Rates and Settlements Manager

Position Purpose and Objectives:

The Rates and Energy Settlements Manager primary responsibilities include leading a team that accounts for transmission and wholesale energy purchases and sales settlements, which includes overseeing the invoice and payment function for these transactions, account reconciliations and statement analysis associated with these activities, analysis of energy market performance, and reporting these transactions to regulatory agencies.

Further, the position’s responsibilities for Rates are for the development of rate classes, changes to rate case based on the Cooperative’s revenue requirement, and ensuring rates meet financial covenants and goals of the Cooperative and its lenders by leading a team of analysts in that goal.

Under general supervision of the Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Energy Resource Officer (CERO), manages Power Bilateral and Wholesale Energy markets settlements, including confirmation, calculation, billing, invoicing, reconciliation of charges and payments, timely and accurate production of energy bills, invoice processing, Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and bi-lateral settlements, reconciliation, meter data validation, reporting, audit support, and utilizing typical organized market software and meter data functionality. In addition, leads the initial development of rate recommendations, working closely with analysts inside and outside of the Cooperative and monitoring rate trends across the industry, particularly within Colorado. Leads initiatives that optimize rate cases and study parameters for rate models and participates in member outreach and meetings on rate design.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

- Ensure teams timely and accurate completion of work that includes invoicing reporting, and audits, including identifying, troubleshooting and resolving meter data issues.

- Leads team in the optimization of back-office functions such as, daily, weekly, and monthly checkout of transactions related to power bi-lateral, natural gas, transmission, balancing authority and/or energy markets.

- Responsible for month end estimates and eventual actuals as SPP settles the previous month.

- Ensure the proper collection, analysis, and validation of meter reading data used in power billing and other related activities.

- Coordinates with other departments as needed to resolve issues with settlements and rates activities.

- Performs regulatory reporting as required.

- Develops automated embedded tests to identify settlement issues early in the process.

- Understands contract details for existing and future power supply agreements.

- Provides research and analysis related to the feasibility and cost/benefit of different contracts and strategies in support of Pricing and Marketing issues.

- Creates and audits internal controls around publicly published data, such as locational marginal prices (LMPs), daily zonal scaling factors (DZSFs), and tariff-based prices, ensuring internal processes and systems are working as expected.

- Manages and optimizes processes for standardized counter party checkout documentation files with the information to satisfy audit requirements and works to improve processes as efficiencies are identified.

- Ensures compliance with terms and conditions of contracts and tariffs in accounting and billing and serves as Subject Matter Expert (SME) for compliance audits as needed.

- Files and tracks billing disputes with customers and market portals, tracks to completion said disputes.

- Acts as point person for day-to-day activity in energy markets by interacting with other departments and monitoring new standards and procedures.

- Acts as primary point of contact for organization-wide initiatives around rates and settlement activities that require coordination with both internal and external contacts.

- Responds to inquiries from both internal and external auditors during their audit engagements.

- Reviews utility tariffs and document specific rule relating to adjustments of metered load prior to settlement including but not limited to load profiles, loss factors and unaccounted for energy.

- Manages energy accounting reconciliation and reporting as assigned.

- Creates, expands, and maintains professional and productive working relationships with peers and stakeholders. Works collaboratively with colleagues and fosters a spirit of cooperation and inclusion in the workplace.

- Manages team in day-to-day and administration responsibilities, including department budget, goal setting, and performs other such duties as may be requested or assigned to fulfill the needs of the Cooperative in the interest of good management practice.

Education, Training and Experience:

Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university with major coursework in Math, Accounting, Finance, Economics, Engineering or a closely related field. Equivalency may be demonstrated through a combination of training and progressively responsible experience that resulted in the required specialized knowledge and abilities to perform the assigned work in lieu of a degree. Minimum of four (4) to six (6) years of settlements and/or rates experience particular in a wholesale energy market and a cooperative, municipal, or investor-owned utility (IOU) in addition seeking at least two (2) years of supervisor experience in directly leading people.

Core Skills and Required Knowledge:

- Ability to lead and direct team of technical individuals and as a member of a larger leadership team.

- Possess exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.

- SME on SPP Market Protocols.

- Day to day work is self-initiated and self-directed.

- Expert knowledge of accounting functions including preparation or review of financial data used by other departments, and analysis of financial results associated with Energy Settlements activities.

- Ability lead team in to organize and drive daily activities based on both broad and specific directives, processes, and procedures, with ability to meet multiple deadlines, and effectively handle multiple tasks.

- Ability to maintain confidentiality for all matters regarding highly sensitive corporate and outside party information gathered and used in the normal performance of the settlements function.

- Ability to interact with departments throughout the organization on billing and accounting issues and reporting related to market transactions.

- Ability to identify and communicate barriers to timely and successful completion of work assigned and suggests possible solutions.

- Ability to collect, analyze and interpret market data to create reports through visualization and dashboarding.

- Ability and skill in monetizing and tracking of transactions, evaluating billing terms included in potential contracts and serving as the subject-matter expert for all settlements functions within the energy market.

Problem Solving:

Works on assignments that are complex, where judgment and analysis are required to resolve problems and make recommendations. Works to resolve conflicts between team members and other stakeholders, both internal and external.

Discretion/Latitude:

Works independently and as a member of a team, based on general and specific direction, finance deadlines, project task assignments, and department priorities. Develops and translates high-level goals into actionable plans. Day-to-day work is self-initiated and self-directed based on priorities established.

Impact:

The timely and accurate settlement of physical and financial energy trading activity is essential. Errors in judgment or failure to achieve results would normally require a significant amount of time and effort to fix.

Position is significantly responsible for the Cooperative’s ability to deliver cost-effective services to our members and executing on strategic goals.

This role is critical to the goal of delivering a reliable and high-performing electric distribution infrastructure.

Liaison:

An equal amount of time will be spent interacting with internal and external contacts at the Senior Leadership and Executive levels. Works with all departments to ensure coordination and collaboration on initiatives, as well as various external vendors.

Essential Physical & Mental Requirements:

Majority of time requires sitting, bending at neck, waist, legs, and arms; twisting body; and changing positions at will. Occasional driving, standing, walking, stooping, bending, kneeling, reaching and stooping.

Requires repetitive motions with hands and fingers such as keyboarding, use of telephones, cell phones, etc.

Requires close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to focus.

Work requires close attention to detail and accuracy and is varied in nature with regular interruptions.

May require travel due to external stakeholder meetings, industry conferences, and as duties require.

Working Conditions:

Work is subject to regular hours, with the exception of tight deadlines where irregular hours may be required.

$107,000- $125,705 annually is the hiring range. Position is within a grade with a maximum of $144,410

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer a generous benefits package that includes an employee retirement plan, 401K with match, paid holidays, vacation & sick leave, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance. For a full list of benefits, please visit our careers page at https://www.unitedpower.com/careers.

United Power is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. United Power prohibits discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis of age 40 and over, race, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, color, religion, military or veteran status, national origin, disability, genetic information or any other applicable status protected by state or local law.

We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States, however, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.