Geographic Information System Manager

To provide leadership for the Geographic Information System department at SMUD that maintains, updates, and analyzes a geospatial database of SMUD's distribution system as well as parts of its transmission system. The GIS data directly supports many different systems at SMUD including Line Design, the Outage Management System (OMS), the Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS), Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) in vehicles, Synergee, Workforce Optimization projects, and the Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS).

Purpose

The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Manager has primary responsibility, in alignment with SMUD's Distribution Planning & Operations department, for the GIS functional areas. In collaboration with the Director, Distribution Planning & Operations and peer management team members, designs and implements the processes necessary to ensure effective management, development, and utilization of GIS data and technology to support organizational goals. This includes managing GIS staff, maintaining data accuracy and integrity, establishing technical standards, implementing GIS solutions, and promoting innovative tools and practices to enhance operational efficiency and decision-making.

Nature and Scope

This manager oversees one or more functional teams within a broad scope of responsibilities; hires, trains, motivates, evaluates, and develops staff; and alongside department senior leadership and management peers, develops, implements, assesses, and manages department goals, objectives, budgets, projects, policies and procedures. The role is required to attend, present and/or lead at Board, executive, team, customer, community, and one-on-one meetings; in person, as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensures work processes are staffed with technical resources (e g. mappers, GIS Specialists, engineering specialists) by overseeing hiring, training, and development of SMUD employees and contractors to meet strategic goals for service, safety, cost, and reliability.
• Leads a functional unit (including mappers and GIS specialists), managing staffing, work quality, and performance. Implements SMUD policies, recommends process improvements, oversees supervisors and leads, handles hiring and disciplinary actions, provides coaching and mentoring, and ensures projects meet schedule, budget, safety, and quality standards.
• Oversees inspection and testing of materials and parts used in distribution construction to ensure compliance with specifications, safety codes, and SMUD standards for reliable and efficient energy distribution.
• Ensures compliance with SMUD safety policies and Federal, State, and local laws. Sets clear safety expectations, monitors safety concerns for staff, contractors, and customers, and collaborates with Safety, Health and Environmental Services to maintain a safe workplace and prevent injuries.
• Manages unit budget by monitoring expenditures, identifying discrepancies, adjusting plans as needed, reviewing year-end results, and contributing to departmental budget development, ensuring fiscal responsibility.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

• Develops and maintains technical support staff’s skills for electrical design by providing training on processes, codes, and procedures, assessing needs, creating training materials, conducting evaluations, and mentoring for high performance and reliable service delivery.
• Administers technical support contracts by preparing RFPs, establishing contractor criteria and standards, monitoring compliance through performance reviews, and managing payments to ensure contractor resources meet SMUD’s needs.
• Builds and maintains collaborative relationships with internal clients (including segment owners, process coordinators, and project managers) to enhance productivity, creativity, morale, and communication in support of SMUD’s goals.
• Oversees timely preparation, maintenance, and storage of design documentation, including reports, drawings, calculations, budgets, and schedules, ensuring accuracy and compliance with standards and requirements.
• Enforces adherence to SMUD safety practices and codes in all design standards, specifications, and work guidelines to maintain a safe work environment.
• Represents SMUD as a technical expert in industry committees and professional organizations, advancing technical support capabilities through industry engagement and innovation.
• Provides technical support during emergency power outages to facilitate effective response and resolution.
• Performs other related duties as needed; schedules, hours and locations may fluctuate based on business needs.

Required Education

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, or equivalent experience. If no degree, nine or more (9 ) years of experience are required.

Required Experience Qualifications

• Five or more (5 ) years of progressively responsible relevant technical support work experience in transmission & distribution system standards, planning, maintenance or operations, including five (5) years of experience in a lead and/or supervisory role.

Required Licenses/Certificates

• Valid California driver's license.

Knowledge Of

Principles and practices of technical support applied to transmission & distribution system standards; planning, maintenance or operations; industry standards for electrical design and construction, including IEEE, NEC, NESC, NEMA, ANSI, ASTM and others; Federal, State and local safety and hazardous waste laws, codes and regulations including Cal-OSHA, G.O. 95, 128 and 165 regulations; SMUD safely policies, practices and procedures: industry best practices related to design, construction and materials standards; principles and practices related to workforce planning, hiring, training, coaching, and mentoring; techniques of performance plan and evaluation development and administration for the staff; develop performance standards for the classifications within the resource center; metrics and unit cost development; principles of supervision as well as OSE Memorandum of Understanding, SOPs and other special agreements: reengineering theories, process design and principles for continuous process improvement; principles of leading and managing multi-discipline, cross-functional teams in a process centered organization including planning, organizing, integration, coordination, control and measurement of the activities of others; contract specification. Proposal development, negotiation, and management; principles and practices for taking disciplinary action and conducting investigations, including the Positive Discipline Program; coordinate the resources of the resources center with the business unit and other SMUD entities; prepare and implement safety plans. procedures and practices for unit; develop and implement new and revised policies and procedures to provide for the effective operation of the area of responsibility: principles and practices for budget development and administration: procedures and practices for monitoring and managing projects: procedures and method of auditing; standard operating procedures for modern office equipment including a computer and applicable software; English grammar, punctuation and vocabulary standards.

Skills To

Achieve results through the efforts of other people; establish and maintain effective working relationships internally/externally; plan, organize, direct, control. and review the work of others: prepare performance plans and evaluations for the employees in the resource center in conjunction with the process supervisor; develop performance standards and accountability for the classifications within the resource center; coordinate the resources of the resource center or unit with other business unit and SMUD entities: prepare and implement safety plans, procedures and practices for unit; develop and implement new and revised policies and procedures to provide for the effective operation of the area of responsibility: design. maintain and document standards and specifications; respond quickly to changing priorities: read and interpret engineering plans, diagrams and drawings; provide effective reporting to management: evaluate and resolve complex technical or management issues: develop and conduct oral presentations to internal/external audiences; assess emergency jobs and support operations and repair work in a safe and timely manner; effectively explain complex and/or controversial policies, regulations, rates, electric service requirements, procedures and/or activities internally/externally: interpret, analyze and apply pertinent SMUD policies, procedures, regulations, requirements, goals and plans; understand and apply applicable personnel laws. codes and regulations; make innovative recommendations for improvement in design, construction, or material standards; recognize program/project barriers and propose solutions for their resolution; utilize a personal computer and/or computer terminal, systems and software relevant to the job: communicate effectively orally and in writing internally/externally.

Physical Requirements

Applicants must be able to perform the essential job functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.