VELCO - Vermont Electric Power Company · 20 hours ago
Manager, Telecommunications
Rutland, VT
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$119K/yr - $166K/yr
7+ years expVELCO is the nation’s first statewide, transmission-only company managing the transmission of electric power throughout Vermont. The Telecommunications Manager plays a crucial role in modernizing telecom systems, overseeing a diverse team, and ensuring the reliability of critical communications infrastructure that supports various operational technologies.
Electrical DistributionEnergy
No H1B
Responsibilities
Manage Telecommunications staff and contractors to ensure the successful performance of work in accordance with project plans, permits, and company requirements
Own the design and operate Telecom with utility grade reliability and redundancy (path diversity, failover, environmental hardening) for real time OT applications (protection and control, SCADA, substation automation, and field communications, including coordination with system operations and engineering)
Develop strong peer relationships with leaders in the Telecommunications/OT environment and throughout the company to ensure consistent alignment with business expectations and commitments
Work with service providers to ensure that the environment is stable, has high availability and that robust recovery plans for critical systems are in place
Develop customer services, RF radio services, and maintenance programs to include predictive asset management strategies including the proper data analytics tools
Develop Carrier interconnections and advance external business opportunities through forecasting future technology requirements based on analyses of trends and business requirements
Develop a technical vision that supports VELCO’s corporate vision with its fiber optic network expansion and statewide radio system. Perform cost/benefit analyses of potential technology solutions
Develop and maintain budgets and schedules for department. Accurately perform budgeting and forecasting for department accounts and projects as scheduled
Oversee daily operations: monitoring, incident response, troubleshooting, outage management, and change management for telecom services
Own telecom standards, documentation, and policies (architecture, configurations, diagrams, procedures, as built records)
Ensure staff are informed and follow all pertinent regulatory requirements for NERC CIP
Manage relationships with contractors and vendors to ensure that the services provided are high quality and cost effective
Manage relationships with other technological functions including Cyber Security, Technical Services, and applications teams
Establish, monitor and maintain systems and teams KPI to track performance metrics (availability, latency, incident trends) and drive continuous improvement initiatives
Provide business and technical consultation to management, users and staff
Successfully complete projects by using efficient project management techniques while coordinating resources and timetables with other VELCO departments
Interact frequently with a wide variety of internal and external customers, vendors, leadership and other stakeholders and provide direct support to the Telecom team
Purchase equipment and supplies in accordance with the company’s Procurement policy
Actively lead, mentor, and coach Telecom team members while fostering a positive environment with a focus on delivering quality work
Plan, evaluate, and improve the efficiency of the department management processes and procedures to enhance safety, speed, quality, efficiency, and output
Develop work, development plans and schedules to effectively manage the Telecom team
Lead knowledge sharing and training for the team; including personnel development and technical training in support of VELCO’s succession management expectations
Develop annual budgets and monitor expense and capital expenditures (including staffing requirements)
Lead employees to meet VELCO’s expectations for productivity, quality, safety and continuous improvement, while operating in accordance with corporate and departmental policies and procedures
Actively support the company’s strategic initiatives in support of the company’s mission, vision, and values
Establish and maintain relevant controls and feedback systems to effectively monitor operations
Maintain understanding of personnel-related laws and regulations and internal policies and procedures sufficient to compliantly manage assigned workers
Maintain employee work schedules, including assignments, vacations and sick time, and managing overtime scheduling and authorization. Ensure timecards are completed accurately, in a timely manner and in compliance with internal rules and wage and hourly laws
As vacancies occur work with leadership and Human Resources to recruit, interview, select, hire, and onboard new employees
Oversee daily operations: monitoring, incident response, troubleshooting, outage management, and change management for telecom services
Other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in engineering, information technology, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
7+ years of progressively responsible experience in telecommunications engineering or operations, including experience with fiber, microwave, radio, and IP networking; utility or other critical‑infrastructure experience strongly preferred
3+ years of leadership experience managing technical teams and vendors in a 24x7 operations environment
Knowledge of Telecommunications technologies, software, and hardware, including but not limited to enterprise data and voice systems, SONET, DWDM, Carrier Ethernet, fiber optic and microwave networks, and trunked two-way radio systems
Experience in managing telecommunications systems supporting mission critical infrastructure, preferably in utility or industrial controls spaces
Proven record in strong leadership, conflict resolution, and negotiation skills in addition to personnel management
Proven record in establishing, monitoring and maintaining Key Performance Indicators for physical systems and overall team management
Ability to deliver complex and technical information to diverse audiences
Demonstrated technical operational technology and telecommunications skills along with analytical and problem-solving abilities with high attention to detail are also required
Superior written and verbal communication skills at all levels and operating areas
Strong customer focus with the ability to maintain a high level of trust and confidence in OT's services from the Operational Technology and Telecommunications team as well as internal and external customers
Solid project management, strong analytical and critical thinking as well as creative problem-solving skills
Experience in performing event reviews and data-centric analytics, including Root Cause Assessments (RCAs)
Must be able to perform typical administrative functions which may involve long periods of keyboarding and periodically of scanning, filing, copying, etc
Must be able to maintain fast pace while completing complex work, in potentially emotionally- fraught situations, with competing priorities, within tight timelines and with frequent interruptions
Must be able to work additional hours when necessary
Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information
Valid driver's license required, and periodic in-state travel required
Preferred
Utility or other critical-infrastructure experience strongly preferred
Benefits
Comprehensive benefits
Generous paid time off
Incentive compensation (bonus) potential
Company
VELCO - Vermont Electric Power Company
VELCO is Vermont’s statewide electric transmission provider whose sights are set on creating a sustainable Vermont through our people, assets, relationships and operating model.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$1.01MKey Investors
U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity
2024-07-09Grant· $1.01M
Leadership Team
Thomas Dunn
President and Chief Executive Officer
Kerrick Johnson
Chief Innovation and Communications Officer
Recent News
vermontbiz.com
2025-09-30
Business Insider
2025-07-04
2025-06-04
Company data provided by crunchbase