Principal Energy Analyst

Marketing Statement

Ride BART to a satisfying career that lets you both: 1) make a difference to Bay Area residents, and 2) enjoy excellent pay, benefits, and employment stability. BART is looking for people who like to be challenged, work in a fast-paced environment, and have a passion for connecting riders to work, school and other places they need to go. BART offers a competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, paid time off, and the CalPERS retirement program.

Job Summary

Pay Rate

AFSCME Pay Band H (Principal Energy Analyst)

Annual Salary Range $ 135,397.73 (Minimum) - $ 176,016.91 (Maximum)

The negotiable salary offer will be between $135,397.73 - $155,707.32/annually commensurate with experience and education.

Reports To

Manager of Energy

Current Assignment

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) is one of the largest and cleanest rapid transit systems in the country, connecting 50 passenger stations in five Bay Area counties with a fleet of almost 700 electric rail cars. The Principal Energy Analyst plays a central role in managing the District’s energy supply and annual operating budget.

This position resides within the District’s Energy Division responsible for BART’s wholesale electric power and retail gas supply, including all aspects of planning, budgeting, procurement and portfolio management. The Principal Energy Analyst directly supports the District’s wholesale electric planning and procurement; performs tasks related to annual budget planning, management, and reconciliation; oversees counterparty performance and obligations under existing commercial agreements; participates in regulatory engagement and rulemaking processes relating to the District’s wholesale electric procurement; produces quantitative analysis to inform wholesale electric planning activities and other energy-related project evaluation; leads the routine processing and reconciliation of invoices supporting Energy Division operations; prepares routine risk management reporting; and may perform other related duties as assigned.

This is the highest-level classification in the Energy Analyst series. Positions at this level possess a specialized, technical or functional expertise within the area of assignment, and may exercise lead supervision over external consultants and/or other supporting staff. Employees at this level are frequently assigned responsibilities above the journey level and are often required to exercise sound independent judgment in the performance of all duties.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will demonstrate familiarity with, and/or proficiency in, some of the following areas in addition to the minimum qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to manage and manipulate large datasets with accuracy and efficiency.
• Various electric sector regulatory agencies and other entities including the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Energy Commission (CEC), California Air Resources Board (CARB), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), California Independent System Operator (CAISO), and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)/Peak Reliability.
• Electric sector concepts and practices such as utility ratemaking and tariffs, California Public Utilities Code, CPUC Rules of Practice and Procedure, CAISO wholesale market rules and operations, wholesale electric planning and procurement, and electric load forecasting.
• Wholesale electric products and attributes including energy, Resource Adequacy (RA), renewable energy credits (RECs), congestion revenue rights (CRRs), ancillary services, and greenhouse gas (GHG) compliance instruments.
• Problem-solving skills, including the ability to frame issues and provide quantitative analysis to support recommendations to BART leadership.
• Familiarity with basic financial accounting concepts including budgeting, capital expenditures, operating expenses, depreciation and accruals.
• Strong communication skills in various mediums and forums.
• Ability to quickly develop subject matter expertise and contextual understanding of complex topics related to transit, energy, and sustainability.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships across business functions and with external parties.
• Ability to lead, collaborate, support and secure buy-in across business functions on high priority, time-sensitive projects.
• Ability to proactively identify opportunities for continuous improvement and effectively develop, communicate and implement recommended solutions.
  
  
  

Selection Process

Initial screening of applications is tentatively set for the week of July 8, 2024.

This position is represented by American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Applications will be screened to assure that minimum qualifications are met. Those applicants who meet minimum qualifications will then be referred to the hiring department for the completion of further selection processes.

The selection process for this position may include a skills/performance demonstration, a written examination, and/or an individual or panel interview.

DEFINITION

Under general supervision, plans and performs the most complex and difficult work of staff responsible for the procurement of wholesale electricity, other wholesale energy products and compliance instruments, and retail natural gas; may supervise, assign, and review the work of staff responsible for coordinating regulatory matters relating to the District’s unbundled power supply; supports the development of budget projections and leads periodic budget reconciliation; oversees invoicing from and payment to District vendors; coordinates energy-related projects and studies; provides staff assistance to the Manager of Energy; and performs other related duties as assigned.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

This is the highest working level with the Energy Analyst series. Positions at this master level perform the most technical and complex duties assigned to the series. This classification, requires specialized, technical, or functional expertise, may also be responsible for overseeing the work of lower-level staff, and/or assisting higher-level managerial staff in planning and evaluating the quantity and quality of work performance by subordinate staff. Employees at this level are routinely assigned responsibilities above the journey level and must be capable of exercising independent judgement in the execution of all duties. This position is distinguished from the Manager of Energy in that the latter is responsible for overall management of the Energy Division and serves as the primary point of contact regarding managing and executing the transmission and distribution of energy agreements.

Examples of Duties

• Performs the most complex and difficult work of staff responsible for the wholesale procurement of electricity and retail procurement of natural gas on behalf of the District; may plan, prioritize, assign, supervise, and review the work of lower level Energy Division staff.
• Manages and administers electricity supply and other energy-related contracts, including the oversight and reconciliation of product and service delivery, and resolution of inaccuracies or conflicts with counterparties that may arise.
• Negotiates new agreements for energy products or services, including the evaluation of pricing and other terms and conditions.
• Responds to data requests from other internal departments, executive management, regulators, the District’s Board of Directors, or the public.
• Coordinates utility service connections, generator interconnections, and/or other energy services with local utilities to support the District’s operations and system expansion activities.
• Oversees the preparation of annual operating budgets for electricity and natural gas, including development of multi-year budget projections, analysis of quarterly budget variances, and the forecast of long-term energy-related costs and revenues.
• Participation in rulemaking, workshops, and regulatory proceedings germane to the District’s acquisition of energy, energy procurement authorities, and/or compliance requirements.
• Evaluates proposed tariff or market design modifications, updates, or amendments, with potential impact to the BART’s energy procurement, including advocacy on behalf of the District.
• Proposes, plans, and develops draft legislation on energy issues; submits to higher level staff for comment and approval.
• Prepares feasibility studies and/or economic evaluations of innovative energy-related projects or technologies to support capital initiatives or the acquisition of the District’s energy supply.
• Presents technical analysis to internal committees, executive management, and the BART Board of Directors.
• Serves as subject-matter expert to other internal stakeholders with respect to wholesale power procurement, wholesale market tariffs, and electric service contracts and agreements.
• Trains assigned employees in their areas of work including energy analysis methods, procedures, and techniques; acts as an internal consultant and expert to other departments on understanding the applicability of electric and natural gas tariffs.
• Coordinates the work of outside consultants, experts, and attorneys; coordinates projects and activities; reviews work progress.
• Represents the District at a variety of professional meetings associated with energy procurement and planning; stays current on new technologies related to energy utilization and conservation.
  
  
  

Education

Minimum Qualifications

A Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration, economics, or a closely related field from an accredited college or university.

Experience

Four (4) years of (full-time equivalent) verifiable professional energy program analysis experience.

Substitution

Additional professional experience as outlined above may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis. A college degree is preferred.

Knowledge And Skills

Knowledge of:

• Operations, activities, and services comprising wholesale electricity procurement
• Principles of lead supervision and training
• Operations, activities, and services comprising wholesale electricity procurement
• Principles of energy markets and operations
• Advanced methods of quantitative, statistical, and financial analysis
• Methods and techniques to analyze and forecast energy needs and costs
• Principles and practices of contract administration and management
• Prevailing industry practices of the electric power sector
• Advanced principles and practices of energy procurement, utilization, and conservation
• Analytical tools and software to support long-term electric supply planning and procurement
• Federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and utility tariffs governing wholesale electric procurement in California
• Fundamentals of financial and managerial accounting
  
  
  

Skill/ Ability In

• Selecting, supervising, training, and evaluating staff
• Resolving and settling contract disputes
• Leadership and oversight of collaborative activities
• Independent execution of complex analyses related energy supply, usage, and cost
• Execution and enforcement of department policies and procedures
• Interpretation of complex rules and regulations
• Design and execution of technology evaluation and feasibility studies to determine costs and benefits, and other available alternatives
• Development of analytical tools or models to automate existing processes or procedures
• Interpretation of quantitative analysis and presentation of results
• Operation of office equipment, including personal computers and proficiency in Microsoft Office software
• Working independently in the absence of supervision
• Understanding and following oral and written instructions
• Communicating clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing
• Providing excellent customer service to other internal departments, executive management, BART’s Board of Directors, and other stakeholders
• Production of high-quality work in a timely manner and on several activities simultaneously
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work
  
  
  

Equal Employment Opportunity GroupBox1

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 and above), religion, national origin (including language use restrictions), disability (mental and physical, including HIV and AIDS), ancestry, marital status, military status, veteran status, medical condition (cancer/genetic characteristics and information), or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.

The BART Human Resources Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate persons with disabilities or for religious reasons. Please advise the Human Resources Department of any special needs in advance of the examination by emailing at least 5 days before your examination date at employment@bart.gov .

Qualified veterans may be eligible to obtain additional veteran's credit in the selection process for this recruitment (effective Jan. 1, 2013). To obtain the credit, veterans must attach to the application a DD214 discharge document or proof of disability and complete/submit the Veteran's Preference Application no later than the closing date of the posting. For more information about this credit please go to the Veteran's Preference Policy and Application link at www.bart.gov/jobs .