State of Maryland

A PSC Assistant Chief Auditor is the supervisory level of professional auditing and administrative work for the Public Service Commission. The employee in this classification is responsible for auditing and analyzing the fiscal and accounting operations of public utilities, subject to the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission, that offer gas, electric, water, or telecommunication services or are engaged in the transportation of freight or passengers in the State of Maryland.

Employee in this classification supervise lower-level PSC Public Utility Auditors and other support personnel in the Accounting Investigations Division.

Employees in this classification receive managerial supervision from a designated higher-level administrator. Employees may be subject to work evenings, weekends and holidays. The work may require travel throughout Maryland and overnight travel to other states in order to perform onsite economic analysis or to attend conferences and training seminars.
The position in this classification is evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology. The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

Assists the Director with Supervising the auditing and analysis of the fiscal and accounting operations of public utilities, subject to the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission, that offer gas, electric, water, or telecommunication services or are engaged in the transportation of freight or passengers in the State of Maryland;

Assists the Director with planning, supervising, coordinating, assigning and evaluating the work of Public Utility Auditors and support staff assigned to the Accounting Investigations Division;

Conducts, schedules or assigns audits of the accounting and fiscal operations of regulated public utility companies;

Develops, organizes, revises and implements procedures and programs designed to ensure the periodic audit and analysis of the financial operations of regulated public utility companies;

Examines and analyzes statements of operation or condition of public utility companies for compliance with applicable Public Service laws, rules, and regulations;

Provides advice and recommendations to the Public Service Commission regarding requests for the establishment, increase, or reduction of rates charged by public utility companies for their services;

Prepares exhibits, studies, reports, and recommendations for use by the Chief Auditor and the Public Service Commission in reviewing rates or schedules;

Acts an expert witness, through the preparation of written testimony, on accounting and finance issues concerning electric, gas, water and telecommunications;

Assists in the preparation and revision of forms and procedures for maintaining documents and records and conducting audits;

Reviews and evaluates the reports and work of the auditing employees of the Public Service Commission;

Confers with accountants and fiscal representatives of public utility companies to explain applicable laws, regulations and procedures;

May participate in or lead stakeholder groups;

May assist with reviewing draft legislation, preparing analysis for testimony, and testifying on behalf of the agency before the General Assembly;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the fundamental principles, practices and procedures of auditing and accounting;

Knowledge of the methods used in analyzing the accounting, fiscal and financial operations of public utility companies;

Knowledge of accounting, bookkeeping, and record-keeping systems; Knowledge of the nature and function of the Public Service Commission;

Knowledge of accounting and auditing operations and procedures of public service companies;

Ability to train, supervise and evaluate the performance of others performing auditing and accounting or support work;

Ability to direct and conduct audits of the accounts and financial operations of public utility companies;

Ability to analyze fiscal and financial data;

Ability to apply fundamental accounting and auditing principles in analyzing the financial operations and fiscal condition of public utility companies;

Ability to reach logical conclusions and to make sound recommendations to the Chief Auditor and the Public Service Commission;

Ability to express ideas and conclusions in a clear and concise form;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with representatives of public utility companies, the general public, and with other employees of the Public Service Commission;

Ability to interpret the laws, rules and regulations of the Public Service Commission as they apply to the accounting operations of regulated companies;

Ability to prepare, review and analyze financial statements, audit reports, and other accounting records and reports.

Education: A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, finance, business administration or other related field.

Experience: Six years of professional experience in accounting or auditing, one year must have been developing revenue requirements for a regulatory industry.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute additional professional experience in accounting or auditing, with a public utility company or utility regulatory agency, on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

2. Candidates may substitute experience in general accounting and auditing, at the rate of two years for each year of the required specialized experience.

3. Candidates may substitute possession of a Master’s degree in Accounting or other business related field from an accredited college or university, for one year of the required experience.

4. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in tax examining classification or tax examining specialty codes in the accounting and budget group field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience and/or education.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System. All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions. Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential). As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.