Entergy Transmission Function Job Titles and Descriptions

(April 10, 2013)

• Director – Transmission Operations is responsible for management oversight for the scheduling, dispatching, operational planning, and secure and reliable real-time operation of the Entergy transmission system as well as process control systems and certain aspects of the administration of the Entergy OATT and operation of Entergy’s OASIS node.

• Administrative Assistant, III provides office services functions: typing, filing, telephone reception, faxing, mail distribution, time reporting, statistical data analysis, and various daily, weekly and monthly report preparation, and updating information through the use of various business systems.

• Mgr, Trans Operation Training is responsible for developing, managing, and implementing the overall training program for Entergy to meet all the requirements of the NERC standards for personnel training; this includes training, testing, qualification, and certification of control room personnel. This position oversees the design, development, and the delivery of training modules and manuals by the System Operation Specialists. Ensure the direct participation of the System Operation specialist participation in regional and industry-wide committees and teams to ensure that Entergy’s Operator training program meets or exceeds industry requirements, as well as direct participation in the development of policy for the NERC training standards. This includes the responsibility for development, implementation, and administration of the NERC Certification training program for System Operators and Transmission Dispatchers. Part of this responsibility is to oversee development and delivery of training courses for NERC Certified Operators in order for them to maintain their certification, and maintain detailed records for all aspects of this training in compliance with NERC Standards. 

• Specialist, System Operations is responsible for the development, implementation, and administration of the NERC Certification training program for SOC and TOC operating personnel. Part of this responsibility is the development and delivery of training courses for NERC Certified Operators.  The System Operations Specialist ensures that data on training is maintained to ensure industry-wide standards are met.  This involves the direct participation in regional and industry-wide committees and teams to ensure that Entergy’s SOC Operator training program meets or exceeds industry requirements as well as direct participation in the development of policy for the development of NERC training standards.  The person in this job title is also responsible to lead special projects directly related to bulk power operations.

• Manager - Transmission Operations Center manages the Transmission Operation Center (TOC), involving the planning and scheduling of outages for the construction and maintenance of transmission lines and substation equipment, the monitoring of lines and substation equipment for overloads, proper voltage and equipment alarms, the restoration of service following interruptions to the transmission or distribution systems, the implementation of load relief procedures when necessary to protect system reliability and stability, and the regulation of transmission voltages within acceptable limits.

• Lead Dispatcher provides training, direction, and scheduling of TOC dispatchers and senior dispatchers and provides full supervision in the absence of the TOC manager. The TOC lead dispatcher is also available to provide additional TOC manpower by performing scheduled or restoration switching as required. The TOC lead dispatcher shares the planner/scheduler's duties of coordinating scheduled and emergency outages with Asset Management, Project Management, TOP, and SOC personnel, as well as with external customers. The TOC lead dispatcher maintains shared responsibility for transmission system reliability by assuring that switching orders are properly written, checked, and executed, switching and clearance guidelines are followed, all safety rules are followed, and appropriate records are maintained at the TOC. The TOC lead dispatcher takes the lead in responding to SOC requests for load reduction, including curtailment and load shed.

• Dispatcher/Sr. Dispatcher monitors and controls the transmission line and substation facilities within a geographical area. This position works in a 24/7 rotating shift and operates under the direction of the TOC manager and/or a lead dispatcher. Duties include planning, writing and execution of transmission and substation switching orders that are issued to field personnel. The orders include the switching of all substation equipment and protective relay schemes including voltages ranging from 69kV to 765kV. Responsibilities include monitoring and analyzing substation equipment alarms via SCADA system, isolating transmission problems through emergency switching and sectionalizing, dispatching company personnel for corrective action, control of area wide transmission voltage, executing load shed and black start procedures, maintaining records and logs, and generating reports.

• Clerk IV reviews and enters regular, overtime, non-productive, etc. time charges from departmental reports. They review distribution of time charges to assure proper location, account and/or work code number(s), and prepare various standard accounting related forms; e.g. vouchers, expense accounts, invoices, etc. Make travel and meeting arrangements for section personnel. Type departmental correspondence, reports, etc. Budget preparation, monitor monthly budget reports, interface with Budget Coordinator on any discrepancies. Respond to information requests and provide appropriate information or direct requesting parties to appropriate personnel. Provide PC application support for department. Coordinate and interface with IS personnel on PC problems and/or requirements for department. Provide one-on-one PC training for TOC dispatchers. In the absence of the manager, the clerk keeps up with incoming mail and/or email and responds as necessary to any urgent matters. Provides clerical support to the EMS hardware and software support group as needed.

• Coord-Transmission Outage, Sr. manages the outage schedule of transmission and substation facilities within the TOC control area so as to avoid outages that adversely affect customer load, transmission system reliability and transactions across the grid. Assists the Lead Dispatcher to identify available switchmen and verifying proper switching orders, and makes operational recommendations based on input from Transmission Operational Planning, the SOC, retail customers, transmission line and substation maintenance personnel, project management personnel, and external utilities.

• Manager - Transmission Operational Planning manages the workgroup responsible for providing technical support to real-time operations staff at the Transmission System Operations Center (SOC) and five Transmission Operations Centers (TOCs). This support is accomplished through the preparation of reliability powerflow models and corresponding real-time, next-day and forward looking analyses, coordination of planned transmission outages, voltage stability analysis, development of operating guides and local area security analysis. The Manager, Transmission Operational Planning is also responsible for directing the developing and maintenance of all applications used by the Transmission Operational Planning (TOP) group to conduct studies and oversees the development of daily and monthly powerflow models.  The Manager, Transmission Operational Planning provides input to regulatory/compliance filings in support of new business practices for Transmission Operations and ensures that the workgroup processes are in compliance with all FERC, NERC, and SERC standards/requirements. The Manager, Transmission Operational Planning also works closely with the Reliability Coordination and Tariff Administration personnel to ensure reliable system operations.

• Engineer I, II, III, Sr. provides technical support to the Transmission System Operations Center (SOC) and Transmission Operations Centers (TOCs) by conducting same-day and next-day system security analysis, load flow analysis in support of outage scheduling, voltage stability analysis, developing operating guidelines and conducting local area security analysis. Transmission Operational Planning engineers represent Entergy at various SERC/NERC workgroups or committees.

• Specialist, Operations Planning Sr. provides technical support to the Transmission System Operations Center (SOC) and Transmission Operation Centers (TOC's) in the form of load flow analysis in support of transmission outage scheduling, development of operating guidelines and local area security analysis. The Senior Specialist/Specialist, Operations Planning works closely with real-time operations personnel to ensure the reliability of the Entergy Transmission System.

• Supervisor- Technical Support is responsible for reliable operation of advance EMS Applications mainly the applications used to support the reliability coordination and tariff operations including AFC and Weekly procurement process. Areas of responsibility include software support, operational support, transmission system operational analysis, operator training, application change scoping and application design and testing. The supervisor provides support to legal and compliance for regulatory filings and is also responsible for ensuring compliance with FERC/NERC rules related to the work processes supported by the group. Responsibilities also include ensuring adherence to Entergy’s change management process as well implementing best practices like ITIL within the work group.

• Engineer II, III, Sr. / System Analyst III is responsible for supporting and maintaining the advance EMS applications including State Estimator, Powerflow, Contingency Analysis, RFCALC, Load Forecast, Dispatcher Training Simulator (DTS), Powerworld, Voltage Stability analysis and Transient Stability Analysis. The software data and processes supported by the EMS Applications group are subjected to FERC, NERC and SERC regulations and demand adherence to Change Management Control and Record Retention Policies, are subject to audits and must perform with a high degree of availability, accuracy and reliability. EMS applications Engineer ensures the day to day accuracy of the results produced by these applications and maintain and tune the Network model in EMS. The Engineer is responsible for the calculation and accuracy of AFC values and data inputs used in the process. The engineer in this position may be required to support regulatory data requests and audits and participate in some NERC and SERC workgroups. The Engineer also supports the real time system operators in Entergy and Independent Transmission Coordinator (ICT) control centers. The Engineer is also involved in developing and conducting training to the operators using DTS.

• Contract Employee - provides help developing the network model for external control areas in EMS and guidance in refining the state estimation solution within the EMS State Estimation application.

• Contract Employee - provides input to regulatory compliance filings and standards development activities in support of Transmission Operations and helps to ensure that the workgroup processes are in compliance with all FERC, NERC, and SERC standards/requirements.

• Manager - Transmission System Security is responsible for the safe, efficient and effective operations of all power transmission dispatching activities within the jurisdiction of the System Operation Center, including the supervision of all personnel assigned power transmission dispatching and support duties.  The manager’s specific responsibilities include: assuring safe power dispatching practices in accordance with company standards, coordinating transmission facility outages, supervising transmission circuit loading and operating voltage levels, representing the department in interdepartmental planning sessions covering construction, rebuild, and other projects, directing the development of switching and tagging procedures used in transmission systems, assuring proper training of dispatching personnel, maintaining system integrity, security coordination for the Entergy sub-region, and duties as assigned by proper authority.  Transmission includes all facilities under the jurisdiction of the System Operation Center.

• Administrative Assistant III provides office services functions: typing, filing, telephone reception, faxing, mail distribution, time reporting, statistical data analysis, and various daily, weekly and monthly report preparation, updating through the use of various business systems, and performing some basic PC workstation administration activities including loading and updating software.

• Manager - Billing & Settlement is responsible for fostering an environment which recognizes safety as a core value, ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements, the administration and issuance of billings related to Transmission services and Generator Imbalance services in accordance with the provisions of the Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), the reporting of monthly billing amounts to Corporate Accounting and the Intra-System Billing group, the interpretation and translation into business requirements of all provisions of and modifications to the OATT, the development, documentation and maintenance of billing procedures, the performance of testing required under Sarbanes Oxley, the retention of associated records according to Entergy’s Records Retention Policy, and providing leadership to Entergy Continuous Improvement initiatives to address operational and process issues affecting the integrity of data with both operational and financial implications.

• Sr. Lead/Sr. Staff Analyst is responsible for leading and/or participating on cross-functional teams which design or improve Transmission processes, driving the ARIS modeling of those processes, evaluation and interpretation of emerging regulatory guidelines, developing business requirements for changes to existing automated systems or for new systems, performing customer acceptance testing on newly delivered software, responding to data requests from both internal departments as well as FERC, NERC, and state regulatory bodies, and interfacing with cross-functional groups and/or transmission customers in issue resolution.

• Analyst II, Sr. supports the administrative functions of billing in accordance with the provisions of the Open Access Transmission Tariff and related reporting and document processing through the use of various business systems, review of contracts and billing determinants to ensure billing accuracy, and calculation and administration of refunds as required by FERC approved rate filings.

• Manager – Tariffs & Scheduling is responsible for compliance with FERC rules, guides and orders related to transmission business and operational issues, implementation of Open Access Tariff as it pertains to transmission operation and business, oversight and management of Next-Day Business Office, oversight and management of Generator Imbalance System, and development and implementation of Transmission Business Practices.

• Supervisor - Transmission Business Operations (Engineering Support) supervises Engineers and Analysts involved in providing engineering support for real time operations and security analysis, implementation of NERC policies, and implementation of scheduling systems.

• Analyst, Sr provides support for implementing the FERC Open Access Transmission Tariff and OASIS which included monitoring and implementing mandated postings, testing new software releases, and assuring compliance. The Sr. Analyst also implements and monitors business practices, reviews and writes technical procedures, supports regulatory data requests and audits, and participates in some NERC and SERC workgroups.

• Sr System Operator / Contract Operator is responsible for the Next Day Office daily check in/check out process using the Entergy Scheduling System Robotag in conjunction with the OATI ETS software to view, assess, and take approval action on tags scheduled for the next day.  Additionally, the Contract Operator will be asked to support other activities within the Transmission Tariff and Scheduling section as needed.

• Technician A Sr – Northern supports the system operating functions, prepares energy schedules, assists transmission billing, and resolves scheduling conflicts, prepares achieve data for FERC mandated Record Retention purposes.

• Contract Employee provides support for office functions, assists with MISO transition related activities, and assists as needed to help with issues that arise within Transmissions Tariffs and Scheduling.

• Engineer I, II, Sr. (Trans) supports the technical needs of the Manager/Supervisor and his/her organization, provides coordination of capital projects, develops computer system applications, provides employee training and development programs, analyzes system performance and calculates operational settings, provides support for Security Coordination responsibilities, analyzes system conditions / procedures and recommends improvements / corrections, and measures system performance and benchmarks that performance against others.

• Policy Consultant provides support for implementing the FERC Open Access Transmission Tariff and OASIS, to comply with FERC orders and NERC policies, to provide customer access to OASIS, to provide consultancy regarding provisions in the pre-888 order contracts, and interface with the Transmission Regulatory Support department to implement FERC orders and update the Business Practices.

• System Analyst II supports the technical needs of the Manager/Supervisor, analyzes system performance, provides support for Security Coordination responsibilities, supports regulatory data requests and audits, provides support for compliance with FERC orders and NERC policies, and provides support for implementing OASIS which included monitoring and implementing mandated postings, and testing new software releases.

• Contract Employee provides assistance to the Manager, Tariffs & Scheduling, during the transition to MISO including documentation and status reports, participation in meetings/calls, scope and process mapping, validation of functional requirements, implementation of new applications and training;  also provides assistance during the ITC transition including scope, definitions, and mapping functional requirements, validation of processes for new requirements and industry standards; also to help plan and analyze Meter Quality requirements and MDMA requirements, scope, define, and map functional requirements, and develop training for Tariffs & Scheduling support staff.

• Contract Employee provides administrative support for the Tariffs & Scheduling section that includes project time tracking, scheduling, statistical data analysis, and various daily, weekly and monthly report preparation.

• Student Intern is responsible for assisting the support staff on projects and special assignments that include creating and maintaining business procedures and practices, working with the tariffs and scheduling staff, software development, and support organizations to ensure that required systems and applications meet performance and availability requirements.   Additional responsibilities include assisting in compliance and audit preparation as well as the annual testing of software requirements.

• Manager - Transmission Security Coordination is responsible for the safe, efficient and effective operations of all power transmission dispatching activities within the jurisdiction of the System Operation Center, including the supervision of certain personnel assigned power transmission dispatching and support duties.  The manager’s specific responsibilities include: supervising transmission circuit loading and operating voltage levels, representing the department in interdepartmental planning sessions covering construction, rebuild, and other projects, maintaining system integrity, security coordination for the Entergy sub-region, and duties as assigned by proper authority.  Transmission includes all facilities under the jurisdiction of the System Operation Center.

• Supervisor - Security supervises the on shift dispatching positions and for the Security Coordination for the Entergy sub-region.

• Accountant-Associate Sr. is responsible for user access reviews for the all applications where the Security Coordination group is considered the data owner as well as SOC building access reviews.  Also responsible for records management, making travel arrangements and processing expense reports for the Security Coordination group.

• Analyst-Sr Lead is responsible for overseeing and supporting the system analyst in their responsibilities for MV90 daily reviews, editing, reporting and monitoring for MV 90 metering problems. Also responsible for overseeing the comparison of tie line accumulator values and MV 90 values. Implements and coordinates meter corrections between neighboring Balancing Authorities. Oversees and supports the system analyst in the monthly responsibilities of System tie checkout, collecting and sending MV 90 data to Transmission Billing & Settlement department and record keeping. Additional responsibilities include: follow-up on the correction of meter issues reported by the operators, providing additional meter information to the Transmission Billing & Settlement department, reviewing procedures to ensure compliance with Entergy and NERC Standards, responding to request for data validation, responding to data requests from internal departments as well as FERC, NERC, and state regulatory bodies, and interfacing with cross-functional groups in meter issue resolution. Also represents Transmission Operations on transmission projects related to new meter installations for system and company tie lines as well as participating in special projects when assigned by supervisor and/or SOC manager.

• System Analyst III is responsible for MV90 daily review and checkout, reporting and monitoring MV 90 metering problems, building and maintaining MV 90 master files, and record maintenance. Additional responsibilities include: weekly company meter tie comparisons to MV 90, monthly System tie checkout and reports, providing MV 90 data to the Transmission Billing & Settlement Department, and writing and reviewing department procedures to ensure compliance with NERC Standards.

• Technician A Sr-Northern assists in MV90 daily review, comparison of tie line accumulator values and MV 90 values, inadvertent accounting and monthly reporting. Also involved in special projects directly related to Transmission Operations.

• Engineer II (Trans) supports the technical needs of the Manager/Supervisor and his organization, provides coordination of capital projects, develops computer system applications, provides employee training and development programs, analyzes system performance and calculates operational settings, provides support for Security Coordination responsibilities, analyzes system conditions / procedures and recommends improvements / corrections, and measures system performance and benchmarks that performance against others.

• Superintendent - Security assures that safe practices are followed in the operation of the transmission network, to coordinate transmission facility outages, to supervise circuit loading, to respond to requests for transmission access to the Entergy grid, to maintain system integrity, and to maintain operating voltage levels.

• Senior System Operator, Contract Operator follows safe practices in the operation of the transmission network, to coordinate transmission facility outages, to monitor circuit loading, to respond to requests for arranged interchange involving transmission access to the Entergy grid, to maintain system integrity, and to maintain operating voltage levels.

• System Operator II follows safe practices in the operation of the transmission network, to coordinate transmission facility outages, to monitor circuit loading, to respond to requests for arranged interchange involving transmission access to the Entergy grid, to maintain system integrity, and to maintain operating voltage levels.

• Analyst Sr. supports the administrative functions of budgeting, cost control, document processing, billing and related reporting through the use of various business systems; provides contracting services and administration; orders, tracks and receives materials; plans and schedules various groups’ part of projects and maintenance programs.

• Contract Employee is responsible for mail delivery, granting facility access to visitors, logging all visitors and vendor facility access, scheduling conference room and vehicles.

• Contract Employee - Engineer, Special Projects provides engineering support for special projects that support reliable real-time operations.  Support activities include determining changing requirements for operations processes, developing changes to operations procedures, working with IT resources to understand how process changes are reflected in operations systems, applications and database, perform customer acceptance testing for changes that affect operations systems, applications and databases, develop and provide training to the operations personnel to support reliable operations.

• Manager, Transmission Services assures that customer requests for transmission delivery service are addressed in a timely manner, administers the contract and creditworthiness evaluation for transmission customers, and works with other Entergy work groups to meet the business needs of the transmission customers and Entergy Transmission Business group. Manager, Transmission Services also administers and interprets interconnection policies and procedures relative to specific Interconnection Agreements, and prepares and administers transmission service and generation interconnection agreements.

• Analyst I provides support for implementing the registration of Transmission Customers.  Compile the Transmission Service component of the FERC Electronic Quarterly Report including new, amended and terminated agreements (TSA’s, NITSA’s, NOA’s, IOA/LGIA’s and all transmission service reassignments).  Manage the day to day creditworthiness provisions of the Entergy Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT).  Assist Transmission Customers with transmission service transactions, policy issues, and billing issues.  Provide regulatory support for State and Federal regulatory commissions.

• Coordinator - Interconnection Arrangements serves as a point of contact for entities seeking transmission service expansion of transmission system for load additions and generator interconnections with Entergy’s Transmission System, preparation and administration of contracts and billing issues for transmission service customers.

• Sr. Wholesale Executive serves as the point of contact for entities seeking transmission service, expansion of the transmission system for load additions, coordination of maintenance activities and generator interconnections with Entergy's Transmission System, provides technical assistance and engineering support to customers, including the development and presentation of options for transmission solutions, reviews, prepares and administers contracts to assure that the needs of the Transmission Business are satisfied and facilitates customer funding agreements when appropriate.

• Contractor serves as a point of contact for entities (load or generation) seeking to change their Balancing Authority or Load Balancing Authority, preparation and administration of contracts and studies for transmission service customers.

• Contractor serves as a point of contact for entities (load or generation) with transmission interconnection agreements with Entergy, preparation and administration of these agreements.

• Manager - Transmission Project Development assures that customer requests for transmission interconnections are addressed in a timely and cost effective manner. The manager also ensures that applicable Entergy and regulatory guidelines and policies are adhered to when assisting those customers.  The manager works with other groups as necessary to assure that the business needs of Entergy's Transmission Business are satisfied.

• Sr. Wholesale Executive serves as the primary point of contact for entities seeking transmission interconnections with Entergy's Transmission Business, provides technical assistance and engineering support to customers, including the development and presentation of options for transmission solutions, represents the customer in Entergy Transmission's Capital Project process, reviews and administers contracts to assure that the needs of the Transmission Business are satisfied, provides project cost reconciliation to customers and facilitates customer billing when appropriate.

• Director -  Weekly Operations is responsible for developing the Weekly Procurement Process (WPP) as part of Entergy's Independent Coordinator of Transmission (ICT) proposal per FERC tariff and overseen by the ICT, implement WPP, testify before retail regulators, FERC, and interveners regarding the WPP, respond to RFIs concerning the WPP and the results of the WPP, file reports/information as required by various regulatory bodies, provide necessary billing information to Transmission Billing in order to bill WPP participants as a result of the WPP optimization and resulting transmission service.

• Analyst - Sr. Staff, Engineer III supports the administrative functions of developing Weekly Procurement Process (WPP) as part of Entergy's Independent Coordinator of Transmission (ICT) proposal per FERC tariff and overseen by the ICT, implements WPP, responds to RFIs concerning the WPP and the results of the WPP, gathers inputs to the Security Constrained Unit Commitment model (SCUC), validates and enters into the model, executes SCUC model, provides results of the SCUC optimization runs to the ICT so that transmission service can be granted.

• Engineer Sr. - Transmission Planning performs power flow analyses to determine whether the transmission system can support the services requested through a facility study and develops the solution set necessary to make that service available. This position within the Transmission Function also reviews System Impact Studies for transmission service conducted by the ICT.