Economic Rate Analyst - State of Montana : Job Details

The Public Service Commission seeks an economic analyst to aid our agency in exercising regulatory oversight of some of the largest essential industries within Montana to ensure fair prices, responsible business practices, and reliable services for Montana customers who rely upon them. This position offers a unique opportunity to work with an innovative state agency. The successful candidate will join our team of Utility Analysts who find the work to be interesting, meaningful, and critical to our agency's goal of serving the citizens of Montana extraordinarily well.Duties:•Develops and applies economic, statistical, financial, and public policy methods for evaluating and regulating a wide range of public utility matters, including emerging technology.•Provides advice and recommendations regarding economic, technical, operational, and public policy issues related to regulation of public utilities.•Analyzes and evaluates applications, economic forecasts, long-range plans, and other regulatory filings, and issues economic, financial, and policy perspectives to evaluate the reasonableness of cost allocation methods, rate structures, planning assumptions and methods.•Assists in the discovery process as appropriate in contested case proceedings.•Prepares questions and information for the cross-examination of utility and intervener witnesses for rate hearings.•Prepares documents to summarize testimony that may be examined during public hearings; analyzes record evidence; formulates recommendations on ratemaking and policy issues; presents conclusions and recommendations at Commission business meetings and work sessions.•Prepares reports to support analysis and assists in preparing Commission orders and notices.•Assists in the ongoing process of reviewing agency regulations and, when appropriate, implementing revised or new regulations.•Assesses the regulatory impacts of draft legislation and as directed by the Commission, represents the Commission in outside proceedings.Required Application Materials:A completed Montana state application.A cover letter describing how your professional career, experience, and education prepared you to meet the requirements of this position.A resume detailing relevant work experience including employer, dates of employment (month & year-start & end), and reason for leaving. A response to Supplemental Question #1.#1) In one page or less, discuss why a regulatory agency that oversees the setting of prices for goods or services provided by a monopoly would want information about the price elasticities of demand of various customer types if the regulator must balance economic efficiency and a total revenue constraint.All applicants selected for interviews will be required to submit educational certificates.Competencies:•Knowledge of microeconomic theory/price theory.•General knowledge of econometric or statistical theory, principles, and practices;•Strong organizational, analytical, investigative, problem-solving, and critical thinking abilities.•Strong written and oral communication skills•Microsoft Office including proficiency creating and managing spreadsheets.•Flexibility, impartiality, and attention to detail.•Ability to maintain a strong work ethic and commitment to high standards of professional integrity.•Ability to work independently and with a team.•Ability to build and maintain good interpersonal relationships with work associates and internal and external constituencies.•Ability to interpret and analyze accounting records, rules, and policies.•Ability to learn and apply regulatory economics, theory, and law, stay current with industry events, federal regulatory and PSC policies. •Ability to provide oral and written presentations of complex topics to non-expert audiences is essential.•Ability to organize workloads in such a manner that assignments are completed on time with minimal supervision.•Ability to publicly present information in front of cameras and audiences.Qualifications:A bachelor's degree in economics and two years of job-related experience involving economic or public policy evaluations and analysis. Consideration will be given to candidates with other college degrees if significant economic course-work or analytical skills are demonstrated. Candidates without an economics degree or required experience may be offered an educational agreement or on-the-job training assignment to acquire desired skills with the agency's financial support.