Definition
Directs and evaluates analytical work performed in the analyses and evaluation of public utility operations subject to regulation by the Iowa Utilities Commission; provides expert opinion and support evidence on issues pertaining to utility regulation by testifying in formal proceedings before the Commission; performs related work as required.
Work Examples
Assists supervisor by performing such duties as instructing employees, answering questions, distributing and balancing the workload, and checking work; may make suggestions on selection, promotions, and reassignments.
Recommends staffing schedules, staffing levels, and amounts of support necessary to accomplish goals of project/program area overseen.
Provides input in the identification of internal programs, plans, and procedures necessary to ensure agency goals are met.
Identifies economic, cost of service, rate design, and related issues by reviewing/analyzing testimony and exhibits filed by public utilities and special interest groups and determines Commission staff position.
Directs the compilation of supporting staff testimony and exhibits used in formal proceedings based on existing policies, procedures, and precedents.
Acts as Commission expert witness by testifying and being subject to cross-examination on technical issues including utility cost of capital, cost of service rate structures, engineering issues, and related issues.
Formulates cross-examination questions for public utility company witnesses and provides input in the preparation of briefs and oral arguments presented to the Commission to provide facts necessary for proper disposition of contested issues.
Directs staff members that perform analytical studies such as cost and rate structures of utilities, corporate financial structures, and management operations of utilities, impacts of rate changes on demands for utility services, and related research and analysis using such methods as computer simulation techniques, econometrics, and on-site reviews to provide support information so that the Commission may assess alternative treatment of issues in contested case proceedings.
Prepares information for stipulation meetings and hearings with representatives of public utility companies to present Commission staff position and assist in determining points of agreement with public utility companies.
Reviews current literature and attends seminars and conferences to maintain current knowledge of economics, finance, trends in public utility regulation, laws, policies, and related fields impacting on work performed.
Meets with representatives of public utilities, private industry and the public on matters related to public utility regulation.
Assesses needs of and develops computer applications for use in program area supervised.
Directs staff in the collection of data for use in the establishment of computerized data base.
Attends professional seminars and meetings to maintain current knowledge of regulatory trends, issues, and analytical methods and shares this information with other staff.
Collects and analyzes data for appraisal, valuation, and depreciation studies of utility properties and engineering cost studies by examining or directing a staff that examines utility reports, records, operating data, and physical facilities to determine compliance with Commission rules and regulations, and adequacy of service provided by the utility to the public.
Competencies Required
Knowledge:
Administration and Management – Business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Administrative – Administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Business and Management – Principles and facts related to business administration and accounting, human and material resource management in organizations, sales and marketing, economics, and office information and organizing systems.
Computers and Electronics – Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Customer and Personal Service – Principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language – Structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Law and Government – Laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Mathematics – Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Abilities:
Category Flexibility – Generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning – Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning – Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering – Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Mathematical Reasoning – Choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Number Facility – Add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Oral Comprehension – Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression – Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity – Speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition – Identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension – Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression – Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Skills:
Active Learning – Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving – Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making – Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Management of Financial Resources – Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Management of Material Resources – Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
Management of Personnel Resources – Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Mathematics – Using mathematics to solve problems.
Monitoring – Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Negotiation – Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion – Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Reading Comprehension – Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking – Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing – Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:
All of the following (a and b):
Four years of full-time work experience in accounting, business administration, finance, economics, operations research, computer science, environmental science, statistics, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering; and
A total of four years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in accounting, business administration, finance, economics, operations research, computer science, environmental science, statistics, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering equals one year of full-time experience.
All of the following (a, b, and c):
Two years of full-time work experience in accounting, business administration, finance, economics, operations research, computer science, environmental science, statistics, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering; and
A total of four years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in accounting, business administration, finance, economics, operations research, computer science, environmental science, statistics, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering equals one year of full-time experience; and
A total of two years of graduate-level education and/or full-time experience (as described in part a), where twenty-four semester hours of accredited graduate college or university coursework in accounting, business administration, finance, economics, operations research, computer science, environmental science, statistics, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering equals one year of full-time experience.
Graduation from an accredited paralegal school, and experience equal to three years of full-time work in legal research.
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a doctorate degree in in accounting, business administration, finance, economics, operations research, computer science, environmental science, statistics, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering, and experience equal to one year of full-time work in accounting, business administration, finance, economics, operations research, computer science, environmental science, statistics, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering.
Licensure as a professional engineer by the Iowa Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board, and experience equal to thirty months of full-time work as a licensed professional engineer.
All of the following (a, b, and c):
Possession of a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certificate; and
Three years of full-time work experience in accounting, business administration, finance, economics, operations research, computer science, environmental science, statistics, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering; and
A total of four years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in accounting, business administration, finance, economics, operations research, computer science, environmental science, statistics, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering equals one year of full-time experience.
Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes two years of full-time work as a Utility Analyst 2 or one year of full-time work as a Utility Analyst 3.
Notes
Travel, including overnight travel, may be required for positions in this class. Employees must arrange transportation to and from assigned work areas.
Effective date: 10/26 KC