Senior Associate, Rate Design & Utility Regulation

Are you passionate about decarbonization and looking to help transform the US electricity system? Do you enjoy tackling complicated problems with robust analysis and thoughtful communication? If yes, Synapse has a position for you.

Synapse Energy Economics is a consulting company that has been providing rigorous analysis on behalf of public interest clients in the energy sector for more than 25 years. Our work includes expert analysis, reports, and high-impact expert witness testimony in docketed proceedings before public utility commissions across the country and in Canada. Our clients are primarily environmental non-profits, state agencies, federal agencies, and consumer and environmental advocacy groups.

Synapse is seeking a Senior Associate with strong quantitative and writing skills and a desire to dive into rate design, cost of service studies, cost allocation, and utility regulatory models. Candidates should be committed to advancing sustainability, environmental justice, and consumer protection.

Synapse’s experts work on a variety of rate design and utility regulation and topics. Our clients seek our support in evaluating and developing rate designs that provide efficient price signals, help achieve energy policy goals, and protect customers. Our work on specific advanced rate design topic areas includes time-varying rates, demand charges, and electric-vehicle-specific rates. We also address compensation mechanisms for distributed generation including net-metering, value-of-solar tariffs, feed-in tariffs, and solar renewable energy certificates.

Synapse also frequently engages in proceedings to evaluate and implement new regulatory models and mechanisms, which include multi-year rate plans, performance incentive mechanisms, and revenue decoupling mechanisms.

As a Senior Associate, you will manage projects, proposals, and teams, as well as contribute substantively to projects managed by others. You will serve as a trusted technical expert for our clients and work collaboratively with them to develop testimony, reports, or presentations that advance the public interest. Examples of possible projects for this role include authoring and supporting expert witness testimony on innovative rates for electric vehicles and distributed energy resources, assessing the payback period and rate impact of solar compensation mechanisms, assessing proposals for performance-based regulation, and conducting benefit‑cost analyses of non‑wires alternatives and utility grid modernization proposals.

As a Senior Associate for Rate Design and Utility Regulation, you will:

• Critically analyze electric utility proposals, particularly as they pertain to utility regulatory frameworks, cost of service, and rate design to identify shortcomings and propose forward-thinking alternatives to advance the public interest
• Assess the risks and tradeoffs between various types of utility rate making models, including traditional cost of service studies, cost trackers, multi-year rate plans, and performance incentive mechanisms
• Manage projects and work collaboratively with team members to produce high-quality expert reports and testimony summarizing our analyses, conclusions, and recommendations
• Analyze utility rate design and cost of service methodologies and underlying quantitative models
• Serve as a trusted technical expert to clients and successfully defend your analysis and refute opposing analyses in regulatory hearings,
• Clearly and succinctly convey complex technical concepts to clients, regulators, and public audiences through papers, presentations, testimony, and meetings
• Lead the development of proposals to effectively address client needs
• Ensure the integrity and accuracy of our analyses and proposals

• A strong desire to work on behalf of public interest clients in improving energy planning and policy.
• Broad knowledge of electric utility regulation and rate making.
• Degree or significant experience in Finance, Economics, Public Policy, or related field.
• 5+ years of relevant industry work experience with a Master's or Bachelor's Degree, or 2+ years of relevant industry work experience with a Doctorate.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work and communicate well in teams.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize critical tasks and conflicting requirements.

You don't have to satisfy every requirement or meet every qualification listed above. If your skills are transferable or you are near the number of years of experience we seek, please apply. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.

Any of the following qualifications will be considered an asset:

• Advanced degree in economics or related field
• State, federal, or provincial electric utility regulatory experience
• Project management experience in a consulting position or in a similar role
• Expert witness testimony experience (either sponsoring or…