Manager Program Delivery

Purpose

To provide management, expertise, and guidance by overseeing all aspects of program delivery and services including energy efficiency, building and transportation electrification, load management and flexibility, green pricing, renewable energy, special assistance and other retail electricity resource programs ensuring excellent customer experiences, contract management practices, and high-quality electric services to SMUD customers.

Nature and Scope

This manager oversees a cross functional team within a broad scope of responsibilities; develops, implements and manages department goals, objectives, policies, and priorities in partnership with the department Director; selects, trains, motivates, evaluates, and develops staff; and ensures, alongside management peers, that department strategic objectives and priorities are achieved.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides management, accountability and direction for multi-disciplined teams and staff by designing, developing and executing on program and services implementation plans including marketing, sales, acquisition, retention, tracking, reporting, and coordination to meet specified targets, metrics, and goals.
• Ensures programs and services meet specified performance standards and metrics to assure high-quality, customized service to customers; manages and/or provides oversight for multiple programs and/or program portfolios; negotiates terms and conditions of products and services considering both the customer and SMUD perspectives; directs staff in efforts to provide solutions, new business opportunities and products and services that meet customer needs in accordance with approved business strategic goals.
• Supervises the formulation and implementation of policies, procedures and program portfolios for delivery through close coordination with department management; provides policy and procedure guidance for implementation of products and services; and ensures contract terms that meet customer needs within approved budgets and SMUD revenue requirements.
• Directs the assessment of customer needs and benchmarking of competitor service by documenting customer needs and effective solutions offered; coordinates efforts to survey customers for satisfaction levels and product/service interests; participates in conducting industry best practices benchmarking and assessment of customer/process requirements and performance assessment; interprets and communicates industry patterns, trends, impacts on pricing and sales and early warning signals of customer issues through literature search and participating in industry, governmental and professional organizations and meetings to gather intelligence; and ensures customer-driven program and process improvements through benchmarking of competitor services, gathering information on customer opinions and industry trends to anticipate customer issues.
• Develops business plans with unit management that support department and SMUD goals by identifying program implementation, marketing, sales and service strategies and short- and long-term objectives; oversees coordination of work process structure and design to meet desired outcomes and target productivity and efficiency measures; supports the strategies and objectives and annual goals with resource planning and budget formulation; contributes to business planning, coordination of segment process workflows and performance expectations/outcomes; and promotes achievements of unit and SMUD goals through resource allocation.
• Designs, monitors and assesses the performance of work unit processes by overseeing staff in conducting documentation, reviews and studies of customer preferences and program and services delivery models on a continuing basis; provides forums for staff to share data, learning and ideas on process and performance improvement; provides performance measurement linkage of process steps to efficiency and cost control and achievement of short- and long-term project and program and business plans; implements necessary process changes and related staff training to address process and performance issues, and provides continuous process improvement and timely performance coaching and management for the sub-segment workforce; provides performance evaluation and measurement to contribute to and improve unit efficiency and SMUD cost control or reduction.

Duties and Responsibilities Cont.

• Directs the work of staff in a functional unit and maintains staffing levels and work quality in order to meet defined objectives and assigned unit responsibility by interpreting and executing SMUD policies and procedures that affect the work unit; recommends modifications to operating policies and oversees the evaluating of work through subordinate supervisors or experienced senior employees who exercise independence in their assignments; coordinates and guides hiring, firing, training, coaching, mentoring, and development activities for subordinates. Ensures staff safety and prevention of personal injury and equipment loss while maintaining project and operational schedules and budgets within expected variances; ensures that work functions comply with SMUD policies, practices and procedures and that operating objectives are met within expected schedule, budget, accuracy, safety, and quality standards.
• Assists in developing and administering the department budget by monitoring unit budget expenditures against plan; identifying and reconciling budget anomalies; monitoring and revising schedules, expenditures and assignments as warranted; reviews ongoing and end-of-year budget results and develops unit budget recommendations for upcoming fiscal years while participating in the review of preliminary department budget recommendations that ensure the achievement of unit objectives in a fiscally responsible manner.
• Assesses human and financial resource requirements and develops recommendations for short- and long-term funding, tools, resources, and facilities required to support the successful planning, development, implementation, and delivery of customer programs and internal work processes.
• Provides meaningful reports of work unit performance and efficiency of processes for department and SMUD management review; ensures management's awareness of process performance and outcomes.
• Coordinates SMUD responses and services for customers by promoting inter-departmental collaboration and cooperation and engaging staff, other business units and executive management in developing solutions to solve issues or problems, develop shared or common metrics, and make necessary adjustments to meet changing priorities or customer needs.
• Represents SMUD in negotiating contracts, contract amendments and settlement agreements by preparing draft proposals and testimony for review and use by executive management and the Board of Directors; ensures contract terms and settlement agreements that are favorable to SMUD and facilitate management review and approval.
• Directs adherence to established SMUD safety policies and goals by developing specific safety goals for the sub-segment work process; monitoring and responding to safety concerns of staff, contractors and customers; and working with Safety, Health and Environmental Services to stay abreast of safety innovation and training to ensure a safe workplace and prevent injury.
• Performs related duties as needed to include working outside of typical business hours when necessary.

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree in applicable discipline at an accredited college or university, or equivalent experience. If no degree, nine (9) years of relevant work experience is required.

Required Experience Qualifications

• At least five (5+) years of progressively responsible relevant work experience with customer program planning or development, implementation and delivery in a specialty area such as customer segmentation, product development, product management, pricing, research, or finance, and at least five (5+) years of experience in a supervisory and/or lead role (experience can run concurrently).

Knowledge Of

Planning, implementation, and delivery best practices for customer programs and services; customer and business decision-making processes and preferences; techniques of negotiation and persuasion; techniques and methods of financial evaluation; process design and fundamentals for continuous process improvement; federal and state laws and regulations related to supervisory practices and employee rights; methods and techniques for planning, organizing, directing and controlling work activities; methods and techniques for training staff; policies and procedures for evaluating and recording performance results; fundamentals and practices for budget administration; fundamentals and practices for motivating, coaching, mentoring, training, and developing; safety policies, practices and procedures; standard operating procedures for modern office equipment including a computer and applicable software; English grammar, punctuation and vocabulary standards.

Skills To

Conceptualize innovative and practical solutions to meet customer needs and issues; listen effectively to identify opportunities and solutions; resolve operational and personnel problems or conflicts; tactfully handle customer complaints and resolve issues; readily adapt to change and provide change management for staff; coordinate multiple priorities and activities; identify and correct operational problems; develop and implement new and revised policies and procedures to provide for the effective operation of the area of responsibility; negotiate and process contracts and related documents and assure contractor coordination and cooperation; plan, organize, direct, control, and review the work of others; prepare performance plans and evaluations for the staff; develop performance metrics and accountability for the staff and the work unit; coordinate the work of the function or unit with other SMUD entities; prepare and implement safety plans, procedures and practices for unit; utilize a personal computer and/or computer terminal, systems and software relevant to the job; communicate effectively orally and in writing internally/externally; establish and maintain effective working relationships internally/externally.

Desirable Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading large-scale EV or transportation electrification programs, preferably for utilities or public agencies. 
• Strong customer engagement expertise, including developing outreach, incentives, and educational programs to promote EV adoption.
• Strong understanding of the EV market, EV technologies, charging infrastructure (Level 2, DC fast charging, V2X), and IT systems and platforms supporting distributed energy resources. 
• Proven ability to leverage data, customer feedback, and industry benchmarks to optimize programs. 
• Knowledge of EV-grid integration, including load forecasting, demand response, and infrastructure interoperability. 
• Expertise in aligning program delivery with federal, state, and local EV/clean energy policies and regulatory requirements, including engagement with agencies like CPUC, CEC, and CARB
• Demonstrated industry involvement and leadership in electric transportation-related organizations, associations, working groups, etc. 
• Excellent program, project, and portfolio management skills; adept at managing resources, budgets, and deadlines. 
• Strong relationship-building, communication and presentation skills, with proven ability to collaborate across departments and with external stakeholders. 
• Proven leadership in developing, motivating, and managing multidisciplinary teams. 
• Ability to adapt to evolving regulatory and technological landscapes with agility.

Physical Requirements