Overview
Technical Support Assistant for the Network Planning SPN team
Job Purpose:
The Network Planning Team is part of the Asset Management Directorate. The team’s role is to manage the LV, HV and EHV distribution networks in UK Power Networks regulated SPN area.
As the Technical support assistant, you will be supporting the Network Planning Team SPN by dealing with customer enquiries, allocating and managing the technical systems for connection applications, diversions, protection, reinforcement works and any other job request for the Network Planning team. The role will involve putting together reports, managing progress updates, job status updates and associated interactivity tables and typical business support activities.
The aim is to deliver excellence in customer service, maintaining high quality, accurate and timely information and responses to our customers both internally and externally.
Dimensions:
Staff: No direct reports
Department budget: The the postholder is not a budget holder but has the responsibilities as outlined below.
Principal Accountabilities:
The work content can be varied and dynamic to meet the needs of both customers and internal and external stakeholders. Core activities include, but are not limited to the following activities:
Support customer enquiries and ensure they are addressed in a timely and professional manner.
Maintain the generation and demand customer connection systems by registering new applications, updating status of applications, monitoring the quality of information stored and provide updates on the team performance. Act as interface with the different connection teams and deliver reports as relevant.
Provide quality information to internal and external stakeholders in the form of reports including for example support for the LTDS, DG mapping, etc or reports to National Grid and external customers such as generation capacity reports or ad-hoc requests from other external stakeholders.
Assist the development of project information in SAP PPM/PS, financial reports and raising claim notifications;
Take ownership of the internal mailboxes, registering all incoming work for the team, and allocating work to the relevant Network Planning Engineers and Technicians taking, updating all relevant technical characteristics in the database, including but not limited to: primary, grid and GSP, point of connection voltage, type of generation, import and export values…
Assist in resolving missing information for network records, data quality issues in the database and other tools; Identify, manage and implement improvements to the working practices;
Attend liaison/ interface meetings with other stakeholder giving updates on progress of jobs for the team and taking notes as required.
Support the Network Planning team with general administration such as updating the team monthly report, raising POs, ordering PPE, stationery, setting up meetings, team events…
Support the network planning team in the more administrative tasks of their works such as utility plans, chasing for status updates, gathering information about/ for local authorities.
Nature and Scope:
As a Technical support assistant for the Distribution Planning team, you are responsible for ensuring the smooth flow of the support functions enabling the planning engineers to produce schemes in support of the capital programme and to answer connection queries.
You will be responsible for raising new jobs and updating existing jobs as they progress in both our in-house database and our financial system (SAP). You will also be expected to check data and query discrepancies with the connection designers, connections project managers, surveyors and planning engineers as required in order to ensure clear accurate data is maintained.
In order to maintain progress of the programme, certain work needs to be carried out in advance of the site works such as legal consents and site surveys. Where we interact directly with contractors who carry out these functions purchase orders will need to be raised and tracked. When the relevant information has been received and quality checked the order will need to be receipted and closed. Monitoring of open orders is important to ensure the minimum numbers are in use at any one time.
In this job, you will gain an understanding of the connection design and planning process, as well as the opportunity to develop your Microsoft Access skills and SAP skills.
Should you wish to, there will be the opportunity to develop a technical understanding of the Distribution Network. This could lead to a Distribution Technician role in the future, should you wish to study towards an ONC or HNC in parallel with your work.
Other activities may include supporting the Design Review process, supporting the EPN planning team when other business supports and technical support assistants are on leave or sick.
Measures of Success
Timely and accurate entry and updates of connection referrals on the database to ensure that the teams meet their Service Level Agreements with Connections and other parts of the business.
Timely and accurate entry of job requests for the team in the database.
Timely daily, weekly, monthly and yearly reports for the various stakeholder the Network Planning team interfaces with.
Accuracy in data entry and reporting. Minimal re-work required, if any, of SAP, database, team reports and other stakeholder reports
Accurate and timely response to the jobs allocated.
Supports and achieves the goal of zero harm to one’s self, colleagues and members of the public.
Makes a positive impact on performance and engagement for the team.
Feedback from other staff and other departments within UK Power Networks as well as external organisations demonstrate a positive image of the company and the team.
Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience:
Essential:
* Educated to GCSE standards and already be in possession of City & Guilds 232 in Electrical Engineering qualification or equivalent or A-level in science, maths or physics. Higher qualification will be an advantage.
* A good standard of English and Maths
* Proficient in basic PC skills (including Microsoft Office suite)
* Self-motivated & able to work under pressure
* Good team working skills as well as self-motivated and able to work under own initiative and comply with targets set for allocated tasks;
* Good organization skills including the ability to plan and manage time;
* Basic understanding of the principles behind electricity networks and electrical assets such as transformers, switchgear, cables and overhead lines;
* Proficient in IT technology including Microsoft Office Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint.
Desirable:
* Previous experience of technical support activities
* Good interpersonal skills and an ability to communicate clearly
* The post-holder should be able to think and act ahead of time to take advantage of opportunities for innovation and improvement and to address problems
* Enthusiastic and flexible approach to work
* An understanding of the principles of Distribution Network Operator power engineering;
* Previous use of UK Power Networks IT technical programs such as SAP, PowerON, PI and Netmap;
* Knowledge of connections and/ or consents activities
Health & Safety Responsibilities
Managers and supervisors carry both legal and company responsibilities for ensuring the health and safety of their employees, those under their control and those who might be affected by the work undertaken, i.e. public, visitors and employees of other organisations. This includes briefing individuals working for them and ensuring there is the necessary understanding, competence and application of requirements to work safely and without harming the environment.
Employees will ensure they fully understand the health and safety risks involved in their work activities and their responsibility to apply the controls needed to manage those risks to acceptable levels. Similarly where work activities can have an adverse impact upon the environment, and particularly where there are legal requirements, employees will understand those impacts and the controls they must ensure are applied.
Employees need to be aware that for some craft and operational roles that work at height, or use fall arrest devices, there is an upper weight limit of 116Kg due to maximum safe working load of the safety equipment that is used.
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