Director, Strategic Planning

Highlights of the job

We are hiring a full-time Director, Strategic Planning position based in our corporate office in Phoenix, AZ.

As the Director, Strategic Planning, you will lead the development and execution of long-term strategies that ensure the reliability, sustainability, and financial strength of EPCOR Water USA’s facilities. This role requires technical depth in water infrastructure planning, asset management, and regulatory framework, along with the ability to guide a team of planners and GIS professionals. The Strategic Planning function plays a critical role in supporting system growth, operational efficiency, and long-term capital planning in collaboration with Operations, Developer Services, Finance, and Regulatory teams.

What you’d be responsible for:

• Developing and overseeing long-term capital improvement plans, incorporating hydraulic modeling, GIS analysis, and demand forecasting.
• Optimizing water distribution networks, treatment facilities, and pumping stations using simulation tools and planning models.
• Evaluating emerging technologies, including smart metering, leak detection systems, and AI-driven predictive maintenance.
• Implementing risk-based asset management practices aligned with ISO 55000 standards.
• Supporting long-term financial modeling for multi-year Capital Investment Plans.
• Applying failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and risk-based prioritization for asset lifecycle management.
• Developing and maintaining a Management of Change (MOC) system.
• Overseeing the Geographic Information System (GIS) function across regulated service areas.
• Conducting hydraulic modeling of water and wastewater systems to identify capital needs, support development integration, and resolve system challenges.
• Monitoring and interpreting regulatory policies to ensure compliance at local, state, and federal levels.
• Providing technical input and serving as a company witness for regulatory filings and related documentation.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to align long-term planning with company-wide strategies and goals.
• Balancing capital and operational investment strategies to meet regulatory and business objectives.
• Mentoring and developing technical staff in planning, GIS, modeling, and predictive maintenance.
• Supervising planning engineers and ensuring timely, high-quality plan development and delivery.

What’s required to be successful:

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a related field; a Master’s degree or MBA is desirable.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in water and/or wastewater project execution, hydraulic modeling, and capital improvement planning.
• Experience leading and mentoring technical teams, with a focus on delivering planning, modeling, and infrastructure strategy.
• Strong understanding of utility systems, asset management, and long-term infrastructure planning.
• Experience conducting and interpreting technical analyses for water and wastewater system performance.
• Skilled in communicating complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, supervise staff, and ensure adherence to technical standards and procedures.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams) and Power BI; familiarity with ESRI GIS software (ArcGIS Pro) is required.
• Knowledge of ADEQ and NMED regulations, capital improvement planning, budget development, and utility system operations.
• Professional Engineering license in Arizona, or ability to obtain within 6 months; licensure in New Mexico and ADEQ Operator Certifications are desirable.
• Comfortable working in an office environment with occasional field visits; travel required less than 20%.
• Physical ability to perform office tasks and occasional site visits, including in high-heat conditions and lifting up to 15 pounds.

Note: While this position is titled as Director for external posting and market alignment purposes, the internal title for this role is Senior Manager.<