Associate Director

Salary Range: 160000 to 270000 (Currency: USD) (Pay period: per-year-salary)

Founded in 1989, Energy + Environmental Economics (E3) is a fast-growing energy consulting firm that helps utilities, regulators, policy makers, developers, and investors make the most educated strategic decisions possible as they implement new public policies, deploy and develop new technologies, and address customers’ shifting expectations. We have offices in San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Denver, and Calgary.   

Because E3 works with customers from all sectors of the electricity industry, we provide a 360-degree knowledge of markets, planning, policy, regulation, and environmental factors. Just as important, we are driven to deliver clear, unbiased evaluations that help customers make informed decisions.   

E3 works on high-profile, high-impact projects in jurisdictions that spearhead the implementation of clean energy policy. In California, Hawaii, and New York, we are advising state agencies and regulators about how to implement clean energy policies with an emphasis on customer incentives and markets.

Key Areas of Expertise

• Project delivery oversight and governance, including managing scope, cost, schedule, quality, safety, and risk; supporting stage-gate readiness; preparing decision materials; and providing clear executive reporting and escalation 

• Interface management and stakeholder coordination across internal teams (Engineering, Commercial, Planning, Finance, etc.) and external stakeholders (permitting agencies, landowners, regulators) 

• Integrated planning and project controls, including development and management of master schedules, cost baselines, forecasts, and KPI-driven performance tracking 

• Cost estimation and lifecycle forecasting, with experience developing robust owner’s cost baselines aligned with AACE standards and stage-gate requirements 

• Risk and opportunity management, including maintaining risk registers, facilitating cross-functional risk reviews, quantifying financial impacts, managing contingency, and proactively escalating material risks

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of customer work through client interactions, guiding analytical work streams, delivering presentations, writing and owning customer requests
• Design and implement a Transmission Strategy for clients:  work with the client to define key success factors and organization governance including decision rights, an executive steering committee, scope, schedule, and execute across work streams
• Guide the definition of a new internal strategy and processes for transmission and guide the business processes from current state to desired state:  org structure, resource plan, capability gaps, governance, and interfaces with ISO/RTO, regulatory and community stakeholders 
• Build the KPI framework for transmission buildout (e.g., miles energized per year, permit lead times, ROW acquisition progress, deliverability milestones, cost and schedule variance); design dashboards and routines to use them 
• Lead stakeholders alignment across utility executives, ISO/RTO, regulators, communities, and delivery partners, design strategies to unblock tough issues and drive to decision
• Conduct independent research using your ingenuity and curiosity to make reasonable assumptions and produce appropriate solutions, at times with incomplete information
• Fulfill end-to-end project obligations
• Deliver presentations to customers and reply to questions
• Translate results of research and evaluations into clear visual representations
• Track and manage actual performance of project teams against the established plan, with ongoing communication to project team members
• Capture project learnings and repeatable products and work samples for future use according to knowledge management processes
• Assist with internal initiatives as needed 

Requirements

• Master's Degree or Ph.D. in engineering, economics, computer science, public policy or related field (or Bachelor's and equivalent work experience)
• Demonstrated hands-on experience or extensive knowledge in, or related to our practice areas
• 7- 10+ years of experience in transmission, substation, or generation project delivery, engineering, or construction management
• Significant experience/subject matter expertise in electric transmission development or planning (e.g. interconnection and deliverability concepts, corridor/ROW and permitting basics, capital planning, utility regulation)
• Experience working with or advising on transmission and substation asset delivery models
• Strong understanding of project controls (cost, schedule, risk, and change management)
• Experience coordinating across engineering, procurement, construction, and regulatory functions
• Demonstrated experience working with utilities, developers, or large infrastructure projects
• Extensive project management experience leading collaborative project efforts while helping each member of your team do their finest work
• Aptitude to write and communicate clearly
• Experience crafting a clear and compelling message both in writing and via presentations
• Demonstrated experience working directly with clients, stakeholders or customers
• Passionate about the transition to a low-carbon economy
• Demonstrated success guiding ideas, people, and projects
• High fluency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; quantitative modeling methods and/or programming knowledge and experience are also valued  
• Desire to work in a dynamic office environment with other staff

Things that Set you Apart

• Deep subject matter expertise specifically in energy, economics or finance, and climate change issues  
• Significant project management and leadership experience in a technical or analytical environment 
• Extensive experience coordinating with customers on a regular basis 
• You believe it is essential to achieve a transition to a low-carbon economy and love thinking about the future of energy 
• You work collaboratively and help each member of your team to do their finest work, aware that each brings different experiences, techniques, and qualifications to the table 
• You enjoy translating technical concepts to a broader audience  
• You take ownership of your work, proactively seeking out answers to questions and enjoy finding creative solutions to issues you encounter