Director T&D Lines and Vegetation Mgmt.

Job Summary 
This position will oversee the electric line organization and electric transmission vegetation management to ensure safe, reliable, cost-effective, and operationally efficient delivery of electric service. The role provides leadership across line operations, system maintenance, emergency response, and vegetation programs that directly support transmission reliability, regulatory compliance, public safety, and customer satisfaction. 
 
The Director leads multiple departments, including line operations and the Vegetation Management organization, and is responsible for directing managers and teams to deliver consistent performance, effective contractor oversight, and disciplined financial management. The role ensures adequate resources are in place to support emergency and storm response efforts aimed at reducing customer interruptions as measured by CAIDI, SAIFI, and SAIDI. 
 
This position drives optimal spans of control, promotes consistency and collaboration across operational functions, and reduces costs through shared resources, standardized tools, and effective planning. The Director is ultimately accountable for managing operational and regulatory risk, developing and executing electric line and vegetation strategies, and ensuring company assets are utilized in alignment with corporate goals of providing safe, reliable, and low-cost service to customers. 
Essential Functions 

• Provides leadership and direction for electric line operations and electric transmission vegetation management activities, both in-house and contracted.  

• Leads and directs management teams, including the Manager of Vegetation Management and their team, ensure alignment with operational priorities, performance expectations, and strategic objectives.  

• Ensures electric infrastructure and associated vegetation programs are maintained in a safe, reliable, and compliant manner.  

• Ensures that contracted electric crews during restoration efforts are of quality craftsmanship per NIPSCO engineering standards  

• Oversees contracted crews performing line and vegetation work to ensure quality workmanship, safety performance, and compliance with engineering standards, regulatory requirements, and internal specifications  

• Develops and executes operational strategies that integrate line operations and transmission vegetation management to improve system reliability and reduce outage risk  

• Ensures adequate staffing, contractor resources, and materials are available to support daily operations and emergency/storm restoration efforts  

• Supports enterprise initiatives and additional projects as assigned  

• Builds strong partnerships with internal departments and external stakeholders to support operational coordination, regulatory engagement, and system reliability  

• Directs investigation and resolution of customer complaints, claims, and contractor safety incidents related to line and vegetation activities  

• Ensures compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, including state utility line locating requirements and electric transmission vegetation standards  

• Analyzes outage events, system performance data, and vegetation related risks to improve restoration response and reduce future interruptions  

• Manages Operations & Maintenance (O&M) and Capital budgets, including forecasting, cost control, a