PM Assistant - Grid Solutions

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you’re empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work.
 
This position will be located in: Bismarck, ND Rapid City, SD Phoenix, AZ Pewaukee, WI Albertville, MN Billings, MT 

Application Deadline: 

Please note that the position may be filled before or after the listed application deadline. Applications will only be accepted while the posting remains active.

Job Summary

Carries out various supportive duties for project managers. Plans, organizes, and executes special project requests. Projects may deal with power distribution systems, substations, transmission, and utility scale wind and/or solar energy.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Assists with quotes for ongoing projects owned by a project manager.
• Assists in purchasing functions, product evaluations, pricing development, and other related services.
• Acts as a temporary backup for ongoing projects while covering for those out of office. 
• Acts upon information and feedback of customer needs, pricing, and product requests.
• Finds alternate solutions to material requests that don’t meet the customers’ requirements, lead time, price, or preference. 
• Provides complete bid based on bill of material (BOM) or information given by a peer or customer.
• Utilizes the quoting software for material proposals and logging bid information.  
• Maintains the schedule of open tasks, and assures required specifications are met. 
• Follows up on quotations to clarify product specifications, assure outstanding issues are resolved, and develop schedules that will meet customer’s required deadlines. 
• Provides customers with timely follow-up on technical inquiries and requests. 
• Maintains a high level of teamwork and communication in ensuring a balanced workload within the team. 
• Provides consistent responsive and quality service to customers. 
• Provides complete and accurate handoffs to a Project Coordinator for order placement. 

Non-essential Functions

• Assists with vendor negotiations for best pricing and delivery of products to customers and/or jobsites.
• Sets up customer meetings, maintains and uploads negotiated pricing into bidding software and provides invoices. 
• Documents missed opportunities.
• Participates in some or all of the following: product application and support, estimating, procurement, material management, staging, kitting, storage, job site delivery, and project close out. 
• Contacts vendors for pricing, as needed. 
• Attends training programs, as required. 
• May assist with trade shows, as needed.
• Writes orders in SAP and delivers material. 

Qualifications

• Minimum of a business or trade degree preferred or the equivalent in work experience. 
• 2+ years of prior customer service, quotation, or sales experience.
• Strong knowledge of electrical products and utility systems, preferred. 
• Comprehensive knowledge of product lines and applications, alternate product substitutes, and supplier pricing policies, preferred. 
• Proficiency in quoting software, preferred. 
• Requires the ability to read, write and speak in English.
• Prefer strong working knowledge of PC for Windows, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word and PowerPoint), Internet, Email and SAP software. 

Skills and Abilities

• Technical ability to understand electrical systems and product applications with prior electrical distribution experience, preferred. 
• Technical ability to read specifications and drawings is highly preferred. 
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication, reading, and customer service skills.
• Ability to effectively plan and organize and work well on a team. 
• Excellent customer service skills include being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.

Physical Requirements

Lift and carry requirements (weight and frequency):
Occasionally 0 – 33% Frequently 34 – 66% Continuously: 67 – 100%

• Lift from Floor to Waist:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 76 to 100 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 101 + lbs. - Occasionally
• Above Waist Lift:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 76 to 100 lbs. - Occ