Job Description

Transmission Planning Stability and Special Studies Supervisor

Integrated Grid Planning Overview

This is one of the most exciting and dynamic times in recent history for the power industry as we evaluate and implement new resources, renewable energy and emerging technologies to build the future of energy for the advancement of our customers and communities during a time of significant load growth. Planning plays a critical role in Southern Company’s success in achieving this goal by continuously developing a reliable, flexible, and resilient grid that meets the needs of our future.

At Southern Company, our Integrated Grid Planning organization encompasses all aspects of planning—including Transmission and Resource Planning—for our subsidiary retail electric utilities in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. This includes expertise in numerous areas such as steady-state and dynamic power system analysis, power quality and transient analysis, load modeling and base case development, annual transmission expansion plan development, reliability standards compliance, economic development transmission service evaluations, OATT transmission service requests, generator interconnection and designation studies, generation RFP procurements, unit retirement and new build evaluations, regional planning and coordination with external utilities, interface analysis, GMD analysis, transmission policy and regulatory, industry committee leadership, and tools and technology innovation. While each group within Planning has a targeted function, we foster an environment of cross-functional teamwork and collaboration and are committed to working with our employees on career and personal development in multiple areas of their interest. As a vertically integrated utility, we also have the unique opportunity to work closely with teams from across our organization in all the major business sectors.

Transmission Planning Stability and Special Studies – Supervisor Job Description

This Supervisor position is responsible for leading a team of engineers responsible for planning the bulk transmission system for Georgia Power Company, Alabama Power Company, and Mississippi Power Company; where the Team primary focus is system stability (including voltage, rotor angle, frequency, resonance, converter-driven and small-signal stability). The team performs Generator Interconnection and Implementation dynamic and power quality studies in adherence to the FERC and State Jurisdictional processes to ensure adequate generation can be safely and reliably interconnected to meet Southern’s future load growth. This team is also responsible for performing Load Interconnection and Implementation dynamic and power quality studies.

This position will also direct, perform, or coordinate a wide range of additional dynamic studies related to generation plant siting, transmission service requests, regional planning with neighboring transmission systems, operational and, special studies, and RFP evaluations. This position will also be involved with exciting and innovative System Planning initiatives related to inverter-based resource (IBR) integration, IBR dynamics and controls, IBR modeling and validation, computational load (e.g., AI data centers) integration, and other unique projects.

The supervisor will review study results and provide summary reports and presentations for all levels of Southern Company management review. This position requires strong collaboration across the organization, working closely with teams in System Planning, Operations, Research and Development, Power Delivery, Generation, and Engineering, as well as neighboring utilities and external stakeholders. The position will also be responsible for presenting study results to senior leadership, management, and internal and external customers for information and support.

The successful candidate will supervise a 5+ person team.

Primary Job Responsibilities

• Performance management, mentoring, and career planning for direct reports.
• Attract, retain, and develop an engaged workforce, including development of development and delivery of training.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (internal and external) to address complex grid challenges.
• Effectively present informative reports and presentations to internal and external customers at various management levels.
• Provide expertise and leadership in industry committees and initiatives.
• Prepare engineering analysis, studies, and reports, including development of guidelines, methodologies or other technical documents.
• Review IEEE, NERC, SERC, FERC publications, as needed.
• Review, organize, and analyze study results to ensure product accuracy.
• Research regulatory and industry initiatives affecting the stability and reliability of the BPS.
• Coordinate with others in System Planning to develop innovative and cost-effective solutions.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET accredited institution is preferred.
• Advanced degree (Master’s and/or PhD) in Electrical Engineering is desired.
• Professional Engineering License is desired.

Work Experience

• Minimum 3 years of supervisory experience required.
• Experience in at least one of the following 5 technical areas is strongly preferred:
  1. Performing planning stability studies.
  2. Performing planning steady state studies.
  3. Performing power quality, or switchgear application, or transient voltage phenomena, or other equipment application studies that required advanced power system modeling and techniques, such as electromagnetic transient studies.
  4. Applying protection and control systems, developing protective relay settings, and/or performing short-circuit analysis.
  5. Performing synchronous machines, inverter-based resource (IBR), power electronics interfaced technology studies that required advanced power system modeling and techniques such as electromagnetic transient studies.
• Experience working with power system models and simulation tools, ability to independently develop reports of key findings with recommendations.
• Experience (developing and presenting material) with a NERC or a Regional Entity (SERC, WECC, MRO, NPCC, Texas RE, RF) or Industry Committee (IEEE, ESIG, CIGRE, etc.), Subcommittee, Working Group or Task Force is strongly desired.
• Knowledge of bulk power system electrical equipment, protection systems and power system operations is strongly desired.
• Familiarity with industry standards (e.g., IEEE) is strongly desired.
• Experience and strong understanding of NERC Reliability Standards is desired.

Skills and Knowledge

• Ability to lead, prioritize and motivate a team.
• Ability to independently analyze and resolve technical and complex issues and provide guidance to senior leadership for decision making.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse internal groups while tailoring communication for specific technical audiences and situations.
• Excellent verbal communication skills both for internal meetings and presentations, and for external events on the industry level such as IEEE, NERC, SERC (or other Regional Entity), etc.
• Excellent written communications skills are required to be successful in this position, including the ability to prepare and publish reports.
• Ability to acquire leadership positions in industry efforts to address topics that are impactful to Southern Company and fall under the purview of the group.
• Strong background in power systems.
• Strong time management and organizational skills.
• Ability to present information, facilitate meetings, and provide direction to others.

Behavioral Attributes

• Dedicated to process improvement, team development, and mentorship.
• Ability to independently analyze and resolve technical problems.
• Detail‑oriented and a drive to solve complex engineering problems.
• Self-motivated, results-oriented, and innovative.
• Leadership and influence.
• Adaptable to and able to implement change and new processes.
• Analytical and detail-oriented with strong problem-solving skills.
• Proactive in training and onboarding in a hybrid environment.
• Focus on process improvement, training, and mentoring others.
• Strong customer focus.
• Exhibits Southern Company’s “Our Values” (Safety First, Intentional Inclusion, Act with Integrity, and Superior Performance).