Economist

Seattle City Light
Seattle - United States
S: $34.32 - $39.96 Hourly

Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is among of the nation's largest municipally-owned utilities. We pride ourselves in providing Seattle with electricity that is affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

Seattle City Light's Financial Planning Unit is recruiting for the position of Financial Planning & Rates Analyst. In this role, you will conduct a wide array of financial and economic analyses as well as develop and forecast customer electric rates. You will be a key contributor to the Utility's Strategic Plan, work closely with stakeholders across the utility to develop financial models, and make recommendations for senior management on various financial and rate policy issues. This position will report to the Financial Planning Manager.

Job Responsibilities:

Seattle City Light's Financial Planning Unit is responsible for City Light's short- and long-term financial forecast, rate-setting and debt issuance functions. The Economist responsibilities include:

Performing financial and economic research, analysis and interpretation on various topics including financial policies and metrics, electric rates, cost benefit analysis, bond sales, capital improvement projects, regulations, and contracts.
Designing, building, and maintaining financial models, forecasts, and analysis in various platforms including Excel, SAS, and SCL's financial planning model (UIPlanner). Writing algorithms, update inputs, run scenarios, troubleshoot outputs, and create reports.
Developing and analyzing retail electric rates, including revenue requirements analysis, marginal cost of service and cost allocation, and rate design. Draft City legislation and communication materials necessary to document and implement changes to customer rates.
Supporting bond sales by analyzing cash needs and assembling financial documentation for rating agencies and prospective bond holders.
Writing, editing, and presenting technical documents describing the results of studies and analysis.
Coordinating research and analytic efforts with other units within City Light and other City Departments.
Preparing and delivering presentations on financial and economic matters within City Light and before citizens' committees, Council Staff and other City of Seattle Departments.

Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Finance, Mathematics, Business Administration, or other field involving extensive course work in economic and financial theory and analysis.

Experience: Minimum of two years professional experience in economic/financial research and analysis or a combination of education and/or training and/or experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class.

Desired Qualifications:

Advanced degree in a relavant field involving economic and financial theory and quantitative analysis.
Experience in conducting research, analyzing, and interpreting economic and financial data, as well as in summarizing analytical outcomes and translating into tables, charts, alternatives or recommendations.
Expertise in Excel, data mining and manipulation, and in building financial forecasting models, Monte Carlo or simulation models, and cost benefit analysis. Familiarity with writing algorithms in a statistical computing language such as SAS, EViews or R. Education or background in programming fundamentals would also be a plus.
Knowledge of financial reporting concepts such as net income, balance sheet, and cash flow, as well as a solid background in theory and methods of economics (micro and macro), econometrics, and statistics, acquired through advanced education and hands-on application in a real-world setting.
Strong communication skills and ability to clearly and succinctly articulate analytical concepts and outcomes to a wide audience, both orally and in writing. Proficiency in MS Word and PowerPoint.
In addition to the above, the ideal candidate will have strong research and problem-solving skills, proficiency with a wide array of analytical methods and tools, as well as an ability to select the appropriate tool or method for each assignment.
Experience with any of the following: utilities or other regulated industries, ratemaking, commodity markets, electric generation and distribution, or energy public policy issues, would be beneficial, but is not required.
Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process including the completion of a background check which includes criminal history and driving history review.

Want to know more about Seattle City Light? Check out our web page: http://www.seattle.gov/light/.

Job summary