Technical Advisor, Center for Partnerships & Innovation

Position Description

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Center for Partnerships & Innovation (CPI) supports NARUC’s membership of U.S. state and territory utility commissioners and commission staff.  Working in partnership with NARUC members and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), CPI projects support improvements in the quality and effectiveness of public utility regulation through education and collaboration. Through cooperative agreements (grants) with DOE, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and other funding sources, CPI develops technical assistance resources that prepare utility regulators as they tackle emerging challenges in energy regulation. CPI developed resources can include white papers, workshops and trainings, expert panel discussions, site visits to energy infrastructure and R&D facilities, educational webinars and more. CPI also facilitates peer sharing among NARUC members, connections among state utility regulators and subject matter experts (e.g., from DOE, national laboratories, industry) and other approaches to assist NARUC members.

The Technical Advisor will contribute to educational initiatives under multiple federal financial awards to NARUC. The Technical Advisor will be responsible for planning and creating technical assistance resources as part of NARUC’s work plans and will review and edit project deliverables prepared by outside project consultants. The Technical Advisor will assist in the management of the NARUC-DOE Coal Modernization and Carbon Management Partnership, NARUC-DOE Natural Gas Partnership, NARUC-NASEO Microgrids State Working Group and NARUC-NIST Smart Grid Partnership, with the potential to work on other CPI awards. The Technical Advisor will work closely with NARUC members from different states. Understanding and addressing NARUC’s member questions and challenges through a variety of assistance approaches is a key responsibility of this position.

The position reports to the CPI Technical Manager.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILTIES

Requires intermediate experience and knowledge of a range of issues related to public utility regulation, including but not limited to power generation and delivery infrastructure; carbon capture, utilization, and storage; renewable and zero-carbon energy sources; ratemaking, resource planning, and other regulatory processes; federal and state regulation of energy infrastructure; energy resilience and reliability; etc. The Technical Advisor must be able to translate technical content for non-technical audiences and convey concerns and lessons to and from NARUC members.

Program Management and Technical Support

• Working with NARUC membership and funders to implement grant programs by undertaking tasks and programs set forth in work plans.
• Researching, writing, and/or authoring/co-authoring in-house prepared and/or external consultant prepared resources (such as reports or publications).
• Arranging and attending virtual and in-person events (e.g., meetings, conference calls, site visits, workshops, and webinars), including support in event planning, on-site facilitation, and post-event documentation of discussions and lessons learned.  
• Coordinating with existing and potential partners (e.g., State associations, industry associations) and other stakeholders to understand and explain foundational concepts, emerging issues and topical developments related to particular grant portfolios (e.g., coal and carbon capture, natural gas, microgrids, smart grid) and staying up to date on technical and policy issues associated with particular grant projects.
• Collaborating with NARUC subcontractors, members, and other CPI staff to identify project objectives and scopes of work and develop resources.
• Assisting in the identification and management of subcontractors by writing statements of work and coordinating with subcontractors to ensure timely delivery of projects.
• Supporting NARUC Committee activities as assigned, including at NARUC’s three membership-wide meetings each year.
• Being a resource for NARUC members on issues associated with particular grant projects.
• Contributing to the development of press releases and public outreach related to particular grant projects.
• Contributing to periodic progress reports, fulfilling grant requirements by updating funders on progress towards deliverables and associated metrics.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• BA/BS degree from an accredited college or university. Master’s degree in an energy, engineering, environmental, regulatory, or public policy field is highly desirable. Minimum seven years of related experience in the electric and/or gas sectors.

• U.S. citizenship or existing work authorization is required.  

• Strong strategic planning experience, organizational skills, and attention to detail.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, juggle multiple projects, and meet tight deadlines.

• Strong communications and management skills, with the ability to develop and manage collaborative business relationships both internally and externally are a must.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and diplomacy for working with all levels of staff, external entities and NARUC leadership.

• Excellent proficiency in presentation and writing skills.

• Ability to travel domestically up to 20% (After COVID-19 travel restrictions are lifted.)

• Ability to handle and maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information and issues.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The position is grant-funded and continued employment is based on client funding and satisfactory work performance. This is an exempt position.  Salary is commensurate with experience. NARUC has an excellent benefits package.

This description is not an attempt to list all essential functions of this position. Job duties may change over time, based on NARUC’s needs.

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners is an Equal Opportunity Employer.