Manager of Rates and Pricing

Closing Date to Apply: Until Filled

Salary: $115,960.00 - $202,904.00

Typically, selected candidates are hired at a salary rate between the minimum and midpoint of the range.

Benefits: This link below will provide you with Grant PUD’s benefit that may be available if hired, different employee types are eligible for different benefits.

Grant PUD — Unified Insurance Program (uip-wa.org)

Position Summary

Rates and Pricing Manager is a senior-level responsible for leading Grant PUD’s retail and wholesale pricing strategies, rate design, and economic analysis. This position plays a critical role in supporting the utilities. This position manages the Rates and Pricing function, including staff supervisor and technical leadership. The individual plays a critical role in supporting the utility’s Strategic Plan objectives to maintain financial strength, deliver long-term low rates, and enhance customer service. The role includes directing cross-function collaboration on customer rate design and development, financial modeling, and risk analysis. It serves as a key advisor to the Executive Team and Commission on rate-related decisions.

Essential Functions

Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by incumbents of this class; employees may be assigned duties which are not listed below; reasonable accommodations will be made as required. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement and is subject to change at any time by the employer. Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Manager Rates & Pricing leads the development of critical economic modeling and analysis for rate design, rate policy, load forecasting, and related policies and fees. This includes developing rate proposals, working closely with customers and team members to build complex economic and financial models, developing products and pricing that provide customer value, and performing cost of service and cost allocation analysis. Rates and Pricing is the technical authority of customer rates and also provides analysis as needed to support wholesale power supply and transmission functions including supporting demand side management and the Integrated Resource Plan.
• The Manager Rates & Pricing will be responsible for developing rates, pricing, and contract strategies in a quickly changing retail and wholesale environment.
• The Manager Rates & Pricing must be able to both execute and manage analytical efforts while providing high quality, innovative utility rate and financial consulting to leadership and department staff. This position requires a high level of communication with internal and external stakeholders including PUD customers and the Commission. The Manager Rates & Pricing must balance a customer-driven focus with Grant PUD’s interests and performance metrics.
• The Manager Rates & Pricing is expected to champion a culture of safety excellence demonstrating Safety is Grant PUD’s paramount value.
• Manage the Rates & Pricing team including providing and participating in training and development as necessary to ensure adequate technical skills are in place for the group to meet its goals and objectives in support of the Grant PUD Strategic Plan.
• Plans work in an efficient and effective manner including communication and collaboration with other departments.
• Develops department goals and metrics to support organizational objectives.
• Supports the preparation of load forecasts to determine future Grant PUD loads by rate class, sales, and revenues by means of time series, econometric, and end use modeling including variance analysis for actual loads and revenues compared to prior forecasts.
• Leads the ratemaking process and schedule, and the development of rate proposals and associated documentation:
• Leads and directs staff in the performance of the Cost-of-Service Study (COSS) to determine the PUD revenue requirement, customer class cost allocations, and rate designs for each class.
• Develops, assesses, and maintains relevant rates and pricing metrics, data, and benchmarking statistics for Grant PUD as well as participating in benchmarking efforts and various industry-wide surveys and collaboration.
• Designs and implements strategies around rates, policies, and fees for existing and new services in accordance with Washington statutes and guidelines established by the PUD Commission, including coordinating the public rate process and public outreach efforts.
• Oversees the evaluation, design, and implementation of product offerings and rate schedules in collaboration with accounting, finance, wholesale, engineering, and customer facing departments to evaluate opportunities and risks around customers, loads, pricing, and rate structures.
• Informs Commission actions for intended and unintended consequences to enable the leadership team and Commission to make informed decisions.
• Leads the rates component of economic analysis and modeling support for the financial forecast, Integrated Resource Plan, and other Grant PUD priorities.
• Communicates ideas and presents in public forums with a variety of audiences including the PUD Commission and community stakeholders and customers.
• Provides role clarity and assigns near-term and mid-term work priorities for the department and to members of the Rates & Pricing team.
• Provides training, coaching, and feedback to Rates & Pricing team members. Provides input to leadership on team members’ goals and annual performance review.
• Performs leadership administrative functions as needed including budgeting, budget variance reporting, and monthly budget monitoring, and leading recruiting and hiring efforts for the Rates & Pricing team.
• Actively participate in all aspects of our safety program, including but not limited to:
• Following all safety policies and procedures.
• Alerting supervisors and coworkers to unsafe or hazardous working conditions.
• Reporting any unsafe incidents or close calls within 24 hours to your supervisor; and
• Accepting feedback from supervisors and coworkers regarding your own safety performance.
• Actively support programs and actions that improve our Safety Culture by:
• Supporting the presence of safety in your department (e.g. include safety messages in business conversations; begin meetings as appropriate with a safety minute).
• Ensuring supervisors are monitoring the safety actions of their teams (such as completing safety training, reporting incidents timely, etc.).
• Being viewed as a safety champion by stopping work if necessary, promoting safety activities (Continuous improvement team processes, Safety & Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) activities, etc.).
• Acknowledging compliant safety behaviors and good safety performance from members of your team(s).
• Demonstrated commitment to Grant PUD’s mission, vision, values, strategic plan, and Grant PUD / IBEW Local 77 Code of Excellence. The incumbent should be familiar with these organizational priorities and behave in a way that aligns with these expectations.
• Understand and adhere to compliance requirements for this position that may include laws, regulations, security guidelines, Grant PUD policies & Procedures.
• May operate a District Vehicle.
• Actively participate in all aspects of our safety program, including but not limited to:
• Following all safety policies and procedures.
• Alerting supervisors and coworkers to unsafe or hazardous working conditions.
• Reporting any safety incidents or close calls within 24 hours to your supervisor.
• Accepting feedback from supervisors and coworkers regarding your own safety performance.
  

Required Qualifications (Education, Experience, Licenses & Certifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, Math, Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Science and/or an equivalent degree, or 2 additional years of relevant experience in lieu of degree.
• Seven or more years of experience in retail customer engagement, cost-of-service studies, cost allocation, rate design, and load forecasting.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications (Education, Experience, Licenses & Certifications)

• Master’s Degree or PhD in Economics, Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, and/or an equivalent degree is desirable.
• Experience in electric power industry, wholesale rate making including transmission and ancillary services
• Experience in a comparable position
  
  

Other Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of electric utility, generation, transmission, distribution, and customer operations.
• Knowledge of theories/principles used to develop retail power rates and contracts including an understanding of econometrics, load forecasting methods and cost of service allocation practices.
• Ability to work directly with regulatory bodies or retail customers and making the analytical connection between wholesale and retail customers and products on Grant PUD’s system.
• Ability to develop, design, and administer utility rate structures and communicate rate impacts to PUD customers, staff, management team, and Commissioners.
• Advanced knowledge of financial modeling and economic analytical experience.
• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles.
• Ability to organize work and direct processes, procedures, and workflows to ensure maximum productivity, efficiency, and timeliness for multiple projects.
• Ability to promote and work in a team environment.
• Knowledge of financial planning procedures and practices, financial forecasting, accounting and FERC reporting, change management, and project management.
• Written and verbal communications abilities are essential including: ability to present material and to lead group and one on one discussions with a broad range of audiences including elected commissioners, customers and stakeholders, senior management, and peers.
• Ability to solve problems, make sound decisions and implement effective delegation.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, schedule, communicate, and delegate to implement programs while working in a coordinated manner with numerous other departments.
• Ability to manage personnel, set priorities and support subordinate profession development.
• Ability in leadership, adaptability, flexibility, and conflict resolution.
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Position may be eligible for hybrid work arrangement: ☒Yes ☐No
• Majority of work is performed in a standard office setting.
• Typical shift of employees in this position: ☒8 hours ☐9 hours ☐10 hours ☐12 hours
• applicant/incumbent should refer to the Physical Capacity Evaluation (PCE)The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions for this job, the level of knowledge and skill typically required, and the scope of responsibility, but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned, including work in other functional areas.