NOVEC CEO Posting

Job Opportunity
President & Chief Executive Officer
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC)

The Board of Directors at Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) seeks an experienced, ethical, technically astute leader to join the organization as its next President and CEO.  The preferred start date is no later than April 1, 2025.  NOVEC’s new leader will replace David E. Schleicher, who is retiring after eight years at NOVEC and three years of exceptional service to NOVEC’s members as CEO.

 

NOVEC’s new leader must personify the co-op’s values of Integrity, Accountability, Safety, Teamwork, and Excellence.  The incoming leader must have a thorough understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing a large, complex electric cooperative that carries a very large industrial load. Additionally, he/she should have a strategic orientation that fosters innovative solutions to these challenges.  He/she must have a collaborative leadership style, be professionally poised, and be an eloquent communicator.  He/she must have the experience and competencies required to help NOVEC continue to achieve its high levels of electric system reliability, safety, employee engagement, member satisfaction, operational excellence, financial soundness, and corporate responsibility.  NOVEC is looking for a leader who can work collaboratively and productively with the board and highly talented co-op staff to achieve outstanding results and keep NOVEC at the forefront of the industry.

 

About NOVEC

 

Headquartered on the outskirts of Washington, DC, in Manassas, VA, NOVEC delivers power to more than 181,000 meters in a thriving, high-growth region across six counties, plus the City of Manassas Park and the Town of Clifton.  NOVEC also powers several data center campuses and will soon be serving many more that are currently under construction in the service territory.

 

In addition to two facilities in Manassas, NOVEC has offices in Aldie, Gainesville, Woodbridge, and Stafford County, Virginia.

 

NOVEC’s members are among the most educated and affluent electric consumers in the nation, and they are highly satisfied with the service they receive from the cooperative.  NOVEC has scored among the top electric utilities in the United States on the J.D. Power & Associates Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction StudySM.  Moreover, NOVEC’s reliability is among the best at 99.99% average system reliability.

 

NOVEC is also a committed and valued corporate citizen in the communities it serves.  The co-op contributes to more than 100 charitable and civic organizations, supporting a wide variety of educational programs, health causes, performing arts, youth sports, and more.  NOVEC HELPS (Hands Engaged in Local Public Service) is a certified 501(c)(3) that provides employees the opportunity to volunteer their time, money, and skills in ways that add lasting value to communities throughout the NOVEC service territory.

 

NOVEC purchases the majority of its power through the PJM marketplace.  In addition, a NOVEC subsidiary, NOVEC Energy Production, operates the cooperative’s 49.9-megawatt biomass plant in Southern Virginia that was commissioned in 2013 and provides power to an equivalent of 12,000 homes.

 

Another subsidiary, NOVEC Energy Solutions, has been a leading supplier of natural gas in five deregulated utility markets (District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia) for more than 20 years.  A third subsidiary, NOVEC Solutions, offers a variety of services, such as commercial fiber optic solutions, solar installations, and home standby generators.

 

NOVEC and its subsidiaries are governed by a well-functioning, experienced board of directors.

 

Fast Facts about NOVEC

 

  • Meters: ~181,000
  • Meter Density: 23 meters per mile
  • Annual Operating Revenue: ~$1 billion
  • Annual kWh Sales: >10 billion
  • Assets: >$1.3 billion
  • Employees: ~365
  • Board Members: 7
  • Service Territory: 651 square miles

 

Additional Information about NOVEC

 

 

About the Northern Virginia Area

 

Northern Virginia offers unlimited opportunities for professional and personal growth.  The region is home to excellent public and private K-12 education, as well as numerous universities.  Entertainment and cultural events can be found throughout the area, along with outstanding healthcare, housing, shopping, and dining.  In Northern Virginia, there is truly something for everyone. 

 

In addition, NOVEC’s headquarters office is only 18 miles from Washington Dulles International Airport and 31 miles from the heart of Washington, DC.  NOVEC is ideally located near a major metropolitan area, while at the same time being a short drive to the mountains of Shenandoah National Park, the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, and numerous historic sites.

 

Northern Virginia offers NOVEC’s next CEO one of the finest places to live in the United States.

 

Qualifications

           

            Required

 

Applications from those who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

  • Minimum of five years of verifiable, successful leadership experience at the Vice President level or above (or equivalent) in an electric utility
  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
  • Excellent leadership and communication skills
  • An unwavering commitment to transparency and ethical conduct
  • Deep knowledge in electric utility strategy, risk management, operations, systems, safety, power supply, customer/member needs and expectations, finance, and accounting
  • An understanding of electric utility industry trends, their likely effects on large cooperatives, and ways to leverage those trends for the benefit of NOVEC and its members
  • An understanding of – and an appreciation for – the cooperative business model and cooperative principles
  • A demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with boards of directors, executive leadership teams, and support staff
  • A cultural fit with the cooperative, its board, leadership team, and staff
  • The ability to represent NOVEC effectively with members, business partners, professional associations, investment banks, government officials, regulatory bodies, and other key stakeholders
  • Must be able to travel for meetings at the local, regional, and national levels, and to be a partner and mentor to others within the electric industry and co-op associations
  • Must be an articulate, compelling public speaker demonstrating deep understanding of the NOVEC service offerings
  • Eligibility for a Top Secret security clearance
  • Must relocate to Northern Virginia

         

   Preferred

 

  • An advanced degree in an area relevant to leading an electric utility, including but not limited to engineering and/or management
  • Professional Engineering Certification
  • Experience managing significant P&L responsibilities

 

Application Process and Deadline

 

Interested individuals who meet the required qualifications must email a cover letter and resume to Monica Beavers, Director of Client Services at GreatCo-Ops, at mbeavers@greatcoops.com.  In addition to discussing the applicant’s fit for the role, the cover letter must also include the individual’s perspectives on one significant trend in the electric utility industry, its impact on Northern Virginia, and how it is likely to affect NOVEC and its members, given the co-op’s unique characteristics and scope of operations.

 

Professional references and a personality profile will be requested later for applicants progressing through the process.  Finalists will undergo a comprehensive background check.  The selected candidate must also undergo a pre-employment drug test.

 

Applications are strongly preferred by September 13, 2024, at 5:00 pm Eastern.  However, applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

 

NOVEC is an equal opportunity employer.