Salary: $53,964.00 – $100,008.00 Annually
Location: Thurston County – Lacey, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Permanent
Closing Date: 10/13/2023 11:59 PM Pacific
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) is looking to fill two Regulatory Analyst positions in Water, Solid Waste, and Transportation section within the Regulatory Services Division. These are full-time positions and the ability to fill at an in-training level of Regulatory Analyst 1 or 2, with a goal class of the Regulatory Analyst 2 or 3 level.
About UTC:
Our mission is to protect the people of Washington by ensuring that investor-owned utility and transportation services are safe, available, reliable, and fairly priced.
We protect consumers by regulating the rates, services, and practices of private or investor-owned utilities and transportation companies to ensure they are safe, equitable, reliable, and affordable.
The UTC is continually recognized for its excellence and integrity as a regulatory agency, as we challenge the status quo and ourselves to ensure equitable outcomes for our customers and the people of Washington.
We recognize that our employees are the key to the agency’s success. We are committed to our work but value balance with our personal lives. We demonstrate our commitment to employees by providing an environment that stimulates professional growth, and offers continued learning opportunities, meaningful work, and a comprehensive benefits package.
A little about the Regulatory Analyst Opportunity:
This expert-level and advanced position directly supports the agency’s mission by providing technical analysis and recommendations necessary for the Commission’s decision-making processes with respect to utility and transportation services and the rates charged for those services. This position works on more complex issues with significant and broad impact on private solid waste collection, transportation, water companies, customers, and other stakeholders. This advanced position plays a critical role in helping the Commission navigate the most complex technical issues by conducting reliable analysis, summarizing and packaging information clearly, accurately, and in easy-to-understand terms, identifying the critical decision points of complex filings, and balancing stakeholder interests. Tasks are unstructured and require the incumbent to understand the private water, solid waste, and transportation industries and operating environment; – apply appropriate administrative codes, statutes, regulatory policies and procedures, legal and regulatory precedents, and other information to complete assignments. The recommendations made by this position are essential to the Commission as it attempts to regulate fairly and in the public interest.
What you will be doing:
Provides the Commission with expert recommendations on decisions for utility and transportation filings through formal written memoranda, Commissioner briefings, public presentations, and in formal adjudications, such as general rate proceedings, through written and oral expert testimony. Assignments may often include unusual, strategically important, or politically sensitive issues and have a high degree of complexity.
Reviews, analyzes, and reaches conclusions on complex utility and transportation filings that may be broadly scoped and have significant impacts to consumers and companies, including tariff filings, requests for rate revisions, accounting petitions, complex cost recovery mechanisms, and proposals for new service offerings or new rate designs. This advanced position should reach conclusions through the holistic review of multiple forms of evidence and identify connections, gaps, discrepancies, and key data necessary to reach an informed decision.
Translates complex and technical concepts into accessible terms for decision-makers through memoranda, formal testimony, or presentations on tariff filings, petitions, and other relief sought by utilities, transportation companies, and stakeholders with specific emphasis on the clarity and narrative flow.
Undertakes independent research that is directly relevant to the regulation of public utilities and transportation companies in Washington. Reviews key commission orders, policy statements, industry trends, and developments across the United States for information relevant to current and future commission proceedings.
Leads rulemaking teams or participates as a member of a rulemaking team drafting administrative rules to implement new legislation, to streamline or improve existing administrative procedures, or to eliminate or replace outdated processes. A rulemaking team member or lead reviews appropriate statutes, establishes realistic timelines and attainable deliverables, produces draft language for proposed rules, provides input on practical application of proposed rules, organizes and leads workshops, engages in stakeholder outreach, and incorporates feedback into draft rules, and displays emotional intelligence and intellectual humility as a leader or team member.
Leads teams of analysts to assess utility utility and transportation filings critically, comprehensively, and holistically.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:
Demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities in the following:
- Analytical skills and critical thinking
- Fundamental regulatory skills
- Writing and communication
- Inclusive and collaborative conduct
- Project management
Preferred/Desired Qualifications:
For the Regulatory Analyst 3:
Education and Experience:
- One of the following:
- An advanced degree in relevant field, such as business administration, economics, financial accounting, law, or public utility regulation plus two years doing regulatory analysis for Washington state government, one year of which must have been at the second level or equivalent; or,
- An advanced degree in relevant field, such as business administration, economics, financial accounting, law, or public utility regulation plus three years of professional research or analysis experience with an institution engaged primarily in regulatory matters; or,
- A Bachelor’s degree involving major study in economics, accounting, business or public administration, finance, or related field and four years of professional research or analysis experience with an institution engaged primarily in regulatory matters; or,
- Three years doing regulatory analysis work for Washington state government, one year of which must have been at the second level or equivalent; or,
- Seven years of work experience in economic analysis, financial accounting, public utility regulation, public utility law, or utility business operations, four years of which must include research or analysis experience with an institution engaged primarily in regulatory matters.
- Experience in persuasive writing or writing for decision-makers or advanced training in standards of professional writing.
- Experience writing administrative rules or participating on a rulemaking at a regulatory agency.
For the Regulatory Analyst 2/Regulatory 1:
Education and Experience:
- One of the following:
- An advanced degree in relevant field, such as business administration, economics, financial accounting, law, or public utility regulation plus two years doing regulatory analysis for Washington state government, one year of which must have been at the second level or equivalent; or,
- An advanced degree in relevant field, such as business administration, economics, financial accounting, law, or public utility regulation plus three years of professional research or analysis experience with an institution engaged primarily in regulatory matters; or,
- A Bachelor’s degree involving major study in economics, accounting, business or public administration, finance, or related field and four years of professional research or analysis experience with an institution engaged primarily in regulatory matters; or,
- One year doing regulatory analysis work for Washington state government; or,
- Three years of work experience in economic analysis, financial accounting, public utility regulation, public utility law, or utility business operations, which must include research or analysis experience with an institution engaged primarily in regulatory matters.
- Experience interpreting and applying Uniform System of Accounts (USoAs) for regulated industries or established charts of accounts for non-regulated industries.
- Experience interpreting and applying regulatory accounting principles for regulated industries, as developed through the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission’s adjudications or interpreting and applying regulatory accounting principles for other state utility regulatory commissions.
Supplemental Information
- Although this is a hybrid opportunity, the successful incumbent must reside within Washington state.
- Occasional travel during and outside normal work hours throughout the state for public meetings or hearings related to commission filings may be required.
- Conflict of Interest: RCW 80.01.020 limits the commission’s ability to employ any person who owns stock in any company the commission regulates or is otherwise financially interested in such company.
- Compliance with the ethics laws (RCW 42.52) is an individual responsibility, which may include disclosure of volunteer work, elected activity, outside employment, or other business activity.
- No employee may engage in any outside employment or business activity that will interfere with the performance of their duties or result in a conflict of interest.
- No employee may engage in any volunteer or elected activity that will interfere with the performance of their duties or result in a conflict of interest.
Application Process:
In addition to completing the online application, applicants must attach the following documents to their application to be considered for this position:
- A cover letter which includes how you meet the qualifications and why you believe you are the ideal candidate.
- A current resume detailing your applicable experience and education.
- Three professional references with current telephone numbers and email addresses, including your current or most recent supervisor.
For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4204100/regulatory-3-2-and-1-in-training-telecom-water-transportation-section
