Public Utilities Engineer 3 (35 Hour)

At the State of Connecticut, Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), we are dedicated to conserving, improving and protecting our natural resources and the environment; and increasing the availability of cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy.

The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) is statutorily charged with regulating the rates and services of Connecticut's investor owned electric, natural gas, water and telecommunication companies and is the franchising authority for the state's cable television companies. Ensuring affordable and reliable service from these sectors is critical to maintaining public health and safety and a thriving economy in the state of Connecticut.

PURA is statutorily charged with regulating many aspects of Connecticut's utility sector, including but not limited to:

• Ensuring the prudence of electric system modernization, natural gas system expansion and water system infrastructure investments.;
• Reviewing mergers and acquisitions in all the above regulated sectors;
• Conducting periodic utility rate cases;
• Overseeing service quality, safety and investment for the state's telecommunication infrastructure;
• Implementing federal requirements for natural gas pipeline safety.

PURA is currently looking to expand its recently created Office of Education, Outreach and Enforcement (EOE) to include a Public Utilities Engineer 3 - a role that will be responsible for performing complex, electric, gas, water, and telecommunications industry assignments within EOE’s Mediation and Enforcement unit. The person in this role may be expected to lead other technical staff in the context of specific projects or proceedings.

The selected candidate will play a crucial role on upcoming assignments associated with PURA's implementation of its Equitable Modern Grid Initiative and key portions of Public Act 20-5, known as the "Take Back Our Grid" Act, including but not limited to, investigations into the utilities' preparation for and response to major storm events; a deep dive into the distribution interconnection procedures employed by the electric utilities; advising EOE staff on engineering issues; and involvement in inspections and audits into the regulated electric, gas, water, and telecommunications companies.

This position is 35 hours per week, Monday - Friday and offers affordable and exceptional insurance as well as competitive supplemental benefits such as flexible spending accounts.

Please be advised that resumes are no longer being accepted during the time that you apply.  Please ensure that your application is complete and displays your qualifications.  You will be unable to make revisions once it is submitted.  Questions can be sent to Emily.Kennedy@ct.gov. 

The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class. 

This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board  (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.

All State employees shall follow the guidelines as listed in Executive Orders  13F (3a) and 13G (3a) .

In the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection this class is accountable for acting as a working lead and/or for performing the highest level, most complex engineering studies and investigations of equipment, plants, operations, quality/adequacy of customer service, and records and accounts of public utility companies, specializing in an engineering capacity in one of the following areas: electric, nuclear, gas, water/sewer or telecommunications.

When used as a working lead: As assigned by a supervisor, may distribute, prioritize, oversee and review unit work; may provide staff training and assistance; may conduct or assist in conducting performance evaluations; may act as a liaison with operating units, agencies, consultant staffs and other outside officials regarding unit policies and procedures; may recommend policies and standards; may prepare reports and correspondence; performs related duties as required.

Performs the highest level of utility engineering studies and analyses; reviews analyses of and reports on original cost, depreciation planning and construction program studies and engineering exhibits submitted by utility companies; makes analyses in exceptionally difficult or complex cases; may act as expert witness in the prosecutorial unit or in court; has principal engineering responsibility in more complex cost studies; maintains rules and standards of equipment and service for electric, nuclear, gas, water/sewer and telecommunication companies; may provide technical expertise for nuclear prudence investigations and event analysis; may determine decommissioning costs for nuclear power plants; investigates accidents involving public utilities; oversees meter testing procedures; performs duties as required.

Considerable knowledge of relevant agency policies and procedures; considerable knowledge of relevant state and federal laws, statutes, and regulations; considerable knowledge of basic engineering principles and techniques; considerable knowledge of standard equipment, operating methods and practices of electric, nuclear, gas, water/sewer and telecommunication companies; considerable knowledge of principles and practices of governmental regulation of public utilities; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; ability to utilize computer software; ability to prepare technical reports; some lead ability.

Eight (8) years of experience as an engineer in the field of electrical, nuclear, gas, telecommunications or water.

The preceding experience must have included two (2) years in one of the following areas:

A. Utility company operations experience, such as:

ELECTRICAL: Field service, distribution, transmission, engineering, codes and standards, or regulation;
NUCLEAR: Power plant operations, prudence investigations, licensing, nuclear event analysis, engineering, decomissioning cost review and regulation.
GAS: Field service, distribution, transmission, engineering, codes and standards, or regulation;
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: Head-end technical operations, central office operations, distribution, engineering, codes and standards, or regulation;
WATER/SEWER: Design, construction, distribution, engineering, or regulation.

B. Management audit of the respective utility operations described in (A).

C. Utility company regulation.

D. Experience totaling one (1) year in at least two of the following areas:

Preparation of depreciation studies, or technical critiquing and report writing on such studies.

Preparation of detailed cost of service studies, or technical critiquing and report writing on such studies.

Preparation of studies of appropriate installations, including determination of required capital improvements and report writing, or technical critiquing and report writing on such studies. Appropriate installations are:

-ELECTRICAL: Electrical
-NUCLEAR: Nuclear power plants and facilities
-GAS: Pressure piping
-TELECOMMUNICATIONS: CATV or telephone systems
-WATER/SEWER: Water utility system design

Development of engineering safety codes or recommended practices for appropriate installations, or development of operating procedures to comply with such codes or practices.

1. College training in engineering 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.
2. A Master's degree in engineering may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.
3. For State Employees one (1) year as a Public Utilities Engineer 2 may be substituted for the General and Special Experience

• Experience working with governmental regulation of public utilities principles and practices;
• Experience with standard equipment, operating methods and practices of providing electric and gas distribution, generation and transmission services;
• Experience working on grid modernization and renewable energy;
• Experience with technical writing for audiences of varying expertise;
• Experience working with regulatory agency policies and procedures;
• Experience interacting with and explaining information to multiple departments, agencies and other outside officials through phone, email, virtual platform, and face-to-face contact;
• Experience managing multiple projects, identifying problems and making decisions independently;
• Experience working in Microsoft Office 365 applications, including SharePoint and Teams.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.