developer services and other related water resource management disciplines.
• Business acumen and judgment; knowledge of company procedures, policies and operations; knowledge of Change Management methodologies and techniques.
• Good knowledge of water and/or wastewater system state and federal regulatory requirements and standards.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (e.g., fluency in report writing and presentations.
• Effective interpersonal skills (e.g., persuasion, negotiation, listening, cooperation, tact, diplomacy, problem solving, internal consulting)
• Basic project management skills (e.g. planning, organizing, directing, monitoring and reporting on project activities, managing concurrent projects). Experience/Education
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or related field desired. Equivalent role-related work experience in lieu of a degree will be considered.
• 2+ years’ experience with a bachelor’s degree or 8+ years’ experience without a bachelor’s degree in utility operations, customer service, or project management roles.
• Water / Wastewater experience preferred.Travel Requirements

Up to 30%, as required.Certifications & Licenses Project Management certification preferred.Work Environment Primarily indoor office environment.CompetenciesPlans & AlignsDecision MakingCommunicates EffectivelyBuilds NetworksAction Oriented