] Office of Human Resources - Montgomery County Public Schools

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT → CLASSIFICATION → UTILITY ANALYST

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Utility Analyst

MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CLASS DESCRIPTION
OFFICIAL TITLE: Utility Analyst CODE: 6130 SQ/OQ: Optimal Qualified
WORKING TITLE: Utility Analyst GRADE: 25 MONTHS: 12
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF CLASSIFICATION: Under direction, performs utility analysis for MCPS with the objective of minimizing annual utility contract costs. Analyzes market trends and procurement mechanisms, recommends and executes procurement and operating strategies to minimize utility costs, and performs routine budgeting and accounting oversight for electricity, water, natural gas and heating fuels.Procurement duties include serving as a senior technical expert in the procurement of complex, deregulated utility supplies; monitoring legal and financial requirements for Request For Proposals and contracts with attorneys who represent both MCPS and vendor; serving as MCPS representative at meetings of various load aggregation groups; preparing information on historic utility use of MCPS facilities for aggregation analysis; managing utility bids and administering contracts. Monitors markets to lock-in utility rates at favorable levels and manage risk. Represents the department at all Board of Education meetings where utility procurement action is on the agenda and represents the department director when requested.Budgeting and accounting duties include technical support of the utility database, with integrated electronic bill submittal and payment systems; management of updates and problems resulting from deregulation and changing suppliers; review and resolution of questionable bills; authorization of service start or stop at individual facilities; set up of new accounts in the database; preparation of annual budgets and monthly tracking reports; and continuous coordination of rate forecasts with the Interagency Group on Energy and Utility Management. Operating duties include development and production of periodic energy reports; monitoring and investigation of high-usage alarms; implementation of fuel switching strategies; management of delivery problems; and publication of related procedural flyers. Participates in department strategic planning and develops and maintains related energy performance measures.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION STANDARDS
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Considerable knowledge of public procurement laws, customs, and procedures. Specific knowledge of deregulated utility markets, commodities trading and utility contracts. Skill in analyzing Requests For Proposals and bid quotations and in making recommendations concerning awarding of contracts. Excellent ability to write and review Request For Proposal (RFP) bid specifications for utility services to enhance competition, and to evaluate and analyze all offerings submitted by suppliers to insure bid specifications and objectives are met. Ability to express ideas well, orally and in writing. Excellent interpersonal skills needed to present self in an effective and professional manner when dealing with supplier representatives, Montgomery County Public Schools employees, and other governmental agencies. Expert user of LAN, email systems and Microsoft office applications, especially database, spreadsheet and internet applications. Possesses the ability and willingness to continuously learn new skills and technology. Must possess the knowledge, thoroughness, and diligence of character, necessary to maintain database integrity for a complex utility accounting system. Requires fluency in relational database manipulation and development, including creation of custom queries, new reports, and the import/export of data from spreadsheets. Detailed knowledge of deregulated commercial utility bill formats and information. Practical knowledge of energy performance measurement and indices for schools. Skill at detecting and investigating unusual utility usage in facilities. Skill at strategic planning and the continuous improvement of business processes. Must be an excellent manager of time, with capabilities to define priorities. Knowledge of and the ability to meet the seven core competencies of the Supporting Services Professional Growth System (SSPGS).
EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE: Bachelors degree required. College major in business administration, law, or a related field. Extensive training in computers, office automation, and database management preferred. Specific experience with FASER utility database software preferred. Minimum of one-year experience in procurement of deregulated natural gas or electricity. Three of more years of increasingly responsible experience in procurement of deregulated utilities preferred. Minimum of two years experience detecting, investigating and reducing high energy use alarms in facilities. Other combinations of applicable education, training, and experience that provide the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to perform effectively in the position may be considered.
CERTIFICATE AND LICENSE REQUIREMENTS: None
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: (Special requirements such as lifting heavy objects and frequent climbing.) None
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: (Frequent overtime or night work required, etc.) None
OVERTIME ELIGIBLE: No

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Continuously researches, recommends and executes overall procurement strategies to minimize utility contract costs for MCPS.

2. Develops new approaches to utility contract cost reduction.

3. Provides technical expertise in the procurement of complex, deregulated utility supplies; monitoring legal and financial requirements for Request For Proposals and contracts with attorneys who represent both MCPS and vendor.

4. Represents MCPS at meetings of various groups pursuing aggregation of loads for natural gas and electricity bids; prepares information on historic utility use and demand of MCPS facilities for aggregation analysis and bid documents.

5. Manages utility bids.

6. Represents the department at all Board of Education meetings where utility procurement action is on the agenda and represents the department director when requested.

7. Administers utility contracts.

8. Monitors markets to lock-in utility rates at favorable levels.

9. Develops and maintains a risk management strategy to protect MCPS against rate spikes.

10. On advice from the software manufacturer, performs periodic service updates and annual upgrades to the utility accounting database (FASER).

11. Manages development and implementation of new rate templates and electronic data import procedures as needed.

12. Trains data entry personnel in new procedures.

13. Provides technical support and resolves problems with systems for electronic bill entry and generation of payment checks.

14. Manages updates and resolves billing problems resulting from deregulation and changing suppliers, e.g., combined billing formats and changes in rate structures.

15. Reviews and resolves questionable bills, and pursues credits from suppliers where appropriate.

16. Tracks and authorizes the start or stop of utility services at individual facilities based on planned construction dates; sets up new accounts in the FASER database.

17. Prepares the annual utility budget request and generates monthly tracking reports to forecast year-end surplus/ deficits in utilities.

18. Forecasts utility rates and maintains continuous coordination of rate forecasts with the Interagency Group on Energy and Utility Management.

19. Develops and produces periodic energy reports as feedback to the energy resources team, for evaluation and planning of energy management activities, energy CIP projects, and Green Schools initiatives.

20. Monitors monthly utility bills and on-line meters for high-usage alarms and investigates through the energy resource team.

21. Develops fuel switching strategies to determine when dual-fuel boilers should burn natural gas or fuel oil based on lowest costs; works with building services managers to implement switchovers.

22. Manages delivery problems when a supplier becomes non-responsive by locating alternate suppliers.

23. Participates in department strategic planning and develops and maintains related energy performance measures.
Class Established: 6/01
Date(s) Revised: 7/09
Last Reviewed:

This description may be changed at any time.