Energy Manager

King County is located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We are 13th most populous county in the nation, and our community provides award-winning schools, excellent medical care and facilities, wonderful and historic neighborhoods, beautiful parks, and great festivals and events. Our dynamic cities (including Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond) feature the best in art, theater, and culture. Our dazzling rural areas and parks provide year-round access to the best in recreation: hiking, kayaking, beachcombing, skiing, fishing, and so much more.

As an employer, King County attracts and supports employees committed to making a difference in our community. The work we do -- health and human services, law enforcement, courts, parks, wastewater, transportation -- makes a real difference to our neighbors.

Position Overview:

As King County Energy Manager, enable the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) and King County to minimize energy operating costs and become more energy independent and emissions neutral. Provide oversight of research, analysis, development, and implementation of diverse energy projects and initiatives.

Responsibilities:

Following is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the position:

• Oversee the operation and evaluation of DNRP energy generation assets. Evaluate power production facilities to identify and analyze the productivity, energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness and annual energy production or capacity. Coordinate power production, sales and purchases as necessary to insure optimum return on investment.
• Lead the preparation, technical review and economic analysis of proposed generation-related capital projects including new installations, the replacement or overhaul of existing equipment, installation of new equipment required for compliance with new regulatory requirements, etc. Coordinate and facilitate the integration of these projects with local utilities including operating and service agreements, net-metering, and other requirements as necessary.
• Provide lead responsibility for developing and implementing a long-term energy strategy for DNRP based upon extracting maximum value from County waste streams and providing price stability in an environmentally responsible manner. Identify and analyze both previously proven concepts and new creative concepts toward increasing the productivity, energy efficiency, and annual energy production or capacity of power production infrastructure with emphasis on waste-to-energy and renewable energy projects.
• Provide lead responsibility for negotiating electricity and natural gas supply contracts to ensure price stability, availability, reliability, and reduced costs.
• Provide lead responsibility for monitoring, updating, and implementing King County energy policies in order to minimize costs and improve operational efficiency in an environmentally responsible manner.
• Analyze climate and other environmental impacts of energy policies and projects and recommend strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other negative impacts of consumption and generation.
• Provide consultation and expertise on a variety of energy issues such as identifying opportunities to improve their operating efficiency, providing energy solutions, rate/tariff analysis, energy budget forecasting, technology application, procuring gas and electricity.
• Interact with Puget Sound Energy (PSE), Seattle City Light, Snohomish Public Utility District (PUD), and other utilities on a regular basis to monitor and influence energy and regulatory policy, tariffs, and practices that may affect the price, availability, and reliability of energy services delivered to King County.
• Support DNRP Project Managers in the design and development of capital projects that require utility (PSE, Snohomish PUD, and Seattle City Light) interaction in a manner to assist in analyzing tariff applicability, service reliability, and utility interconnection options.
• Track, analyze, and recommend King County positions on energy related legislative issues being developed at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Represent King County on energy related issues locally and regionally, including appearing before the Washington State Utility and Transportation Commission and other regulatory bodies.
• Establish and maintain a collaborative environment with diverse agencies both within and outside of the County while implementing the goals above.

Qualifications:

• Knowledge of state, federal and local legislative process, committees, amendments and bill drafting.
• Problem solving and analysis skills.
• Knowledge of policy development and analysis.
• Financial analysis skills.
• Knowledge of assigned agency's policy development process.
• Conflict resolution skills.
• Knowledge of state and federal grant and loan procurement processes.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of public contracts, agreements and other legal and quasi-legal instruments.
• Negotiation skills.
• Familiarity with legal and regulatory environments affecting intergovernmental agreements.
• Skill in making independent decisions.
• Oral and written communications skills; public speaking skills.
• Skill in handling a number of projects or task simultaneously.

Necessary Special Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Public Administration, Political Science, Environmental Science, Engineering or closely related field, or the equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

10 years or more of increasingly responsible duties in professional and/or management positions in the energy industry. Areas of knowledge and experience include:

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of engineering design principles applicable to utility operations such as generation, transmission, distribution and other related fields,
• Knowledge of commercial/industrial rate schedules of local electric and gas utilities; long-term electricity and gas purchase contract terms and pricing schedules; transmission and distribution terms and pricing schedules,
• Knowledge of the principles of energy efficient design, operation, and evaluation of commercial/industrial (C/I) and institutional facilities; C/I energy efficiency programs at the local, state, and federal levels,

Experience:

• Demonstrated track record of strong technical and economic analysis skills in the power generation industry.
• Experience with the conceptual development, analysis and deployment of major capital projects.
• Demonstrated experience developing and/or negotiating a variety of energy/utility services for private/public utilities or large industrial/commercial customers (energy commodity acquisition and infrastructure delivery options).
• Experience in the design and/or operation of energy efficient C/I facilities, implementation of energy efficiency programs in industrial and/or institutional settings; C/I energy efficiency program planning,
• Experience in the analysis of utility contracts/rates at local, state, and/or federal levels; development and/or analysis of policies relating to electric utility industry restructuring,
• Demonstrated experience performing policy and budget analysis, providing legislative or governmental liaison work.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategic energy related initiatives, service reliability assessments, operational efficiencies, application of new technologies, best practices and re-engineering efforts.
• Experience with public sector facilities, capital planning and development.
• Demonstrated track record of working collaboratively.

Ability to perform all the primary duties outlined above.

Highly Desired:

• Master's degree in Business, Economics, Public Administration, Political Science, Environmental Science, Engineering or closely related field, or the equivalent combination of education and experience is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of the structure and operation of the Pacific Northwest electric utility system, including the role of BPA in power supply and transmission; function and operation of the Seattle City Council, Snohomish PUD Commission, and WA UTC in analyzing and approving utility contracts/rates; key developments toward competition in the U.S. electric utility industry.

Compensation: Annual Salary Range (73): $89,716.85 - $113,721.50 Annually

Work Location: King Street Center, 201 South Jackson Street, Seattle, Washington.

Work Schedule: This full-time position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and is not eligible for overtime. The normal workweek is Monday through Friday.

This position is open to all qualified applicants.

To Apply:

Application materials must be completed by 4:30 p.m. on November 21, 2011, to be considered. Contact Steve Namkung for further inquiries.

Application and supplemental questions available here.