Staff Compliance Specialist - NERC Compliance - Greensburg Corporate Center

FirstEnergy

About the Opportunity

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.  

The selected candidate may be offered a position within the same job family, at a level that is lower than what is posted. This will be determined based upon the results of the interview process which considers the candidate’s skills, work history, experience level and other relevant qualifications.

The CIP Compliance team of the NERC Compliance group is responsible for managing compliance with NERC’s Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards. This includes providing oversight of FirstEnergy Business Units compliance with applicable standards, preparing for, and coordinating compliance audits conducted by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), North American Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Reliability First (RF), completing self-certifications of compliance, responding to requests for data submittals and monitoring for new/revised reliability standards. The team works to grow and sustain a culture of compliance within FirstEnergy to better ensure reliable operation of FirstEnergy’s bulk electric system assets. The team interacts with a variety of business units across FirstEnergy and will assist other team members with establishing and maintaining internal controls that support the FirstEnergy NERC Compliance program.

The position reports to the Manager, CIP Compliance and is in Akron, OH, Greensburg, PA, or Reading, PA.

 Responsibilities include:

• Maintaining and revising as needed FirstEnergy (FE) compliance program infrastructure including the administration and maintenance of compliance policies, programs, and procedures related to the North American Reliability Corporation (NERC) CIP Reliability Standards

• Verifying FE compliance with NERC, ReliabilityFirst (RF) CIP standards and  identifying opportunities for improvement in procedures and practices

• Investigating, documenting, and submitting potential violations to regulatory organizations and         ensuring they are tracked for timely resolution and fully documented in auditable records

• Working with responsible FE organizations to coordinate resolving compliance issues and               developing improvement recommendations and mitigation plans.

• Utilizing FE compliance technology to assign, track and monitor compliance efforts
• Coordinating FE compliance self-certification and data submittal activities
• Prepare and deliver presentations for a variety of audiences

• Reviewing, revising, and ensuring technical accuracy of regulatory reports.

• Keeping responsible FE organizations informed regarding NERC Standards Development activities associated with NERC’s CIP Reliability Standards. Soliciting input     from appropriate FE subject matter experts and effectively communicating FE’s position on proposed regulatory standards to NERC.

• Ensuring timely adherence from responsible FE business units to all new/revised NERC and RF  regulatory obligations associated with CIP Reliability Standards

• Maintaining awareness of emerging utility industry issues through benchmarking and  participation in appropriate utility forums/groups

• Promoting a sense of urgency in the team for reaching goals and meeting deadlines

• Consistently anticipating customer needs and delivering high-quality results

   

An employee hired at the Senior Compliance Specialist level will be expected to perform all the above responsibilities with more proficiency, and in a more independent manner.  Further, this level will be assigned additional responsibilities to include lead roles on designated projects related to those listed above including: 

• Preparing for, coordinating, and supporting compliance audits conducted by internal resources, consultants, or regulatory organizations

• Supporting the Risk, Controls, and Investigations group with Apparent or Root Cause Analysis related to compliance issues

   

Qualifications at the Advance level include:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or Engineering with minimum 6 years professional work experience required OR Bachelor's degree in a non-technical discipline with minimum 8 years professional work experience required. Relevant experience will include regulatory, auditing, cyber or physical security, or other business areas that involve compliance, analytical or technical responsibilities
• Knowledge of NERC and RF standards and policies of the electric utility industry is preferred
• Good written and oral communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively within all the FE organizations
• Exceptional teamwork and people skills to aid in the resolution of compliance issues
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office tools, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
• Deliver quality, accurate work within established deadlines

Qualifications at the Senior level include:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or Engineering with minimum 8 years professional work experience required OR Bachelor's degree in a non-technical discipline with minimum 10 years professional work experience required. Relevant experience will include regulatory, auditing, cyber or physical security, or  r other business areas that involve compliance, analytical or technical responsibilities
• Experience developing and implementing new or significantly revised programs
• Demonstrated effectiveness in building relationships with diverse groups
• Superior analytical abilities involving complex problems; exercise sound judgment
• Strong leadership and organizational skills for planning, developing, and performing assessments and coordinating resolution of compliance issues
• Viewed as technical expert in Microsoft Office tools, including Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word

Qualifications at the Staff Level

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science, or Information Systems with a minimum of 10 years of related professional experience required; OR Bachelor's degree in a non-technical discipline with a minimum of 12 years of related professional experience required. Relevant experience includes regulatory compliance, auditing, engineering, cybersecurity, or other business areas involving advanced analytical or technical responsibilities.

All employees must have an account to use a FirstEnergy computer to apply for jobs. If you do not know if you have an account, please contact the IT Service Desk at 330-315-4357, Option 1 - 1 for assistance.