IT Operations Administrator

About this position:

The IT Operations Administrator position is an integral part of the Business Technology Team. Primarily responsible to implement, configure and maintain operational technology applications, systems and hardware. This position is responsible for supporting automation for controls systems involving SCADA systems. This position works independently and in a team environment to provide support relative to operational technology systems. This position will primarily function as the administrator for our Advance Distribution Management System (ADMS).

We offer great benefits:

NorthWestern Energy is a fully regulated electric and natural gas utility serving Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. We employ 1,500 amazing people and serve 753,600 customers who are our neighbors in our communities. We are a top employer and offer competitive benefits, including:

• 401K with company match up to 4% and non-elective contribution up to 7%
• Healthcare and wellbeing programs, including dental and vision for you, your spouse and dependents, Health Savings Account (HSA), healthcare and dependent care flexible spending account (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Programs (Offering up to six free counseling sessions, per person, per issue, per year for employees, spouses and dependents to include financial heath)
• Life Insurance (Company pays basic employee policy; spouse, dependent insurance also available)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Competitive pay (Scheduled performance-based wage increases and annual incentive opportunities.)
• Paid company endorsed volunteer opportunities
• Paid parental leave
• Paid bereavement leave
• Paid training opportunities
• Paid time off starting on your first day, plus 11 paid holidays

Benefits may vary by position or as negotiated as part of a collective bargaining agreement.

About this job:

• Adhere to NERC CIP (Critical Infrastructure Protection) procedures and policies as required
• Maintains and ensures the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive information
• Undertake complex projects involving multiple disciplines that may impact multiple business units
• Strong customer service skills required to develop positive customer, team and leadership relationships to facilitate Business Technology business partnerships
• Work required hours as needed which may include evenings and weekends
• Work on-call rotations as defined
• Some travel including day trips and overnight will be required, depending on work location and experience
• Develop, install and maintain application systems to ensure timely access to accurate, real-time data.
• Provide daily maintenance and technical support activities associated with the operation of Operational Technology applications development and configuration
• Work with vendors and colleagues to research, plan, test, and implement patches, releases, and upgrades
• Provide technical guidance, troubleshooting and perform corrective actions to ensure a high degree of systems availability, reliability and security
• Coordinates with other team members to analyze and resolve complex technical issues related to systems development and integration.
• Contribute to the development of new processes
• Responsible for the installation and configuration of complex software systems following established procedures and change control standards
• Interact with stakeholders to identify problems, needs, and opportunities for improvement
• Lead development and delivery of solutions including testing and engaging with customers
• Demonstrate strong analytical skills to evaluate complex issues
• Troubleshoot production problems
• Analyze and query complex data models
• Participates in creating and maintaining process, training, technical documentation and standards and procedures related to the operations and maintenance of supported systems and applications
• Effectively and efficiently organize, plan, execute and coordinate multiple work assignments to meet project milestones or established completion dates
• Utilize established project management documents such as scope, assumptions, and risks
• Experience in editing geodatabases within a multiuser GIS (enterprise-level) environment; and/or GIS data maintenance and geoprocessing is highly desirable.
• All NorthWestern Energy employees are required to adhere to the Code of Business Conduct & Ethics
• All NorthWestern Energy employees are required to adhere to company safety, physical security, and cyber security standards
• Ensure all actions are consistent with NorthWestern Energy's values, mission, and strategic business objectives
• Comply with NorthWestern Energy's internal controls, policies, practices, procedures and standards

Am I right for this job? Here's the success profile:

• Demonstrate and maintain a good safety record
• Bachelor's degree from four-year accredited college in associated discipline such as Computer Science, Software Engineering, or Business and Information Technology. An equivalent combination of education and related experience may also be considered.
• General knowledge of Windows Operating systems, servers, networks, security, and business continuity practices preferred
• Has strong knowledge and abilities in Microsoft Office Suite with an emphasis on Visio, Excel, and Word
• Communicates well both orally and in writing
  • Communicates highly technical information to non-technical people
  • Corresponds with colleagues, managers, and business partners at a professional level
• Strong organization skills to coordinate workload and employee development
• Experience and knowledge of Electric and Gas Utility operations a definite plus
• Strong aptitude to understand current technology trends in software, cloud, cybersecurity and automation to apply them to NorthWestern Energy's business processing needs is preferred
• Self-starter who pursues self-education and is customer focused
• Technical Experience and Skills
  • Experience with common programming languages
  • Knowledge and experience with common databases

This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions and key responsibilities. It does not prescribe or restrict responsibilities that may be assigned.