Title: Energy Equity Planner
Sacramento, CA, US, 95817-1899
Minimum Pay Rate: $119,641.60
Maximum Pay Rate: $158,433.60
Civil Service Status: Civil Service
Posting Type: Open
Offical SMUD Job Title: Strategic Business Planner II
The intent of this posting is to fill one (1) regular full-time position, and establish an eligibility list which may be used to fill future limited-term or regular full-time vacancies over the next two (2) years.
This posting will remain open until a sufficient quantity of qualified applicants have been received but may close at any time without notice after 11/25/2024. Applicants are encouraged to apply early.
SMUD's Sustainable Communities & DEIB Partnerships team is seeking a highly motivated and strategically minded individual to join our team as an Energy Equity Planner (Strategic Business Planner). This individual will serve as a subject matter expert in energy equity, supporting key business initiatives by developing short and long term strategic and operational plans to drive and support implementation of Sustainable Communities & DEIB programs.
This is a critical position ensuring an inclusive and equitable implementation of SMUD's 2030 Zero Carbon Plan. The position reports to the Manager of Sustainable Communities and DEIB. The successful candidate will guide the continued development of programs and initiatives related to our portfolio of programs which may include DEIB programs and initiatives, Sustainable Communities partnerships, Community Impact Plan, Shine Awards, Shade Tree Program, and support for technology and grant related efforts involving under-resourced community funding. The person selected for this position will collaborate with a large number of departments, facilitate a constantly evolving amount of work (both new and existing work), have great organizational skills, and operate as an integral component of the SMUD community.
Application Requirements
We recommend you prepare your responses to the following prompts in advance as you will be required to submit a response during the application process:
- Share a specific experience where you advocated for or worked with an under-resourced community, and what motivated you to take action in that situation.
- Briefly describe a time where you facilitated collaboration and reached consensus with cross-functional team with differing goals.
Failure to respond to the questions may preclude you from moving forward in the process. Please do not indicate "refer to resume" as a response to the question as it will be viewed as incomplete.
Purpose
To perform both short and long term strategic business planning balancing the experiences and needs of customers while also focusing on internal priorities, resources and objectives. Produce long term strategies while also delivering value to the business through short term, actionable efforts. In doing so, clearly identifies SMUD’s current state, desired state, key steps required to reach the desired state, and the benefits to our customers and SMUD. Maintains a focus on customer experience excellence; ensures achievement of department results and goals that support SMUD strategic objectives.
Nature and Scope
Serves as an advance journey-level resource in a relevant professional discipline; works independently on projects of moderate complexity; exercises independent judgment and discretion within established broad guidelines; may serve in a Lead role and assist in planning, coordinating, prioritizing, and monitoring the work results in assigned area.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Coordinate and support key business initiatives by developing short and long term strategic and operational plans to drive and support implementation of customer programs, operational enhancements, product solutions, or other services to meet SMUDs strategic business objectives.
- Establish 3-year strategic and/or operating plan for assigned unit.
- Coordinate the monthly forecast process, ensure line of sight between project outline and delivery.
- Use existing financial models and/or develop new models, spreadsheets or other techniques to analyze financial and business planning issues.
- Including researching and analyzing data to identify major drivers of performance, customer experience and interpret trends to develop, present, and implement value-added solutions to optimize resources and processes.
- Define, review and monitor operational/program metrics; support requests for project maintenance and creation to ensure business alignment; collaborate with stakeholders to determine measures of success to ensure program/project changes benefits are realized; serves as a liaison between workgroup/business units to facilitate business needs.
- Develop and support recommendations with accurate financial analysis and rigorous financial or economic theory.
- Review analyses, reports or other decision documents prepared by other contributors or stakeholders and provide comments or additional analyses to improve the overall quality of information provided to management.
- Develop, prioritize and evaluate strategic customer initiatives including technology, energy technology and capital projects. Incorporate primary and secondary customer research to ensure that the voice of the customer is considered.
- Oversees contract management for assigned area, ensure vendors are meeting SLA evaluate contracts and determine if extensions or a new RFP is necessary to sustain business processes/needs.
- Establish delivery tactics, budgets, key performance indicators and metrics within the planning framework for all initiatives to guide the implementation process.
- Work closely with implementation teams to track and adjust plans on an on-going basis to ensure a positive customer experience and ongoing success.
- Partner with applicable stakeholders within and across business units and departments to ensure coordination, consistency, and continuity of planning processes and projects.
- Proactively focus attention on areas requiring attention.
- Connect and coordinate with applicable external stakeholders including other utilities, research groups, policy groups, regulators, consortiums, other organizations at a regional and national level to provide input and insights on best practices, industry trends and opportunities for program or process improvements and new service options.
- Provide clear, concise, and meaningful information and recommendations to management, including feasibility studies to define business opportunities and to gain approval for implementation of initiatives, and business justifications for approval that include the costs and benefits of alternative solutions and recommended solutions.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Required Education
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Business, Marketing, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience). If no degree, nine (9) years of relevant experience is required.
Required Experience Qualifications
Five (5+) or more years of progressively responsible relevant experience. Experience should include project management, business and/or budget planning and/or developing and monitoring business performance measures and metrics.
Knowledge Of
Customer experience concepts and experience working with others within SMUD to gather and summarize the potential market and/or impact of products, services, process improvements and/or construction projects as they relate to our customers; characteristics and operational needs of various organizational units; techniques and practices for problem research and resolution; principles and techniques of research and analysis; principles of performance measures development, application, planning and evaluation; principals of project management, cost accounting, work management and managerial reporting systems; interrelationships between SMUD’s operations and relevant external; principles and practices for contract management; principles and practices of budget preparation and administration; SMUD policies, procedures, applicable MOUs and other special agreements; principles and procedures of record keeping and filing; principles of business letter writing and basic report preparation; mathematical principles; office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases; English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Skills To
Manage multiple projects and planning processes of moderate complexity; analyze complex issues and develop/implement resolution alternatives; analyze procedures/systems and develop/implement operational improvements; analyze situations, documents and data for conformance to established policy and procedures; gather data from appropriate sources and identify relevant factors; interpret, clarify, understand and analyze verbal/written information and ideas; compile and prepare technical, statistical and/or analytical reports and presentations; independently prepare a variety of correspondence and memoranda; compile data, maintain records and files, and prepare administrative or technical reports; develop and implement new and revised policies and procedures to provide for the effective operation of the area of responsibility; develop, implement and maintain work procedures; plan, organize, prioritize and schedule projects; assist in budget preparation and administration; operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications; interpret and apply administrative and departmental policies and procedures; communicate effectively orally and in writing internally/externally; establish and maintain effective working relationships internally/externally.
Desirable Qualifications
- Strong knowledge of query/analysis techniques and adept at retrieving, manipulating and reporting oninformation stored in database systems.
- Strong sense of how to depict data (and the story the data tell) verbally and visually.
- Ability to think innovatively and creatively; negotiation skills; demonstrates accountability.
- Strong project management skills.
- Action-oriented and entrepreneurial; sense of urgency and responsibility; ability to multi-task.
- Keen attention to detail and commitment to a quality work product.
- Intercultural knowledge and appreciation, strategic partnership building.
- An orientation toward customer service and responsiveness.
- Bilingual skills.
- Knowledge of emerging trends in energy equity and DEIB.
- Knowledge of electric utility regulation and changes in federal, state and local utility-related legislation.
Physical Requirements
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) - Who We Are
As the nation's sixth-largest community-owned electric service provider, we're proud of our reputation as one of the best places to work in Sacramento. Our employees tell us in our engagement surveys they're "Happy, satisfied and engaged" which helps create a workplace that best serves our customers. Sacramento was named as the 2nd happiest place to work in America by Forbes Magazine. Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and the world-renowned Napa Valley are within easy driving distance of our locations.
Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
SMUD celebrates diversity, and inspires an inclusive culture based on trust and respect to create belonging and connection among our employees, customers, and communities. By working together, we are powering positive, equitable opportunities for all. We aspire to be a workplace where you can be yourself, achieve your best, and thrive together.
An example of our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is when SMUD signed the California Equal Pay Pledge in 2020. This requires equal pay for employees who perform “substantially similar work,” when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility at the time those employees started within that classification. As such, initial hiring salary range is not subject to negotiation and salaries will vary over time based on performance.
SMUD is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, veteran status, or any other applicable legally protected characteristic. All employment decisions are made on the basis of individual qualifications, merit, and business needs and interests.
Why Sacramento, California?
The capitol of California, Sacramento is the state's sixth-largest city, and the 35th largest in the U.S. Local universities include California State University, University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law, and the University of California, Davis and several competitive community colleges. The UC Davis Medical Center, a world-renowned research hospital, is one of more than a dozen hospitals and shared services centers in the Sacramento region. Part of the agriculturally-rich Central Valley, Sacramento is at the forefront of the farm-to-fork food movement. Northern California is home to some of the country's top technology companies, including Google and LinkedIn, and a multitude of startups in many industries. Sacramento is home to the NBA Kings, the River Cats (AAA baseball), the Republic FC (soccer) and the San Francisco Giants, NBA Warriors and NFL 49er's aren't far away. Sacramento offers an affluent liberal arts community with Broadway, Mondavi Center, Crocker Museum and summer musical theater to name a few.
Hybrid Work
This position will be required to work onsite one or more days a week on a regular basis; sometimes more or less, depending on the work and, at any of our SMUD locations. SMUD takes pride in powering the Sacramento region community where we live and work. We value the strong working relationships we develop with our colleagues. Our approach to remote work will continue to evolve. Please be aware that should SMUD’s business needs change, emergencies occur, or various other reasons arise, you may be required to report onsite on a part-time or full-time basis.