Position Available: Director, Regulatory Affairs and Policy
We are an international transmission system solutions company, using software and artificial intelligence to maximize the transfer capacity of existing utility infrastructure while maintaining a secure and reliable system. The most immediate barrier to the energy expansion underway in North America is the limited expansion capacity of the power grid. Both new customers and power generators are finding it increasingly difficult to interconnect quickly to the grid. And, although governments and utilities have begun to mobilize to expand transmission, the natural barriers, political reluctance to accept new transmission lines, the overwhelming costs, the worsening supply chain delays, siting and cost of new power lines, and long construction times assure the industry will be playing catch-up for at least a decade or two. Increasing the utilization of existing infrastructure assets—with intelligence--is the most important short-term supply-side solution to serve the growing economy and enable the clean energy transition.
Preferred Qualifications
We are actively searching for a talented, energetic policy professional with experience in issues impacting the electric utility industry, and or the renewable energy or power industry, and/or utility regulatory arena. The person filling this position will have responsibility for developing and maintaining relationships with key regulatory agencies and personnel in the 50 states of the US, as well as provinces of Canada, and with the Federal Electric Regulatory Commission. The candidate will need to understand utilities and electric markets sufficiently to appreciate the roles required of generators, transmission system operators, and grid operators (RTO/ISO), and the regulatory environment in which they operate, or demonstrate the background, aptitude, and desire to quickly learn what is required to be effective. Knowledge of state and federal utility policy, particularly transmission and distribution utility policy would be very helpful. Experience representing utility, or one or more utility-engaged commercial enterprises before legislatures, congress, or state and/or federal regulators, with existing relationships and a positive reputation among regulators would be ideal.
Basic Qualifications
We have a next-generation, technology platform that can help the utility industry operate in ways it has not historically, and the regulators will need to be educated about the capabilities we represent. So, we are looking for someone who exhibits an exceptional degree of ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness, as well as the ability to understand regulatory processes and policies across multiple states, and most importantly, how these regulatory environments are changing and developing to adapt to new disruptive scenarios.
The perfect candidate will have a level of understanding of utility regulation, electric utilities, markets, and grid operations, as well as software and communication technologies, engineering principles. A demonstrated ability to understand, and the advanced communications skills needed to explain, complex technical solutions to a wide variety of audiences (technical and non-technical) will be important. We hope to identify candidates in or willing to relocate to Austin, Texas.
Additional Required Qualifications
· Understanding of electric power systems and generation and transmission concepts, or aptitude, ability, and desire to learn quickly
· Familiarity with the utility regulatory process and understanding of the impact of utility policy on transmission services, as well as on revenues of transmission owners and generators.
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills, comfort with speaking with a wider variety of people, both one-on-one and before larger audiences.
· Demonstrated work capacities in a number of areas including all team, task, and/or project lead responsibilities (works independently).
· Ability to effectively interact with legislators, regulators and their staff, clients, industry or public sector non-profit allies, and other technical and non-technical collaborators.
Position Title: Director of Regulatory Affairs and Policy, reporting directly to the President, North America, and working with COO, sales and marketing, and product and services personnel.
Compensation commensurate with experience. Salary and potential bonus. Currently has offices in San Francisco and Austin.
