Lead Commercial Services Account Manager

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National Grid is hiring a Lead Commercial Services Account Manager. 
This is a Hybrid position - Must live within a commutable distance to our office in Waltham, MA
 

Job Purpose

The Commercial Services account management team manage the community of wholesale customers that connect to or operate within our networks in Massachusetts. The role responsibilities and expectations include, but are not limited to, the day-to-day relationship management with existing and new customers across the portfolio, contract management and development, and project management oversight of customer driven projects to ensure: (1) superior customer satisfaction, (2) National Grid is in compliance with its contracts and tariffs, and (3) to enhance National Grid’s corporate reputation.

Wholesale customers may include interconnected or neighboring utilities, electric municipal power systems, and wholesale generators as well as new generators seeking connections to the company’s transmission system through the Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT).
As a direct partner of the Massachusetts jurisdiction, Commercial Services is looking to transform the customer experience by improving trust and ease to support our customers and communities; and, through improved interconnection processes, align with National Grid’s purpose, vision, values, and strategic priorities.   

Key Accountabilities

• Manage and direct customer activities and requests to deliver solutions in a safe, reliable, and efficient manner to achieve superior customer satisfaction within assigned account portfolio. 
• Provide leadership across cross- functional teams/ partners internally and external working groups with multi-stakeholders to solve complex customer issues and provide for sustainable business relationships.
• Evaluate wholesale interconnection requests, negotiate agreements, and effectively interact with Independent System Operator - New England (ISO-NE) to bring new interconnection project proposals into commercial operation under contractually agreed-upon milestones. Make authoritative technical interconnection and regulatory recommendations to provide design solutions which have a significant impact on business performance in the short and long term.
• Ensure all interconnection requirements are appropriately assessed, designed, planned, resourced, and scheduled in a timely and cost-effective manner to ensure best value for National Grid and the interconnecting customer. 
• Negotiate contracts with customers, including standards of work and levels of service, to ensure best value for National Grid and our customers. Ensure that National Grid’s functions – including Planning and Asset Management, Engineering, Project Development, Project Management, Real Estate, Legal, Billing, Regulatory and Metering – meet the customers’ needs and are in compliance with applicable laws and FERC regulations to appropriately balance the company’s business risks with its obligations to protect National Grid.  Identify any existing/ new contract risk or performance which requires mitigation or does not provide value to National Grid.
• Proactively build and maintain internal and external networks and relationships to identify, absorb, and apply best practices to areas of responsibility and drive customer satisfaction and collaborative stakeholder engagement.
• Respond to and represent stakeholder– generated concerns regarding National Grid policies, actions, services and performance in alignment with regulatory requirements, company policy and commercial interests.
   

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.  Master’s degree or equivalent work experience desired.
• Minimum 5 to 7 yrs. experience in account management, project management or customer focused role, with strong relationship building skills and an independent opinion of customer needs, opportunities, and the ability to design appropriate solutions.
• Demonstrates strong negotiating and influencing skills with the ability to make persuasive presentations to small and large audiences, including executive teams and representatives.
• Demonstrates an understanding of how to identify risks to National Grid and its customers and provide balanced solutions. Contract law and contract drafting experience preferred.
• Commercial and technical experience within electric transmission and or distribution systems and generation fields preferred, with an understanding of issues impacting the broad electric energy industry sector.
• Regulatory tariff experience and familiarity preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to give directions and/or clear reasons and rationales to National Grid’s customers and key stakeholders.
• Ability to translate National Grid policies into processes and procedures and peel back multiple layers of complex problems and balance the value of different solutions; understands how best to utilize them to drive greater performance, considering the wider business context.
• Ability to create new solutions, make complex ideas or solutions clear, simple, and easy to understand
   

More Information

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