Utilities Examiner 2

Looking to advance in your career?

Check out this opportunity with the State of Connecticut!

The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority is hiring a Utilities Examiner 2, located in New Britain.

POSITION DETAILS
This is a full-time, 40 hours per week position on first shift. Schedule is Monday-Friday between 8:00am-5:00pm. This is a hybrid position with telework available; the in-person portion is located at 10 Franklin Square in New Britain.

The Utilities Examiner 2 (UE2) will support PURA’s Office of Education, Outreach, and Enforcement (EOE). The position will report to EOE’s Supervisor of Technical Analysis (STA).

EOE is primarily tasked with providing ratepayers and parties that interact with PURA improved customer engagement. The "ex parte" rules that apply to PURA's decisional staff do not apply to EOE, meaning ratepayers and other parties may pose questions and concerns to the office.

The selected candidate will play a crucial role financial, technical and accounting expertise and oversight upcoming assignments associated with PURA's implementation of its Equitable Modern Grid Initiative and key portions of Public Act 23-102, known as the An Act Strengthening Protections for Connecticut’s Consumers of Energy, including but not limited to, utility company rate cases, a deep dive into the distribution interconnection procedures employed by the electric utilities, and inspections, audits, and investigations into the regulated electric, gas, and water utilities, and telecommunications companies as well as third-party suppliers, licensing and certification matters filed with PURA, and select procurement processes.

In order to be considered for this job opening you must be a current State of CT employee of the agency listed above for at least six (6) months of full-time service or full-time equivalent service, absent any applicable collective bargaining language, and meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening.  You must specify your qualifications on your application. 

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:  Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!

To Apply:
• In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on this job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
• The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
• All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.

Important Information After You Apply:
• 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 questionnaire'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.
• Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
• For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
• Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.

Should you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Jake Ferrari at jake.ferrari@ct.gov.

In the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Office of Consumer Counsel this class is accountable for independently performing a full range of tasks in the analysis, interpretation and evaluation of the most complex utility companies' financial statements and statistical exhibits.

• Performs most complex duties in analyzing, interpreting and evaluating financial statements and statistical exhibits submitted by utilities in rate and other proceedings; 
• Designs and reviews annual reports of utilities;
• Examines and audits books and records of utilities subject to regulation; 
• Designs and installs new accounting systems and revises established systems; 
• Conducts cross examination of witnesses on financial exhibits submitted in rate and other proceedings; 
• Represents agency at formal hearings; 
• Develops and maintains financial and statistical files concerning various utilities subject to regulation; 
• Develops specifications for computerized financial and accounting models; 
• Evaluates propriety of proposed issues of securities by Connecticut utilities in light of current securities markets and accepted utility capital structures; 
• May serve as an expert witness; 
• Performs related duties as required.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: 

• May supervise, schedule, assign, oversee and review work of employees of lower grade; 
• May independently conduct complex examination and analysis; 
• May act in place of the Public Utilities Supervisor of Technical Analysis.

• Considerable knowledge of accounting and auditing principles and practices; 
• Knowledge of
  • relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations; 
  • utility accounting practices; 
• Considerable
  • interpersonal skills; 
  • oral and written communication skills; 
• Considerable ability to analyze and evaluate financial statements, accounting forms and accounting methods and procedures; 
• Ability to utilize computer software; 
• Supervisory ability.

Eight (8) years of experience in accounting or auditing.

One (1) year of the General Experience must have been in the field of public utility accounting in a professional capacity at the level of a Utilities Examiner 1.

• College training in accounting 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.
• A Master's degree in business, accounting or finance may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.
• Certification in any one of the following may be substituted for one (1) additional year of experience: Certified Public Accountant; Certified Internal Auditor.

• A bachelor’s degree in political science, mathematics, engineering, economics, physics, finance, or environmental studies.
• An advanced degree or certified public accountant (CPA).
• Working experience or coursework in utility regulation or energy policy.
• Experience working on utility grid modernization initiatives, deployment of clean and renewable energy programs, or climate change policy.
• Experience with public utility finance or accounting principles.
• Experience applying Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Experience writing technical reports, white papers, position papers, policy papers, regulatory documents, or academic articles for a general audience that provide conclusions or recommendations supported by documented evidence.
• Experience conducting quantitative analysis.
• Experience interpreting technical, financial, or legal documents and communicating information to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience working independently to prepare and issue reports.
• Experience with project management, working on two or more projects simultaneously, while adhering to deadlines.
• Experience using Microsoft Office 365 applications, including SharePoint and Teams to improve business outcomes.
• Experience supervising professional staff.

• Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.
• Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.

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.

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes.  As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.