Lincoln Electric System (LES) is a municipal utility, owned by the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, with a service area that covers approximately 200 square miles. LES employs approximately 566 people (approximately 27% of which are represented by two unions with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) and serves over 153,000 customers. LES is operated under the LES Administrative Board, appointed by the Mayor, and confirmed by the Lincoln City Council. LES' deep involvement in the community is reflected in the LES Administrative Board. Each Board member is a community leader that offers a valuable perspective on diverse issues confronting LES. There are nine members, and each member is allowed to serve a maximum of three, three-year terms, receiving no compensation for their time served.
LINCOLN ELECTRIC SYSTEM
Lincoln Electric System (LES) provides electric services to the cities and towns of Lincoln, Prairie Home, Waverly, Walton, Cheney, and Emerald. LES serves over 153,000 customers, of which approximately 88% are residential and 12% are commercial and industrial. LES is the second largest retail electric utility in Nebraska and the 23rd largest public power electric utility in the U.S.
At LES workplace safety is a company core value and an integral part of the culture. In 2023, LES was awarded the Peak Safety Award by the Nebraska Safety Council and received the Nebraska Safest Companies Award from the National Safety Council of Nebraska.
The utility has some of the lowest-cost electric service in the nation; with an overall average residential rate of 10.81 cents/KWh. The System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI), the average annual amount of outage time for customers, excluding major events, was just 19.3 minutes in 2024.
In 2009, LES became an active member of the SPP Regional Transmission Organization, now called the Southwest Power Pool Integrated Marketplace (SPP IM). LES’ energy requirements are met through the SPP IM, and the utility satisfies its capacity requirements through a variety of LES- owned generating facilities, minority ownership in jointly owned generating facilities, power purchase arrangements, and a hydroelectric allocation from the Western Area Power Administration. LES has total nameplate generating capacity of 1,278 MW. Energy production from renewable resources is equivalent to 45% of retail sales.
LES’s operating revenue is approximately $360 million and utility plant assets are $1.8 billion. LES has a total of $601.2 million in long-term debt with a Debt Service Coverage ratio of 2.59. Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings assigned AA ratings to LES, among the highest granted to electric utilities. LES remits 5% of total gross retail revenues from the sale of electricity within the city's corporate limits and any incorporated city or village in LES' service area to the City of Lincoln via a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT).
The Nebraska Power Review Board (NPRB) regulates electric utility activity in the state of Nebraska with oversight responsibility of the state’s generating resources, establishment of individual public power service territories, and approval of certain transmission routing. NPRB is not responsible for rate establishment but may render advisory opinions concerning wholesale rate disputes. More information can be found at: https://www.les.com/
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
Lincoln is the State of Nebraska’s capital city and the home to over 300,000 residents. Lincoln sits at the heart of the growing Silicon Prairie, offering a thriving economy to new businesses and residents. The last decade saw large investments in broadband infrastructure through public private partnerships, positioning the city to capitalize on the growing demand for remote work. Lincoln is ranked 6th by Ownerly as the best city in the country for remote workers and has been named a Smart Gigabit Community by US Ignite, a title given to fewer than 50 communities. Lincoln has remained economically resilient throughout the pandemic and continues to boast a low cost-of-living, low unemployment, consistent population growth, and a host of lifestyle amenities including 134 miles of hiking/biking trails, a robust public school system, and a Big Ten university campus.
The cost of living in Lincoln is estimated at only 92.6% of the national average with a median home cost of $263,400. More information can be found at: https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/Home and https://www.lcoc.com/
LES seeks an experienced and strategic leader to assume a newly created Chief People Officer (CPO) role. This executive leader is responsible to lead functions that support employee personnel needs, and may lead or guide key functions that provide administrative, operational, and logistical support for employees. The CPO will lead and provide the vision, strategy, and implementation of functions that provide an industry-leading employee experience and organizational culture. He or she is responsible for guiding efforts to provide effective functions for talent acquisition, performance management, training and development, compensation, benefits, labor relations, payroll, and other people-related activities. The CPO is also responsible to oversee all aspects of the utility’s employee programs and culture-building activities, which should be positioned to support execution of a robust, ambitious and dynamic strategic plan for LES. The CPO reports to the Chief Executive Officer, manages a team of 15 to 30, and serves as an integral member of the LES Executive Leadership Team.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Leads the development and execution of short- and long-term goals, and establishes strategic goals, long-term objectives and short-term priorities for the division.
Guides and oversees all functions of human resources strategy and operations, providing direction to the teams providing all People functions for the organization.
Ensures that the organization has effective functional areas for talent acquisition/retention, compensation, payroll, benefits, employee learning & development, human resources policy, labor relations, employee experience, organizational culture programming, and any other capabilities for acquiring, retaining, and supporting a highly qualified and talented workforce.
Collaborates with executive leadership to assess and address the organization’s human resource needs, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and workforce planning.
Leads the development and administration of human resource policies and works with LES legal counsel to ensure adherence to labor and employment laws and regulatory compliance, while guiding all related processes in collaboration with executive team for decision making, understanding, and organizational consistency.
Guides and oversees key functions supporting LES employees, as necessary.
Ensures a high standard of service delivery for all functions assigned to the division and ensures that all division staff prioritize providing an excellent employee experience to LES personnel.
Creates and drives a high standard for identifying and implementing tools, technologies, and techniques for people management and support services to ensure LES benchmarks favorably against utility industry and other peers in these areas of function.
Oversees the development of the division’s budget and monitors, analyzes, and interprets results of financial and operational results to identify trends and recommend actions regarding variances between budgeted and actual.
Leads and oversees processes, tools, and functionality for effective employee performance management and accountability.
Serves as the lead executive for all matters related to labor relations and coordinates all necessary functions within the organization including operational groups, legal counsel, as well as the executive team and other key leadership to ensure effective working relationships with all organized labor units represented in the utility.
Leads efforts to create and maintain an excellent employee experience to establish healthy organizational culture that facilitates a high performing and highly engaged workforce.THE
SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE
The CPO must have breadth in enough areas of human resources to be seen as a credible and strategic leader to the Administrative Board, Executive Leadership Team, employees, community, and other partners and stakeholders. This should include demonstrated experience working with key concepts enabling successful organizations including strategic planning and strategic plan execution, organizational behavior, management and leadership studies, and other concepts relevant for people functions in complex organizations.
While a strategic leader is important to LES, candidates should also offer fundamental management and tactical skills, including demonstrated experience leading HR/Personnel functions in a complex organization which include succession planning, employee development, performance management, training, organizational development and workforce planning, talent acquisition and retention, onboarding, compensation, benefits, labor relations, payroll, and use of modern tools and processes to enhance the employee experience.
Fully qualified candidates will possess strong working knowledge of HR/Labor law and regulations and an understanding of their real-world application. Candidates must also offer accounting, financial, and budgetary knowledge. Strong working knowledge of organizational support functions and shared general services is ideal. As is knowledge about business/enterprise software applications including the value and use of Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) and their application for organizational effectiveness.
Qualified candidates could come from within the utility industry or from outside the industry with enough exposure to complementary human resource issues and staffing needs. Executive/C-Suite level experience is preferred, but not required.
It is expected that the CPO will promote an environment of collaboration, accountability, inclusion, transparency, development, and mentoring In addition, the CPO will possess strong communication skills along with a willingness to promote an environment where team members are comfortable having courageous conversation that lead to overall performance development and improvement.
LES is targeting individuals with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resource Administration or a related field, as well as a minimum of ten years of progressive experience in human resources including a minimum of five years of management or leadership experience. LES will consider an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.
COMPENSATION, BENEFITS AND RELOCATION
The total compensation and relocation package is competitive and dependent upon qualifications and experience. LES offers a benefits package that includes a 401k Defined Contribution Retirement Savings Plan. LES’ matches 100% of employee contribution, up to 10% of applicable compensation, which vests after three years of service. LES also offers a 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan and self-funded health and dental insurance programs.
TO APPLY
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to pprouse@mfpllc.us no later than April 21, 2025.
Patrick Prouse Mycoff Fry Partners LLC PO Box 1310 Conifer, CO 80433 (720) 201-1828