In 2002, when we started SOS (System Operations Success Intl) to train Transmission System Operators to pass NERC exams and to earn/maintain System Ops credentials in good standing, Reliability Coordinator (RC) roles were among the toughest to fill. Hiring managers in cities & utilities wanted professionals who could make decisions in real-time drawing on years of experience and expertise in generation and distribution as well as having developed reputations for great communications skills. Over time as boomers retired, we saw utility best practices evolve to about one-half of new operator roles being filled from inside the utility and the other half being recruited from outside - mostly from the Navy and technical schools. We observed that many engineers shy away from shift work required in real-time ops, and yet those engineers who did spend time in ops often elevated and grew their careers faster than staying on the engineering career ladder. Go figure.
Today as wind, solar, storage, EV charging and integration evolve in the pursuit of lower rates, better reliability and continued compliance with regulations, it is the Distribution Planner (DP), relay technicians and the engineers who work/design with DP's who have the most interesting, complex, and rewarding professions of all. Vertically integrated utilities were built for unidirectional flow from Fuels>Generation>Transmission>Distribution>Markets: Regulation with great careers in every sector. Today with Distributed Energy Resources (DER's) and the economic incentives to build less and use existing assets more effectively, DPs must deal with commercial, residential, community power flows with utilities in both directions in real-time coordinating storage with sunshine and wind. This is not your grandfather's or father’s utility! Real-time Ops is getting Real.
After training over 18,000+ NERC Operators and helping hundreds of operators, engineers and execs grow their careers, we see the Distribution Planning role as now the hottest spot of all. DPs operate between Transmission & Distribution, Engineering & Planning, Project Management, ROW, Design and Construction, between Finance, Capital Budgeting, the public and regulators. The DP is now the hottest seat ~ highly visible and right in the middle of the mix. While many utility careers involved promotion and development in a single sector, today's pros who start in gen or distribution will find it exciting and challenging to move into Distribution Planning. Growing as the pro in the middle - the DP requires superior engineering and communications skills. It is not a role for light weights nor "Know-it-alls". DPs develop and practice great technical, interpersonal, project management, and problem-solving skills every day. The ability to ask the right question at the right time is likely the most important skill for most professionals and even more so for today’s DP.
Some career specialists note that many engineers self-select into technical careers because they would rather deal with data or equipment than with people. Few geeks have great interpersonal skills ~ yet, we believe the best engineers and wizards also have developed expert questioning and communications skills. It is our observation that the best DP has mastered both engineering and the rapport building skills needed for complex collaboration. Great Distribution Planners help engineers, operators and technicians up and down the utility do their best work by strategically questioning and coordinating across multiple teams solving complex problems as system thinkers. We predict the next General Managers across utilities and cities will have proven and tested their capabilities in Distribution Planning. What do you think?
[email protected] has been helping operators, engineers and executives grow their careers in cities, utilities and infrastucture organizations for over 30 years.