Program Manager Enterprise Risk Management - Risk - Akron FirstEnergy Headquarters

FirstEnergy at a Glance

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.

About the Opportunity

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

The position is within the Risk group and reports to the Director, Enterprise Risk Management. It is located within our five-state service territory (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, or New Jersey). This role can report to any major FirstEnergy corporate center (Akron, Greensburg, Reading, Morristown, Holmdel, or Fairmont), however it is expected that the Program Manager will be required to be in Akron one to three times per quarter.

The mission of the Corporate Risk team is to make risk actionable and help FirstEnergy achieve our strategic objectives. We envision a comprehensive and proactive Risk program that enables risk-informed decisions and the pursuit of opportunities. Corporate Risk is composed of two teams: Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and Insurance Strategy & Operations. The Enterprise Risk Management team works across every area of FirstEnergy and it is expected that its senior contributors be agile learners, strategic thinkers, and able to execute. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to be part of identifying key strategic topics across multiple business units and working with them to manage risks and take advantage of opportunities.

The strategy of the ERM team is met through several key responsibilities, each of which will be supported by this position:

• A risk assessment is an annual exercise to work across all FE to identify and assess the top strategic risks to the business and provide assurance that they are managed. This role will oversee the execution of the annual risk assessment through both a bottom-up and top-down approach to assess risks, pressure-test mitigation plans, and determine the overall risk profile of FE.
• Lead Risk Reviews of prioritized enterprise risks which will deep-dive the most important drivers of these risks, identify current and potential mitigation plans, and determine if there are gaps to exploit new opportunities.
• Perform risk advisory services to support business units and senior management to continue to manage enterprise risks through strategic projects that produce insights for the business as to how to best manage risks and capture opportunities on enterprise topics.
• Lead the development of enterprise risk management programs within FE’s business segments (OH, PA, NJ, WV/MD, and FE Transmission) by working with risk owners within each of these segments to support FE’s “risk intelligence” and ability to manage risks.
• Interface with management at all levels of the organization (through Executive Council) and craft communications to facilitate strategic decision-making
• Continuously improve the enterprise risk management process to meet the needs of FE’s business units and provide services across FE that support the ERM strategy to make risk actionable

The successful candidate will:

• Have solid knowledge of FE’s business and strategic objectives and ability to apply that knowledge to evaluate the overall risk profile of the Company
• Work independently to oversee the work of a team that performs cross-functional projects on a wide variety of topics
• Work across several topics at one time and effectively multitask and coach others in their work
• Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, that can be effectively tailored to all levels from individual contributors through the Board of Directors

This role will report to the Director, Enterprise Risk Management and will work closely with the full Risk leadership team.

Program Manager Responsibilities include:

• Collaborate across the Corporate Risk Teams and with business unit leadership (Enterprise Risk Owners)
• Encourage team development and drive opportunities for career enhancement for all team members
• This position will act as an informal leader and will have responsibility to direct the work of other team members. The successful candidate will effectively lead other team members through project management, coaching, and delegation. While several activities are described below to provide a comprehensive overview of the responsibilities of this team, it is expected that the Program Manager will work with the Director to appropriately determine which activities to delegate and oversee, and which to perform themselves.
• Perform the Enterprise Risk Assessment (ERA) process from start to finish, connecting the risk assessment to strategic and operational objectives, and providing effective challenge to ensure that risks are properly identified and managed
• Own the Risk Universe (the comprehensive record of all enterprise risks across FE) and monitor and report key changes in a timely fashion
• Execute the ERA from a top-down and bottom-up approach, including any intermediate updates to account for emerging risks
  • This includes risk identification, assessment, mitigation, and communication
  • This leader will recommend needs for monitoring and potential refreshes of the risk assessment that may occur outside of the annual assessment cycle
  • The team will hold cross-functional workshops and individual meetings with all levels of the business (individual contributor to Executive Council) to achieve consensus on risk identification, assessment, and mitigation
• Maintain ongoing relationships across the business to identify changes to the risk universe and/or emerging risks
• Perform an ongoing “external scan” of top industry and emerging risks, including research of potential impacts to FirstEnergy. The results of this research will be compared to the FE’s risk universe to identify and escalate any gaps that need to be addressed. This will also include working with industry research groups.
• Perform Risk Reviews on prioritized risks which will ultimately be delivered to the Board of Directors by Risk Owners. These must be performed according to the annual Risk Reporting calendar to the Board.
• Will ensure accurate Risk Data is entered, validated, and reviewed in the GRACE tool, FE’s GRC system of record across Risk, Ethics & Compliance, and Internal Audit
• Conduct Risk Advisory Services to support business units in analyzing and managing enterprise-wide risk and opportunities, at times using tools and templates for a standardized approach. This will include leading cross-functional teams to identify impacts of risks across the business and implement solutions. It is a highly collaborative role which will require the team to work closely with business units to lead to strategic solutions.
• Will serve as a strategic leader and collaborate across the ERM team on continuous improvement of the ERM program
• Will collaborate with Legal on the Risk Factors included in the quarterly 10K/Q and other external disclosures
• Will facilitate a right-sized ERM program at each of the key business segments to monitor key risks. This includes training, defined touchpoints, and feedback loops to inform continuous improvement of the ERM program
• Will serve as a main point of contact to business units and interface with audiences of all levels (individual contributors through Executive Council) to facilitate a risk-aware culture and embed a risk mindset within the business
• Evaluate potential Risk Advisory Services projects that are referred to the Risk Department using a prioritization methodology

Qualifications for the Position include:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Engineering or related discipline required. Advanced degree is a plus but not required.
• Minimum 10 years relevant work experience required. Relevant experience includes risk management, program management, change management and facilitation, or other strategic roles. Other work experiences will be considered if they are demonstrated to be applicable to successfully performing this role.
• Experience leading cross-departmental projects in deep collaboration with other business units
• Experience developing or working with diverse teams and building an inclusive work environment
• Project management skills, including change management
• Leadership skills to manage complex, enterprise-wide programs
• Excellent communications skills, written and verbal, and experience developing and delivering messaging to an Executive Council
• Superior analytical abilities, including problem-solving, decision-making, and effective challenge
• Strong understanding or ability to learn risk management processes
• Strategic thinking and thought leadership with respect to risks and opportunities facing the utility industry and FirstEnergy
• Highest standards of business conduct and ethical behaviors
• Role models and reinforces the FE Values & Behaviors
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications

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 www.firstenergycorp.com 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.

Position Classification

Exempt

FirstEnergy Human Resources Team