Project Specialist - Emergency Preparedness Weather, Technology, & Resource Acquisition

Overview

The Project Specialist works directly with the various Con Edison and/or Orange & Rockland operating organizations and support groups to enhance their emergency management processes through preparedness, planning and coordination of company resources during emergencies, and subsequent response and recovery efforts.

One of the Project Specialists primary functions is to manage and support the administration of various technology platforms, both hardware and software, that are utilized throughout the Companys emergency response processes. These include, but are not limited to drones, callout platforms, SharePoint sites, dashboards, PowerApps, etc.

Another key responsibility is to assist with the acquisition of mutual assistance and contractor resources to support the companys operational needs. This may include supporting the procurement of and reviewing contract terms and conditions, engaging with vendors, and managing the payment process.

The Project Specialist may also support other organizational functions such as liaising with municipal entities, participate in exercises and emergency preparedness projects, promote standardization of the application of emergency preparedness principles, and manage information requests or post-event reports from agencies or stakeholders.

Emergency Preparedness Specialists are expected to work as, or support, on-call staff during company emergencies and fulfill an emergency role, as required by their designated System Emergency Assignment.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Con Edison and/or Orange & Rockland operating organizations and support groups to enhance emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts by promoting and supporting the use of emergency management principles, ICS, and compliance with Corporate Instruction (CI) 260-4 during emergencies and exercises.
• Manage, lead, and continue to develop the companys Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) or drones' program, including exploration of new technologies, expansion of use cases, enforcement of guidelines and processes for company usage, and implementation of training for internal pilots.
• Support the administration and management of the corporate callout communication platform (ARCOS)
• Support and maintain various technology applications, sites, and dashboards built on SharePoint, PowerApps, Power BI, etc. that Emergency Preparedness leverages to enhance response processes.
• Work with Enterprise Technology & Security as well as external vendors to help ensure all applications function as intended, or determine use cases for system enhancements and modifications, as required.
• Manage the acquisition of mutual assistance and contractor resources in response to identified needs and support onboarding or related administrative work inclusive of underground and overheard vendors. Candidate will need to be available to report to field locations during mobilization of mutual assistance.
• Understand and improve the process involving procuring mutual aid contracts which includes having an in-depth familiarity with the contract terms and conditions, as well support the payment process to ensure accurate invoicing and timely payments
• Serve in assigned emergency roles (including System Emergency Assignments), and support or serve as Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer during regional or corporate emergency response events.
• Perform rotational on-call duties as Duty Liaison, including 24/7 hotline coverage and coordination/communications with internal and external stakeholders to support integrated emergency preparedness initiatives and regulatory requests.
• Support Corporate Emergency Response Center (CERC) and external Emergency Operations Center activations and exercises.
• Develop, update, and maintain emergency preparedness plans, procedures, training materials, and other relevant documents, as required.
• Lead and/or support special projects and programs or participate in cross-functional teams to enhance organizational readiness, as required.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree and 2 years of related work experience or
• Bachelor's Degree and 3 years of related work experience or
• Associate's Degree and 5 years of related work experience or
• High School Diploma/GED and 7 years of related work experience.

• Bachelor's Degree and 5 years of relevant experience Emergency Management, ICS Response, communications, business, management, operations, public administration related experience preferred

• Related work experience must include experience in at least one of the following functional areas: Electric Operations, Gas Operations, Steam Operations, Customer Operations, Regulatory/Compliance, Engineering, Enterprise Technology & Security (ET&S), Project Management, Emergency Preparedness/Management, or a related organization and/or field, required.
• Must have excellent oral and written communication skills to effectively interact and work with all levels of the organization and external partners, required.
• Computer literacy with proficiency in Windows environments, and Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, etc.), required.
• Must be well organized, detail oriented and flexible to handle multiple assignments and deadlines, required.
• Must be able to organize and plan workloads for projects and employees, required.
• Must have strong analytical, technical and interpersonal skills, required.
• Training in ICS-100, ICS-200, and ICS-300 must be satisfactorily completed within 1 year of hire, required.
• Experience with Con Edison underground and overhead electric work, preferred.
• Familiarity with drone technologies, including capabilities, regulations, and guidelines, preferred.
• Obtain a Part 107 drone license within 6 months of hire, preferred.
• Experience with outage management, work management, or communication applications (e.g., Oracle OMS/NMS, Oracle Field Services, Obvient, CGI, Maximo, ARCOS, etc.), preferred.
• Working knowledge of data visualization (Power BI, Tableau) and low code application development platforms (Power Apps) is preferred.
• Experience with software application configuration, testing, or administration, preferred.

• Driver's License Required

• 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.
• Must be able and willing to work at field locations in all weather conditions
• Must walk, stand, lift, climb, bend, kneel, stoop, and/or reach.
• Must be able and willing to travel within Company service territory, as needed.
• Ability and willingness to respond during off-hours, work overtime (including weekends and holidays) as needs dictate.