Critical Power Operations Manager

Location: Southern Louisiana
Position Type: Full-Time
Travel: Up to 40%

Position Overview

A growing technical services organization in Southern Louisiana is seeking an experienced Critical Power Operations Manager to lead its mission-critical power service and project operations.

This position is responsible for directing field personnel, coordinating technical projects, supporting key customer accounts, and improving the overall performance of the critical power business. The manager will oversee work involving backup power, electrical distribution, emergency power systems, and related infrastructure used in facilities where continuous operation is essential.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in critical electrical systems along with experience leading technicians, managing customer-facing projects, and overseeing service operations. This individual should be comfortable balancing technical problem-solving, team development, customer communication, financial performance, and business growth.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operations of a critical power service and project team.

• Manage field technicians, technical specialists, project personnel, subcontractors, and supporting resources.

• Coordinate projects from initial planning and proposal review through installation, startup, testing, commissioning, and customer turnover.

• Oversee preventive maintenance programs, emergency service calls, corrective repairs, warranty work, and equipment upgrades.

• Develop schedules and allocate labor, equipment, vendors, and other resources across multiple active projects and service assignments.

• Monitor project costs, department performance, staffing levels, backlog, technician utilization, and customer satisfaction.

• Review scopes of work, estimates, technical specifications, electrical drawings, one-line diagrams, and project documentation.

• Provide leadership during complex troubleshooting events and major customer outages.

• Coordinate startup, acceptance testing, commissioning, and system verification activities.

• Maintain strong relationships with industrial, healthcare, commercial, institutional, government, and mission-critical facility customers.

• Work with customers to identify maintenance needs, equipment risks, system upgrades, and long-term service opportunities.

• Support the preparation and review of proposals, service agreements, project quotations, and maintenance contracts.

• Develop recurring service offerings that improve customer reliability and increase long-term maintenance revenue.

• Work closely with equipment manufacturers, distributors, subcontractors, and technical vendors.

• Ensure field activities meet company safety requirements, customer standards, and applicable electrical regulations.

• Participate in recruiting, onboarding, training, mentoring, and developing technical employees.

• Establish clear expectations for safety, technical quality, communication, productivity, and customer service.

• Support business-development efforts and help identify opportunities to expand the organization’s critical power capabilities.

• Participate in after-hours escalations when significant customer outages or emergency situations occur.

Systems and Equipment

The operation supports a variety of mission-critical electrical equipment, which may include:

• Uninterruptible power supply systems

• Standby and emergency generators

• Automatic transfer switches

• Low- and medium-voltage switchgear

• Battery and energy-storage systems

• Power distribution equipment

• Static transfer equipment

• Electrical monitoring and control systems

• Generator controllers and paralleling systems

• Power-quality and electrical testing equipment

Required Experience

• At least eight years of experience supporting critical power, emergency power, electrical distribution, power generation, or related mission-critical infrastructure.

• At least three years of experience in a leadership, supervisory, operations, or management capacity.

• Experience directing field technicians, service personnel, contractors, or technical project teams.

• Working knowledge of UPS equipment, standby generators, transfer switches, switchgear, batteries, and electrical distribution systems.

• Experience coordinating multiple service assignments and technical projects simultaneously.

• Ability to interpret electrical one-line diagrams, schematics, specifications, and construction drawings.

• Understanding of electrical safety practices and applicable industry standards.

• Experience with project scheduling, budgeting, cost control, forecasting, or department-level financial performance.

• Strong troubleshooting, decision-making, and problem-resolution abilities.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to communicate effectively with technicians, customers, executives, vendors, engineers, and project stakeholders.

• Ability to travel throughout the region as business needs require.

• Availability to assist with major emergency-service escalations outside standard business hours when necessary.

Education

A bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, engineering technology, construction management, or a related technical discipline is preferred.

Relevant military training, technical education, electrical trade experience, or extensive critical power industry experience may be considered in place of a four-year degree.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting data centers, hospitals, industrial facilities, utility environments, manufacturing sites, or other facilities requiring continuous electrical availability.

• Experience with commissioning, acceptance testing, preventive maintenance, and emergency response.

• Familiarity with generator control platforms, paralleling controls, electrical monitoring systems, PLCs, SCADA, or building-management systems.

• Experience managing service contracts and recurring maintenance programs.

• Experience reviewing proposals, estimates, service agreements, and project financials.

• Formal project-management, electrical testing, or safety certifications.

• OSHA 30 or comparable safety training.

• NFPA 70E training.

• NETA-related experience or certification.

• Professional Engineer license or Project Management Professional certification is beneficial but not required.

Leadership Expectations

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong technical and operational judgment

• Safety-focused leadership

• Customer relationship management

• Financial and commercial awareness

• Team development and mentoring

• Accountability and follow-through

• Strategic planning

• Conflict resolution

• Continuous improvement

• Calm decision-making during outages and emergency situations

Physical and Work Requirements

• Ability to travel up to approximately 40%.

• Ability to work in electrical rooms, industrial facilities, healthcare environments, manufacturing plants, commercial buildings, and other active customer sites.

• Ability to inspect equipment and work areas in both indoor and outdoor environments.

• Ability to lift or move equipment and materials weighing up to approximately 50 pounds when necessary.

• Ability to respond to urgent customer or operational needs outside normal working hours when required.