Title:  Senior Originator (Power Contracts Specialist)

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

Serves as an advanced journey level resource in a relevant professional discipline; works independently on projects of moderate complexity; exercises independent judgment and discretion; may serve in a Lead role and assist in planning, coordinating, prioritizing, monitoring and evaluating the work results in assigned area and in selecting, training, motivating, evaluating and developing lower-level personnel.

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 a high-level of 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.
• Assists 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; provides staff training; promotes staff safety and a safe work environment; assists in selecting and orienting new personnel; assists in evaluating work performance; refers problems to supervision when solutions are not readily achievable.
• Assists in controlling the commodity budget costs. Assists 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.

Required Experience Qualifications

• Five (5+) or more years of progressively responsible relevant work experience negotiating contracts for energy products such as power, natural gas, transmission, or environmental products.

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 leadership and influence; methods and techniques for planning, organizing, directing 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 SMUD???s operations and relevant external entities; safety policies, practices and procedures; office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases; English grammar, punctuation and vocabulary standards.

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; effectively apply principles, practices, and procedures of leadership and influence; perform all duties and responsibilities of the classification whether in a remote-work environment or within a SMUD campus.

Desirable Qualifications

• Five (5+) or more years of relevant work experience in analyzing, modeling, negotiating, optimizing or administering agreements for renewable energy, energy storage, renewable fuels or in project development and interconnection of solar, wind, battery storage or other utility-scale energy technologies in the Western US energy markets
• Five (5+) or more years of relevant work experience in advocating, or otherwise problem-solving, for the electric utility or independent power industry in the legislative or regulatory affairs environment