Chief Operating Officer

Lea County Electric Cooperative – Lovington, NM

Lea County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) in Lovington, NM is hiring a collaborative, results-driven leader for their Chief Operating Officer (COO).  This key member of the leadership team will play a critical role in aligning strategy with execution, strengthening organizational culture, and ensuring operational excellence across the cooperative.

The COO will operate as the General Manager’s principal partner with full authority to act in their absence. The COO is expected to lead decisively, move the organization with urgency, and deliver measurable results across a complex electric system.

This role is being created to support ongoing growth in capital projects and to address an increasingly complex and evolving regulatory environment. In addition, it will play a critical role in ensuring continuity of leadership and institutional knowledge as the organization prepares for a significant wave of upcoming retirements, strengthening succession planning and reinforcing a resilient, future-ready organizational structure.

LCEC has retained NRECA Executive Search to facilitate the search process for this newly created position.

About Lea County Electric Cooperative

Established in 1949, Lea County Electric Cooperative in headquartered in Lovington, New Mexico.  The cooperative plays a vital role in powering communities across Southeast New Mexico and West Texas, encompassing portions of Chaves, Eddy, and Lea Counties in New Mexico, as well as Cochran, Gaines, and Yoakum Counties in Texas. Our dedicated team of nine trustees, in collaboration with our skilled management and workforce, has successfully navigated through periods of change and expansion.

Key Statistics about LCEC

• 230 MW system peak
• 1.4+ billion kWh annual sales
• Over 4,300 miles of energized line
• 53 owned substations, switch stations and transmission interchange stations
• 70 MW renewable portfolio
• $100M+ annual revenue
• $300M+ total utility plant
• Full transmission and distribution operations
• Central operations hub with multiple satellite locations

The cooperative has a full requirements contract with its G & T - Western Farmers Electric Cooperative located in Anadarko, Oklahoma. 

The COO position

Reporting directly to the Executive Vice President and General Manager, the Chief Operating Officer will drive organization-wide performance against strategic and financial targets by aligning all functions to clear metrics, timelines, and outcomes. In the General Manager’s absence, the COO will have decision-making authority, while promoting strong operational discipline, and eliminating silos to ensure cohesive execution across the cooperative.

This role serves as the bridge between strategic vision and day-to-day execution, ensuring that organizational priorities are effectively implemented across departments.

The COO also plays a key leadership role in fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Operations, Reliability & Risk

• Lead electric operations with an uncompromising focus on reliability, safety, and cost control
• Own system performance across T&D infrastructure
• Ensure compliance in a regulated, high-stakes environment
• Oversee system resilience as a core operational priority

Capital & System Delivery

• Convert strategy into executable capital plans—and deliver them without excuses
• Ensure projects are completed on time, on budget, and to standard
• Maintain real-time visibility into operational and financial performance
• Partner on long-term system planning and grid modernization

Leadership & Culture

• Build a performance-driven, accountable organization
• Lead teams/departments with authority and influence-not consensus alone
• Develop the next generation of leadership and strengthen bench depth
• Set the tone: high expectations, clear standards, no ambiguity
• Oversight of Safety, Buildings and Grounds

Board, Stakeholders & Market Interface

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the General Manager and Board
• Represent the cooperative with credibility and command
• Engage directly with Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) markets, including Southwest Power Pool (SPP)
• Navigate regulatory, member, and industry relationships with confidence

The Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will be a well-rounded senior level leader with strong operational expertise and a demonstrated ability to lead people and drive results. 

This is a true C-suite role with enterprise-wide impact.

Leadership Competencies

• Ability to lead change and manage risk: Identifies and actively manages change and risk throughout the organization.
• Vision and Strategic Orientation: Takes a broad scale, long-term view, that focuses on the future needs of the organization and members
• Analytical Thinking and Decision Making: Thinks systematically, conceptually, and analytically to determine effective solutions that will enable the co-op to achieve desired goals.
• Results Driven: Achieves results by establishing and maintaining focus on challenging goals and measuring organizational performance against those goals and standards.
• Process Management: Develops and monitors processes and organizes resources to achieve desired results.
• Exceptional communication skills, both formally and informally: Listens, relates and expresses oneself in a manner that is effective while supporting mutual understanding.
• Relationship and Team Building: Creates and fosters constructive working relationships and cohesive teams.
• Commitment to safety, integrity and cooperatives values

Experience and Expertise

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or related field
• At least 5 years of progressive leadership experience
• At least 10 years of electric utility experience
• Strong operational and project management background

Preferred

• Electric cooperative or public power experience strongly preferred
• Advanced degree (MBA or related)
• Experience working with Boards, regulators, and community stakeholders
• Experience with Southwest Power Pool (SPP) strongly preferred
• Deep Expertise in transmission and distribution operations
• MIP graduate is desired
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is a plus
• NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) experience
• Direct experience in Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) environments

Our Location 

With a population of around 11,000, Lovington offers the charm of a tight-knit community while staying connected to larger nearby hubs. Residents benefit from an affordable cost of living, light traffic, and a slower, more relaxed lifestyle. At the same time, they’re just a short drive from Hobbs (about 20 minutes away, population ~50,000) for additional shopping, dining, and entertainment, and within roughly 90 minutes of Lubbock (population ~280,000), which provides access to advanced healthcare, and a wider range of cultural and professional opportunities. This balance makes Lovington an appealing choice for those who want affordability and a strong sense of community without giving up access to urban amenities.

Nearby regional airports are Hobbs, NM; Roswell, NM; Lubbock, TX and Midland, TX.

Our Benefits

LCEC offers an excellent comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental and vision coverage, life insurance, long term disability, 401 k and employer funded pension (NRECA R&S Plan).

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.   

Lea County Electric Cooperative is an EEO/Affirmative Action employer.  Race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, military, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other applicable status protected by Federal, State or Local law are not taken into account in any employment decision.  Learn more about us at https://www.lcecnet.com/

How to Apply

If interested, please apply at https://nreca.applytojob.com/apply/0iJcMnerZ5/Lea-County-Electric-Cooperative-Chief-Operating-Officer  with the following: 1) Cover letter, 2) resume and 3) contact information (including emails) for 3 professional references. Applications must be received by June 12, 2026. If you have any questions, please contact Leigh Taylor, NRECA Executive Search, leigh.taylor@nreca.coop.

All replies are confidential.