General Manager

Lead with purpose. Build on Strength, Value People.
Full-Time Exempt | Executive Leadership

Benton PUD is seeking an accomplished electric utility executive who believes that exceptional public service begins with people and is sustained by sound decisions, forward thinking, and accountability. Our next General Manager will build on a strong foundation of strategic investment and a people-centered culture while guiding the District’s continued delivery of safe, reliable, and affordable electricity and related services.

Selected by and reporting directly to the elected Board of Commissioners, the General Manager leads strategic planning, provides timely information, and presents sound recommendations to support informed Commission decisions. The General Manager leads and develops a highly skilled workforce, ensures strong financial and operational stewardship, and positions the District to meet evolving customer expectations, power supply needs, and electric utility industry challenges. 

The successful candidate will bring broad electric utility knowledge, demonstrated senior leadership experience, and a strong understanding of utility operations, engineering, finance, and power supply. As an executive representative and advocate for the District and its customers, the General Manager builds productive relationships with community leaders, public officials, and utility partners.

Benton PUD's values—Safety, Integrity, Mutual Respect, Forward Focus, Excellence and Teamwork—guide how we serve our customers, work with one another and make decisions. The next General Manager will put these values into practice by exercising sound judgement, building trust, championing employee and public safety, and demonstrating ethical conduct. 

Lead a utility where valuing people, investing in the future, and delivering results are part of the same mission.

1. Support the District’s mission to serve our customers and foster a positive workplace by personally choosing behavior aligned with our values and ethical codes.
2. Set and communicate vision and direction through a clear, concise and motivating mission for the District to deliver against business goals and objectives established through regular and systematic planning and as required by statutory requirements and government targets.
3. Direct and support District Strategic Planning by determining strategies at the highest level, setting the context, gathering input, developing and approving the plan brought before the Commission and directing implementation.
4. Drive operational excellence by fostering a customer focused business culture where a team-oriented and empowered workforce is committed to and accountable for continuous improvement of all facets of District operations.
5. Ensure the fiscal integrity of the District by securing the financial resources necessary, optimizing the allocation of those resources by reviewing and approving financial strategies and budgets and monitoring and adjusting financial strategies in order to meet the District’s responsibility to the customers.
6. Ensure the District’s best interests are protected by acting as the public face for the District, representing the District in regional and national forums, through on-going networking, and lobbying.
7. Drive ethical conduct throughout the District by exemplifying the legal, moral and professional standards identified in the District’s Code of Ethics   and by holding all District employees accountable for ethical behavior. 
8. Ensure Board of Commissioners are informed about items of significance by developing and approving the Commission agenda, participating in Commission Meetings, and communicating emerging matters and proposed solutions in a timely manner.
9. Perform other duties as requested by the Commission to meet District goals and objectives.

Minimum Education and Experience:

Licensing or Certifications:
Must posses and maintain a valid WA driver’s license.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Must have broad electrical utility knowledge and experience of electric utility management, including fundamentals of transmission and distribution system operations, utility finances and accounting, budgeting, and wholesale power purchasing.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills
• Strong leadership skills and ethical foundation
• Understanding of the political implications of working in a PUD
• Understanding of the legal aspects of working in a PUD
• Analytical strength
• Negotiation and mediation skills
• Financial management acumen
• Strategic planning and execution
• Public communications

• Attendance: Consistent need to attend work at the job site or work location. Frequent or constant need for punctuality.
• Physical effort: Most of the time is spent sitting in a comfortable position and there is frequent opportunity to move about.  On rare occasions there may be a need to move or lift light articles. Overnight travel by automobile and/or airplane is frequent.
• Environment: Generally located in a comfortable indoor area.  Any unpleasant conditions would be infrequent and not objectionable.
• Hazards: Most of the time is spent in general office or equivalent conditions.
• Sensory Attention: Typically requires limited levels of sensory attention.
• Job Pressure/Deadline Orientation: Must meet reasonable deadlines, quotas or demands for accuracy and/or may be involved in some mildly unpleasant situations.