Lead Policy Developer – Transmission Cost of Service (Hybrid)

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) manages the flow of electricity across the high-voltage, long-distance power lines that make up 80 percent of California's power grid. We safeguard the economy and well-being of 30 million Californians by operating the grid reliably 24/7. As the impartial grid operator, the California ISO opens access to the wholesale power market that is designed to diversify resources and lower prices. It also grants equal access to 25,865 circuit-miles of power lines and reduces barriers to diverse resources competing to bring power to customers.

About the Role

The Lead Policy Developer, under the general direction of the Director, is responsible for the development of policies related to ISO transmission planning, infrastructure development, and resource interconnection. This role maintains key relationships with state and federal agency policy makers and staff, coordinating regular, ongoing interaction between the ISO and regulatory agencies. It ensures regulatory direction and decisions recognize the ISO’s reliability mandate, as well as regulatory, market, operational, and planning responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Provides subject matter expertise in regulated cost-of-service and related economic topics.
• Supports transmission planning and infrastructure development activities, including the ISO’s transmission competitive procurement processes, with financial expertise focusing on regulatory cost of service principles and practices.
• Maintains awareness of industry cost structures and activities directly impacting transmission development activities, acting as an internal resource as needed to support policy analysis, policy development, and consideration of special projects.
• Prepares written materials and presents information to ISO management, identifying issues and impacts to the ISO and providing recommendations on the ISO’s position and how to proceed.
• Researches regulatory issues and develops and implements regulatory strategies on issues impactful to the ISO.
• Evaluates ISO initiatives, such as proposed market design rules and policies and infrastructure planning outcomes, identifies potential challenges to ISO regulatory strategy, and provides recommendations.
• Identifies interdependencies between various regulatory initiatives and ISO initiatives.
• Performs complex quantitative supporting analyses as needed.
• Leads and supports cross-departmental teams and manages a robust stakeholder process for infrastructure policy initiatives.
• Produces timely and quality products, including white papers, presentations, filings (CPUC and FERC), and Board memos.
• Works with the director and subject matter experts to develop sound policy recommendations that reflect the best solution to an issue or achieves specific goals.
• Identifies, evaluates, and resolves policy issues.
• Ensures policy issues have an appropriate level of stakeholder engagement to minimize stakeholder issues and concerns.
• Utilizes and promotes best practices for policy development.
• Ensures implementation details and timing for policy proposals are well vetted and understood both internally and externally.
• Provides guidance, sets daily work assignment priorities for staff as needed.
• Identifies staffing needs and mentors, coaches, and trains staff to optimize the team.
• Provides feedback to management regarding staff performance in support of the performance evaluation process.
• May participate in department hiring activities such as interviewing and providing feedback on candidates' technical qualifications.
• May function as a Department Manager and is accountable to Manager for actions taken in Manager's absence.
• May be granted additional supervisory authority based on department needs and/or consistent with departmental succession planning.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree (BA, BS) or equivalent education, training, or experience in Economics, Public Policy, Engineering, Business, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Six (6) or more years of related experience, including professional experience in regulatory cost of service regulation and public utility rate design.
• Experience in infrastructure policy and process principles, wholesale electric market rules and transmission issues, utility restructuring issues, and policies at the federal, state, and local level or corporate strategy experience and/or subject matter expertise in a similarly complex technical or business discipline.
• Experience participating in highly technical policy development, implementation, and/or legislative processes at the federal, state, and regional levels highly desired.
• Demonstrated experience working with stakeholders and/or project teams to resolution on highly technical problems.
• Experience modeling and applying statistical tools and techniques.
• Working knowledge of the ISO Tariff, energy markets, and related regulatory issues.
• Economic or engineering analysis of complex issues.
• Experience writing and presenting technical proposals and reports to diverse audiences.
• Experience in team environments to resolve complex problems.
• Experience developing and managing project plans to meet established milestones and objectives.

Skills

• Demonstrates fundamental management and leadership skills with the ability to work effectively in a team environment as a leader, facilitator, and team member.
• Ability to provide practical and feasible solutions to problems, keeping multiple conflicting considerations into account.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and writing skills.
• Excellent analytical skills, including the ability to effectively communicate complex technical materials and concepts in a non-technical manner.
• Ability to handle a dynamic and changing work environment, and work independently.
• Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Self-motivated, problem-solving skills, and the ability to influence others without direct authority.
• Quantitative and/or programming skills preferred.

Additional Information

This position is available to participate in a hybrid or on-site schedule. Relocation Assistance is available.

Pay

The pay range for the Lead Policy Developer position is $134,250 - $187,950 annually.