Utility Specialist - Risk Management & Business Analysis - Power Enterprise – SFPUC (5602) (164129) (EXEMPT)

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) serves more than 2.7 million customers in the San Francisco Bay Area with high-quality water, power, and wastewater services. We are an award-winning, industry-leading utilities organization committed to environmental stewardship, innovation, and community interests.

About the role

The Power Enterprise is seeking a Financial Analyst to lead financial feasibility evaluations for large, complex electricity service requests and strategic electrification initiatives. This role will develop comprehensive business cases, scenario and risk analyses, and coordinate cross-functional inputs to support executive decision-making. The position will also build structured evaluation capability by developing and documenting financial modeling tools and methodologies during the project term.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial feasibility evaluations for large load projects and strategic electrification initiatives, including development of comprehensive business cases and valuation analyses (NPV, IRR, payback, and cost recovery assessment).
• Develop and enhance project financial models to evaluate capital investment, revenue sufficiency, rate impacts, and long-term financial exposure.
• Conduct project sensitivity, scenario, and risk analyses to assess load uncertainty, market volatility, regulatory changes, and potential stranded asset risk.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Customer Engagement, Engineering, Retail Services, Reg/Leg, and Finance) to gather inputs, validate assumptions, and ensure analytical consistency.
• Improve model structure and functionality by incorporating validation checks, documentation, and version control practices to enhance reliability and transparency.
• Develop and document consistent project evaluation methodologies, including cost estimation, forecasting approaches, discounting assumptions, and performance metrics.
• Prepare clear, concise executive-level reports, presentations, and decision memoranda summarizing findings, risks, trade-offs, and recommendations.
• Organize and maintain centralized records of assumptions, models, and historical analyses to support transparency, continuity, and audit readiness.
• Provide training and structured knowledge transfer to internal staff and support implementation of documented processes to enable transition of analytical capability into regular business functions.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, preferably in Law, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Natural Resources, Computer Science, Business Administration, Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, or a related field.
• Four years of verifiable journey-level work experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Planning, scheduling, cost estimating, and resource projecting for mid- to large-scale projects.
  • Water supply/infrastructure management and planning.
  • Power operations planning and scheduling.
  • Analysis, interpretation, and application of utility contracts and regulations in water, power, telecommunications, or wastewater/clean water programs.
  • Utility market and environmental analysis and planning.
  • Power supply and transmission rates and contracts.
  • Generation, transmission, or distribution planning and design.
  • Long-term utility systems planning.

Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis. Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date.

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience conducting complex financial feasibility, business case, and risk analyses for utility, energy, infrastructure, or other capital-intensive projects.
• Advanced financial modeling skills, including NPV, IRR, cost recovery, sensitivity, and scenario analysis.
• Knowledge of electric utility economics, rate design, power supply, and relevant energy market and regulatory frameworks.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to evaluate uncertainty, reconcile complex inputs, and develop well-supported recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to collaborate across functions and communicate complex analysis to technical and executive audiences.
• Strong project coordination and management skills, including managing multiple workstreams, stakeholders, and deliverables, and developing documentation to support knowledge transfer.

Specified positions may require possession of a valid California Class C driver's license.