Consumer Counsel Supervisor of Utility Financial Analysis

OCC is a small, independent state agency that acts as the advocate for consumer interests in matters which may affect Connecticut consumers relating to electricity, natural gas, water, and telecommunications.

The OCC is a statutory party to all proceedings before the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) and is authorized to appear and participate in any regulatory or judicial proceedings, federal or state, in which the interests of Connecticut utility consumers may be involved.

In addition to representing consumer interests before PURA, the OCC participates actively in proceedings before federal agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") and the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC"), advocates on behalf of consumer interests in state and federal courts, and promotes the interests of consumers at the Connecticut legislature and in regional and national forums.

The Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) acts as the advocate for consumer interests in matters which may affect Connecticut consumers relating to electricity, natural gas, water, and telecommunications. The OCC is engaged in investigating, evaluating, and providing recommendations on innovative energy policies and programs and utility regulation in Connecticut. The OCC’s work covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Water rates, system infrastructure improvements, and resource planning;
• Energy infrastructure and electric system modernization (e.g., gas pipelines; electric transmission lines);
• Wholesale and retail electric and gas markets and rates;
• Energy efficiency and demand response;
• Utility service quality and storm response;
• Renewable energy, distributed generation, and grid modernization;
• Electric vehicles and energy storage;
• Policy development on issues relating to electricity, natural gas, and water;
• Telecommunications service, service quality, and infrastructure, broadband access, and telecommunications policy.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Office of Consumer Counsel this class is accountable for supervising the professional, technical and clerical staff of the Financial Analysis section involved in the analysis and assessment of the economic and financial conditions affecting utility companies.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Schedules, assigns, oversees and reviews work of staff;
• Provides staff training and assistance;
• Conducts performance evaluations;
• Determines priorities and plans unit work;
• Establishes and maintains section procedures;
• Develops or makes recommendations on development of policies and standards;
• Acts as liaison with other operating units, agencies and outside officials regarding section policies and procedures;
• Responsible for accuracy and content of material developed by section staff;
• Directs and coordinates staff in utilizing financial computer models and other analytical techniques to study utility proposals and their impacts;
• Develops analytical models to support needs of section;
• Supervises and/or performs complex analysis and investigations of utility rates, accounting, finance and related matters pending before the office;
• Supervises or participates in staff assessment of existing and proposed technologies;
• Supervises and/or performs cross-examination of witnesses in Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and other regulatory hearings;
• Prepares or reviews highly technical reports and correspondence;
• May testify as an expert witness;
• Performs related duties as required;
• Examines and audits books and records of utilities subject to regulation;
• Conducts cross examination of witnesses on financial exhibits submitted in rate and other proceedings;
• Represents agency at formal hearings;
• Performs most complex duties in analyzing, interpreting and evaluating financial statements and technical exhibits submitted by utilities in rate and other proceedings;
• Designs and reviews annual reports of utilities;
• Designs and installs new internal accounting analysis tools and revises established systems;
• Develops and maintains financial and statistical files concerning various utilities subject to regulation;
• Develops specifications for computerized financial and accounting models;
• Evaluates propriety of proposed security issuances by Connecticut utilities in light of current securities markets and appropriate utility capital structures;
• Write summaries of accounting and financial information for explanatory materials;
• May independently conduct complex examination and analysis;
• Performs related duties as required;
• May supervise, schedule, assign, oversee and review work of employees of lower grade.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Nine (9) years of professional experience in the regulation and/or analysis of cable television (CATV), electric, gas, telecommunications, or water utilities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

• College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
• A Master's degree in a discipline closely related to the section activities may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, business analytics, or economics.
• An MBA, CPA, CFA, or other relevant advanced degree or certification.
• Experience or coursework in forensic accounting.
• Experience researching, analyzing, or auditing companies
• Strong background in financial statement analysis
• Working experience or extensive coursework in utility regulation or energy policy.
• Experience with public utility finance and accounting principles.
• Working experience in utility ratemaking.
• Working experience in public utility cost allocations and rate design.
• Experience writing technical reports, white papers, position papers, policy papers, regulatory documents, or academic articles for a general audience that provide conclusions or recommendations supported by documented evidence.
• Experience interpreting technical, financial, or legal documents and communicating information in writing and verbally to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience working independently to prepare and issue reports.
• Experience with project management, working on two or more projects simultaneously, while adhering to deadlines.
• Experience using Microsoft Excel and creating graphs and charts from excel data.
• Experience supervising or managing a team in a professional setting.

Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.

Job Opening: Consumer Counsel Supervisor of Utility Financial Analysis - Department of Administrative Services

The State of Connecticut, Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) is hiring for a Supervisor of Utility Financial Analysis position who will be focus on supporting OCC's mission to advocate for the interests of customers of public service companies, including electricity, natural gas, public water, telecommunications, and broadband.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU:

• Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• Professional growth and development opportunities
• A healthy work/life balance!
• Thirteen (13) paid holidays each calendar year.

Position Highlights

• The position will be located at Ten Franklin Square, New Britain, CT 06051, and offers a hybrid (telework/office) work schedule. This is a full-time, 40 hours per week position, Monday - Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• The position will report to the Consumer Counsel.
• The selected candidate will play a crucial role providing financial, technical and accounting expertise and will oversee the Office’s technical staff in a wide range of proceedings before the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the Federal Energy & Regulatory Commission, the Connecticut Siting Council, and potentially other forums to conduct investigations and audits into the regulated electric, gas, and water utilities, telecommunications companies as well as third-party suppliers, and other energy providers.
• OCC is seeking an applicant with accounting or finance experience and interest in supervising the Office’s evaluation of rate increase applications and capital and infrastructure planning of electric, gas and water regulated entities, including evaluating the financial and accounting aspects of performance-based-regulation (PBR) initiatives in Connecticut.
• The position also plays a critical role in providing input into legislative, policy, and regulatory developments related to electric, gas, and water utility regulation.
• The applicant will oversee the agency’s technical staff that is comprised of motivated, highly skilled people trained in a variety of technical fields such as accounting, finance, economics and rate design, as well as work with attorneys with backgrounds in energy and utility law, and will participate in utility proceedings in the electric, gas, water, telecom, and cable industries.
• For the full range of specific position duties, please see the "Examples of Duties" section below. More details can be found in the job classification.

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