Title:  Originator (Power Contracts Specialist, Journey)

Purpose

Understands and optimizes SMUD’s portfolio of long-term energy contracts, assets, and SMUD’s position in related legislative and regulatory environments; Negotiates, analyzes and administers long-term contracts for electric and natural gas supply, transmission and system interconnection, storage, environmental attributes/products, and other energy-related contracts as required; Supports and defends SMUD’s interest in contracts, assets, and the application of standards, legislation, regulations, and other requirements.

Nature and Scope

This classification is comprised of three levels: Level "E" is the entry-level where incumbents are provided formal training for progression to the intermediate-level “I” of the classification. The incumbent is promoted/progressed to the journey-level "J" upon successful completion of all training and/or certification requirements for the classification. Incumbents hired at the entry-level are required to successfully progress to the journey-level within 60 months, depending on the length of the training and/or certification program. If an employee is unsuccessful with progressing to the journey-level they will return to last class held or separate from SMUD.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Negotiates long-term contracts for purchase, sale, or exchange of power, transmission, natural gas, transportation, and environmental attributes/products; performs technical analysis and evaluation; evaluates the economic and operational impacts of contract proposals and counter-proposals.
• Administers existing contracts to ensure timely and effective exercise of SMUD rights, performance of obligations, and optimal use of contract resources and options; negotiates contract amendments including preparing analyses, proposals, and amendments.
• Maintains expertise and knowledge of integrated power and gas system operations. Understands policies and protocols from BANC, WECC, NERC, CAISO, FERC, CPUC, CEC, CARB, EPA as well as other utilities’ policies, procedures, protocols and business practices for trading, scheduling, and operation of electric power and gas systems.
• Develops and implements strategies for energy, environmental attribute/product, energy capacity, transmission and/or ancillary service positions; conducts economic analysis of resource portfolio and market opportunities; develops and implements negotiating principals and contract proposals.
• Protects SMUD’s interests by monitoring and participating in the legislative and regulatory environments related to SMUD’s resource portfolios such as, but not limited to, BANC, WECC, NERC, CAISO, FERC, CPUC, CEC, CARB, EPA and others; prepares protest arguments in coordination with SMUD Legal and other departments; obtains regulatory approval of contracts as needed from regulatory authorities; develops testimony and filings; potentially serve as expert witness in legislative and regulatory proceedings and/or litigation.
• Supports in planning, coordinating, prioritizing, monitoring, collaborating and guiding work activities of other SMUD employees to meet established objectives and deadlines by following policies and precedents; supports staff training; promotes staff safety and a safe work environment; supports the selecting and orienting of new personnel; refers problems to supervision when solutions are not readily achievable.
• Supports in controlling the commodity budget costs. Supports in administering the department budget by planning, monitoring and revising schedules, work plans, expenditures and assignments.
• Prepares and presents SMUD Board presentations.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned.

Required Education

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in public or business administration, engineering, economics or a related field or equivalent experience. If no degree, seven (7) years of experience is required. 

Required Experience Qualifications

• Three (3+) or more years of progressively responsible relevant work experience in: negotiating contracts for energy products such as power, natural gas, transmission, or environmental products; electric utility trading, scheduling, resource optimization, resource planning, risk management, accounting, finance, operations or engineering, project management, project development or a related field.

Knowledge Of

Federal, state and local laws, codes and regulations governing the purchase, sale, and exchange of energy products and associated contracts; principles, practices and procedures for energy contract administration and execution; concepts of electric system engineering, planning and operations; concepts and procedures for WECC and NERC operating and reliability criteria; methods for energy marketing and rate setting; techniques and practices for negotiating; concepts for cost control; principles and practices of economic analyses of projects and programs; techniques for exercising influence; methods and techniques for planning, organizing, and controlling work activities; principles of mathematics, algebra, and geometry; SMUD policies, procedures, and other special agreements related to energy trading and contracts; methods and techniques for report preparation; principles and practices of analytical approaches; interrelationships between SMUDs operations and relevant external entities; safety policies, practices and procedures; office procedures, methods, and equipment

Skills To

Negotiate on behalf of SMUD; evaluate proposals; review and draft contract revisions; interpret, analyze and apply contract language, pertinent policies, procedures, laws, codes, regulations and requirements; analyze and perform economic analysis; develop and conduct oral presentations and testimony; serve as expert witness in litigation and be cross examined and deposed in legal proceedings; explain complex and/or controversial policies, regulations, procedures and/or activities; gather and analyze data from appropriate sources; utilize critical thinking to generate solutions and alternatives to problems; utilize a personal computer and/or computer terminal, systems and software relevant to the job; communicate effectively orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships; perform all duties and responsibilities of the classification whether in a remote-work environment or within a SMUD campus.

Desirable Qualifications

• Three (3+) or more years of relevant work experience in reviewing, analyzing, negotiating, and administering agreements for renewable energy, interconnection agreements, water rights contracts, Low Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS) or Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS), energy environmental products, or in project development, implementation, or management of solar, wind, or other renewable or conventional energy technologies in the Western US energy markets.
• Three (3+) or more years of relevant work experience in reviewing Federal of California energy legislation or regulations for business or compliance risk or in advocating in the Federal or California legislative or regulatory affairs environment.