Employee Spotlight: Jarret Sheeder

A field service project manager ensuring a zero-harm culture

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In the end, no matter how exhausting the day is, knowing I made an impactful decision makes it all worthwhile.

Jarret Sheeder is a field service project manager for ��˿��, responsible for ensuring the smooth running of outages at power plants nationwide. With eight years of experience at the company, Jarret is no stranger to the challenges of his job.

His work has taken him all over the country, from Homestead, FL, to San Luis Obispo, CA, and just about everywhere in between. He has worked exclusively on steam turbines and generators, doing fossil and nuclear outages.

Jarret is currently planning an upcoming outage at TVA’s Sequoyah Nuclear Plant. This is his first time as the project manager for a nuclear outage, and he is focused on ensuring the paperwork is correct to facilitate a smooth in-processing experience for all the engineers and craftspeople who are arriving.

Once everyone is on-site, Jarret will ensure they have what they need to do their job safely and efficiently. Supplying the crew with what they need is not enough; it takes on-deck supervision and coaching to reinforce the zero-harm culture the team believes in.

When asked what drew him to this kind of work, Jarret says he focused on turbomachinery while in college, making this job a good fit.

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It's important to make quick and effective decisions so you can schedule everything on time and prevent delays.

Being a field service worker can be tough, but it also offers plenty of chances to grow. Jarret has identified two main challenges that require a proactive approach to overcome.

“First, it's important to make quick and effective decisions so you can schedule everything on time and prevent delays,” Jarret explains. “Second, working with people from all sorts of different backgrounds and opinions requires finding a balance between respecting their views and sticking to your own expertise. By embracing these challenges and working on your decision-making and communication skills, you can really thrive in your role and make a positive impact!”

Jarret enjoys the challenges that come with his job, despite any difficulties that may arise. Steam turbines are never “cookie-cutter,” and every outage will ALWAYS bring challenges, no matter how “standard” it may seem.

On the road for nine months a year, Jarret spends his time on-site as an Integrated Product Support (IPS), dealing with the mechanical aspects of the machine. He is typically a floor engineer but has been getting more exposure to project management and will be using that knowledge on the upcoming outage.

When he’s not on a job site, Jarret heads home to State College, PA, working out at the gym as often as possible. He also spends a lot of time – and money – under the hood of his 2018 TA392 Dodge Challenger, 1983 Jeep CJ7, or his 1939 Chevy Master Deluxe Sedan. His life goal is to own a 2002 Dodge Viper GTS.

However, Jarret’s top priority is to always make time to spend with his wife, Shelby, and their pets – two cats and two Great Danes. “None of this job matters if I’m not succeeding in my personal life as well,” he says.

When asked what he would like people to know about field service, Jarret replies, “It can be tough; some days my energy is depleted by the time I get back to the hotel. But after the long jobs spent away from home, comes the downtime where you get to unwind and relax. In the end, no matter how exhausting the day is, knowing I made an impactful decision makes it all worthwhile.

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A field service project manager ensuring a zero-harm culture

Jarret Sheeder

Jarret Sheeder

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