5602 Utility Specialist

Recruitment #PBT-5602-095434

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Introduction

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

Announcement amended and re-opened on January 29, 2021
to reflect changes to the Minimum Qualifications.
Job announcement close date extended to expand candidate pool.


Who are we?
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
Headquartered in San Francisco, we have 2,300 employees working in seven counties with a combined annual operating budget of over $900 million.

Our Mission: To provide our customers with high quality, efficient, and reliable water, power, and wastewater services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.

Our Vision: We are an innovative utility leader, recognized for excellent results in service, safety, stewardship, and inclusiveness.

We are an award-winning and industry-leading utilities organization committed to our customers, community interests, and the environment. To learn more about our organization, please visit our website at www.sfwater.org

We are proud of our infrastructure and programs, but most importantly, we value our highly qualified and dedicated workforce which ensures that this vision becomes a reality. As you explore career opportunities with us, download our career guide and learn about what you can expect during the hiring process. 

Position Description: 
Under general direction, the Retail Services Specialist performs complex quantitative analyses and studies; prepares and presents findings; develops, implements and documents analytical and predictive models and systems; under direction, conducts contract negotiations; provides analytical support for regulatory proceedings, including serving as the City’s expert in hearings, mediation, arbitration and technical working groups; provides guidance and training for junior analysts; prepares and presents analyses to colleagues, decision-makers and other stakeholders; develops, documents and updates business processes, section policies and procedures. 

Successful candidates should have experience in utilizing utility software and/or databases and reports to conduct complex analyses, developing and maintaining electric load forecast and other models; managing large datasets; and developing and authoring reports. Successful candidate must have the ability to interpret and work within regulations, contracts and policy directives; translate technical terms and concepts for non-technical users; suggest and document process improvements; and ability to use independent judgment within established policies.

This position requires strong written and verbal communication skills. Utility Specialists should be able to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment, have excellent problem-solving skills, and be able to keep management and key project stakeholders informed of important project milestones and events.    

Essential Functions:
  • Maintaining and developing models to forecast electric load over short, medium, and long-term horizons for scheduling, budgeting, planning and reporting, and managing documentation of same
  • Assisting with administration of, and operating various utility software packages, including some or all of energy forecasting, meter data management, energy accounting, and power scheduling/risk management software
  • Querying large databases and performing analysis of resulting data sets to produce required information and reports
  • Developing criteria and specifications for reporting.
  • Preparing/managing various reports on electric generation, load, billing, forecasts, etc., for compliance with local, state and federal agencies
  • Developing and implementing policies and procedures for various Retail Services areas of responsibility
  • Planning, implementing and documenting new procedures and processes necessary to comply with regulatory requirements, City policy and Power Enterprise business practices
  • Monitoring operations (generation, loads, trade activity) for compliance with risk management and reporting requirements
In addition, the position may:
  • Serve as lead analyst for operational audits
  • Serve as lead in negotiating agreements with other Departments and agencies and resolving issues with those relationships
  • Coordinate the work of other analysts as lead on some projects
  • Class 5602 Utility Specialist performs other related duties as assigned.
Equal Employment Opportunity:  The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

Minimum Qualifications

If you are interested in a job like this, we are looking for people that have the following: 

  1. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university preferably with major coursework in Law, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Natural Resources, Computer Science, Business Administration, Mathematics, Statistics, Economics or other field related to the utility business; AND 
  2. Four years of verifiable journey-level work experience in one or more of the following areas: planning, scheduling, cost estimating and resource projecting for mid to large scale projects; water supply management and planning; power operations planning and scheduling; analysis, interpretation and application of utility contracts and regulations in either water, power (electric and/or natural gas), telecommunications, or a wastewater program; utility market and environmental analysis and planning; power supply and transmission rates and contracts; generation, transmission or distribution planning and design; or long-term utility systems planning.
SUBSTITUTION: Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.

SPECIAL CONDITION: One (1) years or twelve (12) months of verifiable work experience in the Electricity Sector/Energy Markets. 

The above minimum qualifications reflect special conditions associated with the position to be filled. They may differ from the standard minimum qualifications associated with this classification.

Desirable Qualifications:
  • Experience with energy, financial or other forecasting
  • Knowledge of statistical analysis
  • Knowledge of or familiarity with electric industry and markets
  • Report and presentation design (e.g., in Excel and PowerPoint)
  • Databases and reporting tools
  • Analysis of large data sets
  • Software used by the electric utility (forecasting, meter data, billing, energy accounting, etc.) 
The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted. All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included in the “Education” and “Training and Employment Record” sections of the City and County of San Francisco online application by the filing deadline. A resume does NOT substitute for this section of the City application and will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Verification:
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at http://sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=456.

Verification of required work experience typically must be on the employer’s letterhead, and must include the applicant’s name, job title, description of job duties, dates of employment, hours per week, and signature of the employer, supervisor, or appropriate representative.  
Employees of the City and County of San Francisco may submit performance evaluations showing duties performed to verify qualifying City experience. City employees will receive credit for the duties of the class to which appointed. Credit for experience obtained outside of the employee's class will be allowed only if recorded in accordance with the provisions of Civil Service Commission Rules. CCSF employees will not receive credit for experience obtained outside of their classification unless recorded in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Rule 110.9.1/111A.11.2.

Experience claimed in self-employment will only be accepted if supported by documents verifying income, earnings, business license and experience comparable to minimum qualifications above. Copies of income tax papers or other documents listing occupation and total earnings must be submitted.

Verification of required valid licensure/certification typically must be a photocopy of the license/certificate including the name of the issuing agency as well as the name of the license/certificate holder, license/certificate number, and expiration date.

How To Apply

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit www.jobaps.com/sf to register an account (if you have not already done so) and begin the application process.

  • Select the desired job announcement
  • Select “Apply” and read and acknowledge the information 
  • Select either “I am a New User” if you have not previously registered, or “I have Registered Previously”
  • Follow instructions on the screen 
In line with the Official Public Health Order to slow the spread of COVID-19, “shelter-in-place” has been issued for all San Francisco residents that is expected to be in effect until further notice.  As a result, Department of Human Resources (DHR)’s office (located at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103) is currently closed to the general public. If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Human Resources Analyst listed on this announcement. 

We communicate by email.
You may be contacted by email about this announcement and, therefore, it is your responsibility to ensure that your registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date.  Also, you must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on your computer by a spam filter.  To prevent blocking, you should set up your email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses: @sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu. You will receive a confirmation email that your online application has been received in response to every announcement for which you apply.  You should retain the confirmation email for your records.  Failure to receive the email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Word of advice:
All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline.  Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.
Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

Have questions about the application process?
If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Monica Guzman, or by email at mguzman@sfwater.org or jobs@sfwater.org. 

Selection Procedures

Minimum Qualifications Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ - Qualifying)

Applicants will be prompted to complete a Supplemental Questionnaire as part of the online application process. All applicants must complete the Supplemental Questionnaire and it must be submitted with the application by the final filing deadline. The information provided on the Supplemental Questionnaire must be consistent with the information on the application and is subject to verification. Applicant responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire will be used to assist in determining if applicants meet the minimum qualifications for the position.

Supplemental Questionnaire (100%)

Applicants will be prompted to complete a supplemental questionnaire that must be submitted during the online application process. All applicants must complete the supplemental questionnaire. The purpose of the Supplemental Questionnaire is to evaluate the experience, knowledge, skills and abilities that candidates possess in job-related areas, which have been identified as critical for this position and include, but are not limited to knowledge of: basic concepts and terminology related to electric utility agency operations and procedures; trends in the electric industry and relevant local/state/federal ordinances/laws/initiatives; Ability to: conduct analyses, including for load forecasting, financial, rate and statistical analysis; conduct research, knowledge of utility software including meter data collection, energy data display, billing, load forecasting, power scheduling and energy analysis; use independent judgment within established policies and problem solve; work collaboratively in a team environment; translate technical terms and concepts for non-technical users; use computer database and report generation software to create management and other reports; interpret and work within regulations, contracts and policy directive; computer skills, including data processing and querying/analysis with spreadsheets and/or databases, supervisory skills, strong written and oral communication skills, strong project management skills, interpersonal/public relation skills, record keeping and organizational skills.

A passing score must be achieved on the Supplemental Questionnaire in order to continue in the selection process and be placed on the eligible list.

Candidates will be placed on the eligible list in rank order according to their final score. Candidate scores on this examination may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director.

The department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures to make final hiring decisions. Candidates scores on this examination may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director.

Certification Rule:

The certification rule for the ranked eligible lists resulting from this examination will be Rule of Ten (10) Scores. The department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures to make final hiring decisions.

Eligible List/Score Report:

A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission. 

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be 6 months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. 

Upon approval of the Human Resource Director (see Civil Service Rule 111A.26.5), the eligible list/score report resulting from this announcement may be used by other departments that also use this classification or a similar classification. To find other Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Count-by-Job-Codes.pdf

Conviction History

As a selected candidate for a job, you will be fingerprinted, and your fingerprints will be sent to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The resulting report of your conviction history (if any) will be used to determine whether the nature of your conviction (or arrest, in limited circumstances) conflicts with the specific duties and responsibilities of the job for which you were given a conditional offer of employment. If a conflict exists, you will be asked to present any evidence of rehabilitation that may mitigate the conflict, except when federal or state regulations bar employment in specific circumstances, such as:
  • Candidates for positions with the Unified School District and the Community College District may be disqualified from consideration should their conviction history not meet the standards established under the California Education Code. 
  • Candidates for positions with the Recreation and Park Department may be disqualified from consideration should their conviction history not meet the standards established under California Public Resources Code 5164.
Having a conviction history does not automatically preclude you from a job with the City.

If you are a selected candidate, the hiring department will contact you to schedule a fingerprinting appointment.

Disaster Service Workers

All City and County of San Francisco employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the City requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Conclusion

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:
Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations.  Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at www.jobaps.com/sf.

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is ‘abuse of discretion’ or ‘no rational basis’ for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule.  

Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director.  Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.

Reasonable Accommodation Request: Applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum eligibility requirements for this job announcement can find information on requesting a reasonable ADA Accommodation at: http://www.sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=20#applicantswithdisabilities

Veteran’s Preference: Information regarding requests for Veterans Preference can be found at: http://www.sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=20#veteranspreference

Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams: Information regarding requests for seniority credit can be found at: http://www.sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=20#senioritycredit

General Information concerning City and County of San Francisco Employment Policies and Procedures: http://www.sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=20

Copies of Application Documents: http://www.sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=20#copies  Right to Work: http://www.sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=20#identification. All persons entering the City and County of San Francisco workforce are required to provide verification of authorization to work in the United States.

1/4/21 - Job announcement amended to remove working title. 
1/28/21 - Job announcement amended and re-opened to reflect changes to the Minimum Qualifications, specifically Special Conditions.

Exam Type: CPE
Issued: December, 2020
Carol Isen, Acting Human Resources Director
Department of Human Resources 
Recruitment ID: PBT-5602-095434
PUC/MG (01145940)

Benefits

All employees hired on or after January 10, 2009 will be required (pursuant to San Francisco Charter Section A8.432) to contribute 2% of pre-tax compensation to fund retiree healthcare. In addition, most employees are required to make a member contribution towards retirement, ranging from 7.5%-13.25% of compensation. For more information on these provisions, please contact the personnel office of the hiring agency.

For more information about benefits, please click here.

 



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