Job DescriptionThe Section Manager of Steam Operations Training will be responsible for establishing, leading, and managing a new Steam Operations Training department focused on developing, updating, and delivering effective technical training programs that support the current and future needs of the Steam Operations organization.
This position will provide leadership and direction to a team of approximately eight direct reports, including Operations Trainers, Training Coordinators, and Training Specialists. The team will create, maintain, and improve technical training content, field-training programs, qualification materials, curriculum plans, and related documentation based on business needs, regulatory requirements, operating procedures, lessons learned, and feedback from internal customers.
The Section Manager must be a self-motivated, proactive leader with strong technical knowledge, sound judgment, and the ability to build a new function from the ground up. This individual must understand training program structure, curriculum development, adult learning concepts, technical content creation, and the importance of aligning training outcomes with operational performance.
This role requires a strong customer focus and the ability to work closely with Steam Operations leadership, generating stations, field operations, compliance, engineering, the Learning Center, and other internal stakeholders to ensure training needs are identified, prioritized, and addressed in a timely and effective manner.
ResponsibilitiesCore Responsibilities- Lead the creation, implementation, and ongoing management of a new Steam Operations Training department, including development of the department structure, priorities, processes, governance, work intake, and performance expectations.
- Manage approximately eight direct reports, including Operations Trainers, Training Coordinators, and Training Specialists, and provide leadership, coaching, performance management, prioritization, and employee development. Perform managerial functions, including interviewing and selecting employees, setting performance expectations, addressing employee issues in a timely manner, improving morale and productivity, and supporting employee development.
- Ensure safe work practices are followed, and the environment is fully protected in accordance with Company policy, governmental regulations, and applicable Steam Operations procedures.
- Establish and oversee comprehensive technical training programs for new hires, incumbent employees, senior title employees, supervisors, operators, mechanics, and other Steam Operations personnel, as applicable.
- Oversee the design, development, review, update, and continuous improvement of technical course curricula, lesson plans, qualification materials, field-training guides, job aids, testing materials, and training documentation. Ensure content modification, addition, or removal based on the modification, installation, or retirement of equipment and/or processes. Lead the effort to identify training gaps across Steam Operations.
- Ensure training content is technically accurate, current, practical, and aligned with Steam Operations procedures, operating orders, work permits, safe work practices, Human Performance Improvement tools, lessons learned, engineering changes, and applicable regulatory or compliance requirements.
- Develop and maintain a customer-focused training intake and prioritization process to ensure the needs of Steam Operations, stations, field groups, supervisors, compliance, engineering, and other internal customers are understood and addressed effectively.
- Partner with internal customers and subject matter experts to develop and update technical content based on operational risk, workforce needs, changing procedures, equipment modifications, audit findings, operating errors, incident reviews, lessons learned, and regulatory requirements. Develop methods to evaluate training effectiveness, including employee performance feedback, field observations, assessments, knowledge checks, completion data, supervisor input, operational performance trends, and post-training evaluations.
- Establish metrics and reporting mechanisms to track training progress, curriculum completion, qualification status, content development, backlog management, customer responsiveness, and overall training effectiveness for the organization. Ensure proper scheduling for union title advancement.
- Develop and manage cohort style training format and schedule and manage required entry and title progression testing.
- Monitor the performance of field-training and classroom-training activities to ensure training is delivered in an effective, consistent, and efficient manner.
- Work collaboratively with Steam Operations leadership, station personnel, the Steam Operations Compliance group, the Learning Center, Central Engineering, generating stations, field operations, and outside vendors, as needed, to coordinate training initiatives and improve training quality.
- Support the review, revision, and transfer of procedures, technical content, and training materials into appropriate training systems, databases, or document-control platforms.
- Participate in and, where appropriate, lead training-related committees, working groups, procedure review meetings, operating error reviews, HPI discussions, incident review committees, and other forums that support workforce development and operational improvement.
- Provide leadership during system emergencies, special contingencies, resource shortages, or business-critical events, including supporting emergency response activities and coordinating training-related support as needed.
- Travel to steam facility locations (generating facilities and distribution locations), to support direct reports and internal customer experience.
QualificationsRequired Education/Experience- Bachelor's Degree and 8 years of work experience in an operating area.
Preferred Education/Experience- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or a related technical field and 8 years of work experience in an operating area.
Relevant Work Experience- Minimum three years of prior direct or indirect supervisory experience, required.
- Strong leadership, managerial, communication, and interpersonal skills, along with the ability to work as part of a team, required.
- Ability to interpret and analyze data, reports, training progress, staffing needs, curriculum performance, and organizational training effectiveness, required.
- Strong customer focus with demonstrated ability to understand internal business needs and translate those needs into effective training solutions, required.
- Demonstrated ability to lead a team, establish priorities, manage multiple assignments, and drive projects to successful completion, required.
- Experience developing, reviewing, improving, or implementing technical training, field-training programs, qualification materials, or operational curricula, required.
- Strong oral, written, presentation, and communication skills, with the ability to communicate technical information clearly to a range of audiences, required.
- Proven record of fostering teamwork with Steam Operations groups and other Company departments to achieve results, required.
- Thorough working knowledge of Steam Operations procedures, safe work practices, operating orders, work permits, use of appropriate personal protective equipment, and applicable technical requirements, preferred.
- Working knowledge of work management systems such as Maximo, DataSplice, AutoTour, or similar systems, preferred.
- Experience and knowledge associated with boiler and auxiliary systems, control room operations, plant startup, oil transfer operations, or distributed control systems, preferred.
- Project management experience, preferred.
- Experience in a regulated utility, power plant, steam operations, or similar technical operating environment, preferred.
- Knowledge of adult learning methods, instructional design, curriculum mapping, technical content development, and training effectiveness evaluation, preferred.
Skills and Abilities- Effective leadership skills
- Builds and manages effective teams
- Performs work independently with minimal supervision
- Excellent organizational skills
- Possesses strong technical aptitude
- Ability to lead/manage others
- Instills commitment to organizational goals
- Demonstrated analytical skills
- Strong verbal communication and listening skills
- Ability to build strong customer relationships
- Ability to build strong customer relationships
- Demonstrates a high commitment to quality
Licenses and Certifications- Driver's License Required
Additional Physical Demands- The selected candidate will be assigned a System Emergency Assignment (i.e., an emergency response role) and will be expected to work non-business hours during emergencies, which may include nights, weekends, and holidays.
- Ability to respond to system emergencies
- Ability to work with, and in, the vicinity of high voltage and/or other high-energy systems
- Must be able and willing to travel within the Company service territory, as needed.
- Must be available to participate in off-hour emergency response activities, as required.
- Must be able to respond to Company emergencies by performing a System Emergency Assignment to restore service to customers.
