Compliance Specialist

FirstEnergy at a Glance

This is an open position with the FirstEnergy Service Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp.

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 position reports to the Supervisor, Compliance Field Support & Physical Security.

About the Opportunity

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Co., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. 

THIS POSITION IS ON-SITE AND CAN BE IN AKRON, OH., GREENSBURG OR READING, PA

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

• The Reliability Compliance organization is responsible for managing compliance with NERC's standards
• This includes providing oversight of FE Business Units compliance with applicable standards, preparing for, and coordinating North American Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Reliability First (RF) compliance audits, completing self-certifications of compliance, responding to requests for data submittals and monitoring for new/revised reliability standards.
• Transmission Operator (TOP) assigned tasks required to support PJM adherence to NERC Operations and Planning Reliability Standards

This position reports to the Manager, Reliability Compliance.  

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) Operations and Planning Reliability Standards.
• Verifying FE compliance with NERC, Reliability First (RF) and PJM policies and 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 concerning Bulk Electric System events, protection system misoperations and other issues.
• Keeping responsible FE organizations informed regarding NERC Standards Development activities associated with NERC's Operations and Planning 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 Operations and Planning Standards and compliance with the PJM Transmission Operator (TOP) assigned tasks.
• 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 deliver high quality results

An employee hired at the Senior Compliance Specialist level will be expected to perform all of the above responsibilities with more proficiency, and in a more independent matter. Further, this level will be assigned additional responsibilities including 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.
• Conducting or reviewing Apparent or Root Cause Analysis related to compliance issues

Qualifications at the Advanced level Include:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (preferred Electrical, Mechanical), required with minimum 6 years related work experience required OR Bachelor's degree in a non-technical discipline with minimum 7 years related work experience required. Relevant experience will include regulatory, engineering, 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 communications skills – the ability to communicate effectively within all of the FE organization
• Exceptional teamwork and interpersonal 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 all of the above plus:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (preferred Electrical, Mechanical), required with minimum 8 years related work experience required OR Bachelor's degree in a non-technical discipline with minimum 10 years related work experience required. Relevant experience will include regulatory, engineering, or 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.

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity 

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H-1B visas at this time. 

Safety 

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all of our business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information, and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co-workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, to maintain an accident-free, injury-free workplace, and to promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals, we dedicate ourselves to achieving world-class safety standards.

FirstEnergy Human Resources Team