Senior Consultant - Depreciation Expert

About the role

The Senior Consultant - Depreciation Expert in the Rates and Regulatory Department supports publicly owned utilities, industrial and large commercial companies, municipalities, and government agencies on a variety of unique and challenging proceedings before FERC and many state utility commissions. The department specializes in accounting, tax, depreciation, regulatory policy, and cost of service matters involving electric, natural gas, and water/wastewater utilities.

Responsibilities

• Broad coordination and supervision of projects managed on time, within budget with the assistance of the supporting staff.
• Oversight and mentoring of the supporting staff to ensure project deliverables and deadlines are on track, and monitoring of project budgets.
• Managing a larger portion of client interactions and generating new project work through participation in marketing efforts and proposal development.
• Collaborating directly with clients to meet their needs and ensuring any problems are corrected immediately with the assistance of the project team.
• Providing subject matter expert consulting for utility regulatory and cost-of-service rate matters, such as accounting, depreciation, and related FERC precedents.
• Leading and participating on consulting teams to identify issues related to ratemaking concepts in connection with utility cost of service and regulatory proceedings.
• Conveying complex subject expertise matters related to cost-of-service and ratemaking principles to clients in an easily understandable manner.
• Independently conducting regulatory, accounting, and depreciation research to support positions, increase technical knowledge, and train others in the Rates and Regulatory Department.
• Providing subject matter expert consulting for complex utility accounting and depreciation matters with a focus on the impact to utility cost-of-service rate outcomes.
• Leading and participating on consulting teams to identify issues related to accounting and depreciation matters in connection with utility cost of service and regulatory proceedings.
• Conveying complex depreciation concepts related to cost of service principles to clients in an easily understandable manner.
• Independently conducting regulatory, accounting, and depreciation research to support positions, increase technical knowledge, and train others in the Rates and Regulatory Department.
• Testifying at regulatory hearings.
• Mentoring and training junior staff.
• Attending industry conferences and meetings on behalf of GDS.
• Providing expertise to the Rates and Regulatory Department on relevant topics in the industry.

Requirements

• Minimum of bachelor's degree in accounting, economics, engineering, statistics, finance or other related field with utility experience.
• Suggested experience related to the project team assignments of at least 11 (eleven) or more years.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of company culture, procedures, and policies.
• FERC and/or state utility regulatory and rate making experience.
• Familiarity with the FERC Uniform System of Accounts.
• Experience in electric utilities rate matters.
• Experience in natural gas utilities rate matters (preferred, but not required).
• Experience with electric cooperatives and municipals (preferred, but not required).
• Research, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in assisting or conducting audits, investigations, or other reviews involving the collection of evidence or data necessary to evaluate compliance or reasonableness of utility cost of service matters.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work well on a team.
• Physical ability to perform reading and work on a computer during working hours.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, & PowerPoint).
• Available for moderate domestic travel (5-10% primarily to FERC offices).
• Flexibility/availability to work extra hours when necessary to meet project requirements.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 11 years of relevant experience in utility accounting, depreciation, and regulatory matters.
• A Certified Depreciation Professional (CDP) certification from the Society of Depreciation Professionals.
• A CPA (preferred, but not required).

Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Experience in preparing expert testimony in support of disputes, regulatory protests, and/or litigation.
• Experience in auditing, investigations, or other reviews involving the collection of evidence or data necessary to evaluate compliance or reasonableness of utility cost of service matters.
• Ability to convey complex technical subjects to clients in an easily understandable manner.
• Experience in leading and participating on consulting teams to identify issues related to ratemaking concepts in connection with utility cost of service and regulatory proceedings.
• Experience in conducting regulatory, accounting, and depreciation research to support positions, increase technical knowledge, and train others in the Rates and Regulatory Department.
• Experience in testifying at regulatory hearings.
• Experience in mentoring and training junior staff.
• Experience in attending industry conferences and meetings on behalf of GDS.
• Experience in providing expertise to the Rates and Regulatory Department on relevant topics in the industry.

Pay

Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, the individual's particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability and organizational requirements.

Schedule

Remote work is expected, with the possibility of hybrid arrangements if local to a GDS office.