Job Information
National Grid Manager, Commercial Services - New York in Albany, New York
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National Grid is hiring a Manager of Commercial Services- New York .
This is a Hybrid position - Must live within a commutable distance to our office in Syracuse, NY or Albany, NY
Job Purpose
The Commercial Services account management team manage the community of wholesale customers and Large Scale Renewables that interconnect to or operate within our electric networks in New York.
The role responsibilities and expectations include, but are not limited to, leading a team of Account Managers, Analysts, and Coordinators who own the strategic relationships with existing and new customers or developers across the portfolio, engage in contract management and development, and provide project management oversight of customer driven projects to ensure: (1) superior customer satisfaction, (2) National Grid is in compliance with its contracts and tariffs, and (3) to enhance National Grid’s corporate reputation.
The Manager will also be tasked with owning the direct relationships with certain key accounts within the portfolio, and supporting the Director on various strategic initiatives to drive the Customer organizations ambitions and goals.
Wholesale customers may include interconnected or neighboring utilities, electric municipal power systems, and wholesale generators as well as new generators (offshore wind, utility scale solar or storage) seeking interconnections to the company’s transmission system through the Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT).
As a direct partner of the New York jurisdiction, Commercial Services is looking to transform the customer experience by improving trust and ease to support our customers and communities; and, through improved interconnection processes, align with National Grid’s purpose, vision, values, and strategic priorities.
Key Accountabilities
Lead a team of Account Managers responsible for the following scope:
Manage and direct customer activities and requests to deliver solutions in a safe, reliable, and efficient manner to achieve superior customer satisfaction within assigned account portfolio.
Provide leadership across cross- functional teams/ partners internally and external working groups with multi- stakeholders to solve complex customer issues and provide for sustainable business relationships.
Evaluate wholesale interconnection requests, negotiate agreements, and effectively interact with New York Independent System Operator (NY ISO) to bring new interconnection project proposals into commercial operation under contractually agreed-upon milestones. Make authoritative technical interconnection and regulatory recommendations to provide design solutions which have a significant impact on business performance in the short and long term.
Ensure all interconnection requirements are appropriately assessed, designed, planned, resourced, and scheduled in a timely and cost-effective manner to ensure best value for National Grid and the interconnecting customer.
Negotiate contracts with customers, including standards of work and levels of service, to ensure best value for National Grid and our customers. Ensure that National Grid’s functions – including Planning and Asset Management, Engineering, Project Development, Project Management, Real Estate, Legal, Billing, Regulatory and Metering – meet the customers’ needs and are in compliance with applicable laws and FERC regulations to appropriately balance the company’s business risks with its obligations to protect National Grid. Identify any existing/ new contract risk or performance which requires mitigation or does not provide value to National Grid. Proactively build and maintain internal and external networks and relationships to identify, absorb, and apply best practices to areas of responsibility and drive customer satisfaction and collaborative stakeholder engagement.
Respond to and represent stakeholder– generated concerns regarding National Grid policies, actions, services and performance in alignment with regulatory requirements, company policy and commercial interests.
Lead the Analyst(s) and Coordinator(s) who provide direct support to the Account Managers and Director, for billing, contract administration, and regulatory reporting deliverables.
Responsible for the governance of the Commercial Services Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and Renewable Reporting objectives.
Represent the department, on behalf of the Director, for executive meetings/ engagements, as applicable.
Engage and maintain key relationships with certain accounts across the portfolio, including the direct project management and oversight of tasks and projects, where applicable. The Manager will have the ability to delegate across the team for support on such issues, as necessary.
Leadership Accountabilities
Develop and implement proactive strategies to ensure strong key stakeholder relationships are established and maintained.
Leverage data and systems to drive continuous improvement for the benefit of our customers, developers, and internal stakeholders.
Drive all aspects of National Grid’s relationship with key developers and wholesale customers to ensure the success of new key projects for our territories, growth in clean energy projects and the attainment of high levels of customer satisfaction.
Initiate and cultivate strong working relationships with internal National Grid departments to build and promote National Grid’s standing with business leaders.
Provide leadership through coaching and mentoring colleagues to facilitate individual growth and development; champion a team environment in which diverse backgrounds are respected and valued.
Execute communications and engagement programs to advance the mission and enhance market visibility and messaging with large managed accounts.
Proactively identify areas of opportunity or risk.
Provide direction and leadership on the organization’s strategy action plans to assist in hitting key milestones in order to accomplish goals and impact growth.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree or equivalent work experience desired.
Minimum 5 to 7 yrs. experience in account management, project management or customer focused role, with strong relationship building skills and an independent opinion of customer needs, opportunities, and the ability to design appropriate solutions.
Emotionally intelligent and self-aware- comfortable in a team environment, strong group dynamics awareness and collaboration skills, combined with the ability to communicate to a wide variety of individuals with whom have different functional accountabilities.
Must possess superior business skills to interact with different management levels of external developers/ customer in settings to build strong partnerships with stakeholders.
Must possess strong management skills, excellent verbal, and written communication skills along with the ability to write reports, presentations, etc.
Experience managing/ leading others preferred.
Demonstrates strong negotiating and influencing skills with the ability to make persuasive presentations to small and large audiences, including executive teams and representatives.
Demonstrates an understanding of how to identify risks to National Grid and its customers and provide balanced solutions. Contract law and contract drafting experience preferred.
Commercial and technical experience within electric transmission and or distribution systems and generation fields preferred, with an understanding of issues impacting the broad electric energy industry sector.
Regulatory tariff experience and familiarity preferred.
Ability to translate National Grid policies into processes and procedures and peel back multiple layers of complex problems and balance the value of different solutions; understands how best to utilize them to drive greater performance, considering the wider business context.
Ability to create new solutions, make complex ideas or solutions clear, simple, and easy to understand
More Information
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Salary
$116,000 - $137,000 a year
This position has a career path which provides for advancement opportunities within and across bands as you develop and evolve in the position; gaining experience, expertise and acquiring and applying technical skills. Candidates will be assessed and provided offers against the minimum qualifications of this role and their individual experience.
National Grid is an equal opportunity employer that values a broad diversity of talent, knowledge, experience and expertise. We foster a culture of inclusion that drives employee engagement to deliver superior performance to the communities we serve. National Grid is proud to be an affirmative action employer. We encourage minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans to join the National Grid team.