Technical Support Specialist III – Energy Management Systems (EMS)
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Schedule: 24x7x365 Rotating Shifts (8 or 12-hour shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays)
Contract- 3 Years
Client- Southern Company Services
Position Overview
The Technical Support Specialist III (Energy Management Systems) serves as a frontline support resource within a 24/7/365 operations environment. This role acts as a single point of contact for inbound IT incidents, managing issue resolution from intake through completion.
The position provides computer systems and application diagnostics and support, monitors SCADA and EMS systems, and serves as the primary communications channel between customers, support personnel, and management.
This is a mission-critical role supporting Bulk Power operations and requires strong technical troubleshooting skills, regulatory awareness, and the ability to perform effectively in high-pressure environments.
Key Responsibilities
Incident & Helpdesk Management
- Serve as primary point of contact for inbound IT incidents (phone, email, web).
- Log and track incidents in a ticketing system.
- Resolve Level 1 issues or escalate to appropriate support teams.
- Troubleshoot and resolve issues remotely whenever possible.
- Document cases thoroughly through resolution.
SCADA & EMS Monitoring
- Monitor primary SCADA and ancillary systems for health and availability.
- Coordinate repairs with EMS department personnel and other company teams.
- Notify key stakeholders of outages or events impacting critical systems.
- Support Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery systems.
Compliance & Process Adherence
- Adhere to Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP), Sarbanes-Oxley, and other federal regulatory compliance requirements.
- Follow Change Management processes and knowledge-based procedures.
- Comply with electronic and physical access policies.
- Understand and adhere to FERC Standards of Conduct and Southern Company protocols.
Customer & Team Collaboration
- Communicate effectively with transmission control center personnel, coordinators, and management.
- Provide input on process improvements and customer feedback.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers.
Education & Experience Requirements
- Formal education in Computer Science, IT, or related field
OR equivalent hands-on experience. - 5–10 years of technical support or IT helpdesk experience preferred.
- Prior helpdesk experience in an IT capacity strongly preferred.
Technical Knowledge & Skills
- Working knowledge of Windows operating systems
- Working knowledge of AIX or UNIX-based systems
- Familiarity with distributed computer networks
- Experience in ticketing systems and incident tracking
- Strong troubleshooting and diagnostic skills
- Understanding of SCADA/EMS environments preferred
Core Competencies
- Strong customer service orientation
- Ability to multitask and prioritize based on operational criticality
- Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
- Ability to work effectively in stressful, high-impact environments
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work independently and in a team setting
Additional Requirements
- Must pass enhanced background screening and drug testing.
- Must comply with Insider Threat Program requirements.
- May be required to remain onsite during severe weather events.
- Must be able to work rotating shifts (days/nights/holidays/weekends).