Manager I, Reliability Planning
Location: Fergus Falls
Salary grade 15
At Otter Tail Power, our employees help power the communities we serve while building a strong and sustainable energy future. We are seeking a strategic and innovative Manager I, Reliability Planning to lead long-term asset investment planning and reliability strategies across our transmission, distribution, and facility assets. This leadership role provides a unique opportunity to influence critical infrastructure decisions, optimize asset performance, and help ensure the safe, reliable, and affordable delivery of electricity to our customers.
As the Manager I, Reliability Planning, you will lead a team responsible for developing and maintaining long-range capital and maintenance investment strategies. Working collaboratively with Engineering, Operations, Finance, Regulatory Affairs, and senior leadership, you will drive data-informed decision making, asset management excellence, and regulatory accountability while supporting the company's long-term strategic objectives.
This position reports to Senior Manager Engineering.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and develop a team responsible for asset planning, reliability programs, and GIS development while fostering a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Develop and maintain short- and long-term asset investment strategies for transmission, distribution, and facility assets that balance reliability, safety, compliance, affordability, and customer value.
- Utilize asset condition, performance, risk, and operational data to establish investment priorities, optimize asset lifecycles, and improve system reliability.
- Lead capital planning efforts, including business case development, investment analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning.
- Oversee reliability initiatives and asset management programs that support operational excellence and measurable performance improvements across the electric system.
- Guide long-term facilities and building lifecycle strategies, including capital reinvestment planning and total cost of ownership analysis.
- Provide oversight of GIS data quality, mapping standards, and data integration efforts that support engineering, planning, and operational decision-making.
- Partner with Engineering, Operations, Finance, Regulatory Affairs, and executive leadership to develop and communicate data-driven investment strategies.
- Support regulatory filings, rate cases, and strategic planning initiatives through the development of defensible, evidence-based capital investment plans and recommendations.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Eight or more years of progressive experience within electric utility engineering, transmission and distribution operations, or another asset-intensive industry.
- Three or more years of leadership experience with demonstrated success managing and developing employees.
- Experience developing and implementing multi-year asset lifecycle plans, capital programs, and budgets.
- Knowledge of utility asset management principles, asset health modeling, and risk-based planning methodologies.
- Experience developing capital investment business cases and presenting recommendations to leadership teams.
- Familiarity with GIS systems and engineering records management practices.
- Strong analytical, communication, relationship-building, and change management skills.
- Demonstrated success leading process improvement initiatives and driving organizational performance.
- Experience developing benefit-to-cost analyses using reliability, risk, customer impact, and lifecycle cost metrics.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with technical, operational, financial, and executive stakeholders.
At Otter Tail Power, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on critical infrastructure investments while leading a talented team dedicated to reliability, innovation, and customer service. If you are a strategic leader with a passion for asset management, long-term planning, and continuous improvement, we encourage you to apply and help power what's next.
What We Offer
We believe employment is a partnership and we expect excellence from our talented employees. To support our employees and help drive their career experience and goals.
- Competitive wage & benefit package.
- The expected offer for base compensation for this role is $117,000 - $162,000 annually. The actual compensation within the compensation range will vary based on factors relevant to the position.
- Incentive plans
- Employee Stock Ownership options
- Retirement Savings Fund with employer match
- Health, disability and life insurance plan options
- Our employees are provided training and development opportunities each year, including education reimbursement. This includes safety – one of our values and key to our success – technical, compliance and developmental training.
- Career development is critical to our long-term success. Otter Tail Power employees have opportunities to participate in various leadership development programs, gain access to an a la carte online leadership course catalog, receive mentorship from current leaders and more!
- Mental health support from the experts at SupportLinc as well as competitive vacation and sick leave to ensure employees are at their best when they’re working.
To apply, visit our careers page at www.otpco.com (http://www.otpco.com/). Applications accepted through September 4, 2026.
This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship at this time.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
