Associate Director - NERC O&P and CIP Compliance

Job Family:

Risk & Regulatory Compliance Consulting

Travel Required:

Up to 25%

Clearance Required:

None

What You Will Do:

We are seeking a highly skilled NERC Operations & Planning (O&P) 693 and Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) professional to advise Energy Provider clients on utility operations adherence to rigorous reliability standards, that will support the stability and security of the electric grid. This role requires deep expertise in NERC Operations & Planning (O&P) and CIP regulatory frameworks, best practices, and reliability standards within the Power/Electric Utilities industry. 

Work experience in Banking, Healthcare, Pharma, Manufacturing, Mining, Construction, or DoD is NOT applicable for this role.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of compliance programs aligned with NERC O&P and CIP standards.
• Conduct detailed assessments of utility operations to identify compliance gaps and develop corrective action plans.
• Prepare comprehensive documentation, reports, and audit responses demonstrating adherence to NERC standards.
• Provide expert guidance for internal audits and external reviews, ensuring transparency and regulatory compliance.
• Facilitate training sessions and workshops for client staff on NERC requirements, emphasizing best practices in operational planning and reliability standards.
• Stay current with evolving industry regulations, technological advancements, and emerging challenges affecting electric grid reliability.
• Maintain data integrity, availability, and confidentiality through metadata standards, classification, retention, and purging policies.
• Collaborate with compliance, operations, IT, and engineering teams to align technical architecture with regulatory and business needs.

What You Will Need:

• Due to nature of client engagements must be a US Permanent Resident or US Citizen.
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, business, cybersecurity, security management, homeland security, information security, or related discipline AND Seven (7+) plus years post-graduation working experience within the electric utility industry or a NERC related regulator; Or Master's degree in electrical engineering, business, cybersecurity, security management, homeland security, information security, or related discipline AND Five (5+) plus years post-graduation work experience within the electric utility industry or a NERC related regulator.
• Work experience must be an emphasis on North American NERC Reliability Standards (USA and/or Canada) supporting regulatory framework and processes around NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) or NERC Operations & Planning and Regional Entities (US and/or Canada).
• Proven experience in NERC 693 compliance management within electric utility or related energy sectors.
• Strong understanding of operations & planning functions in power systems, including system modeling and analysis.
• Exceptional communication skills for effective collaboration with cross-functional teams, regulators, and stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively with compliance, operations, IT, and engineering teams to align technical architecture with regulatory and business needs.
• Ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail under tight deadlines.
• Ability to travel to include potential international as needed.
• Ability to work onsite in a Guidehouse Office or Client Office location.
• Currently reside in the contiguous United States.

What Would Be Nice To Have:

• Preference will be given to candidates within reasonable driving distance of a core Guidehouse Office or Client Office location.
• Deep understanding of NIST, ISO 27001, and CIS controls to architect secure systems and enforce security compliance.
• Specific working experience related to any of the following:
  • Bulk Electric System (BES) and power systems
  • Electrical Reliability
  • NERC/FERC Enforcement or Auditing

#LI-DNI

The annual salary range for this position is $122,000.00-$203,000.00. Compensation decisions depend on a wide range of factors, including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, security clearances, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.

What We Offer:

Guidehouse offers a comprehensive, total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and a flexible benefits package that reflects our commitment to creating a diverse and supportive workplace.

Benefits include:

• Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance

• Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays

• Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus

• Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance

• 401(k) Retirement Plan

• Basic Life & Supplemental Life

• Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts

• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability

• Student Loan PayDown

• Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities

• Skills Development & Certifications

• Employee Referral Program

• Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach

• Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program

• Mobility Stipend

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer–Protected Veterans, Individuals with Disabilities or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.

Guidehouse will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law or ordinance including the Fair Chance Ordinance of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you have visited our website for information about employment opportunities, or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Guidehouse Recruiting at 1-571-633-1711 or via email at RecruitingAccommodation@guidehouse.com. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodation.

All communication regarding recruitment for a Guidehouse position will be sent from Guidehouse email domains including @guidehouse.com or guidehouse@myworkday.com.  Correspondence received by an applicant from any other domain should be considered unauthorized and will not be honored by Guidehouse.  Note that Guidehouse will never charge a fee or require a money transfer at any stage of the recruitment process and does not collect fees from educational institutions for participation in a recruitment event. Never provide your banking information to a third party purporting to need that information to proceed in the hiring process.

If any person or organization demands money related to a job opportunity with Guidehouse, please report the matter to Guidehouse’s Ethics Hotline. If you want to check the validity of correspondence you have received, please contact recruiting@guidehouse.com. Guidehouse is not responsible for losses incurred (monetary or otherwise) from an applicant’s dealings with unauthorized third parties.

Guidehouse does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Guidehouse and Guidehouse will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.