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Job Description
Description
Do you want to shape policies that impact the future of a forward-thinking, publicly owned utility?
Join City of Palo Alto and embark on a rewarding career!
Career Opportunity
City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) is privileged to provide more than 25,000 customers with five municipal utility services: electricity, natural gas, water, wastewater, and fiber optics in our 26-aquare mile service territory. We manage CPAU’s 100% carbon neutral electric and gas portfolios and are engaged in leading-edge water supply planning. Our team also plays a critical role in achieving the City’s ambitious community-wide electrification programs covering homes, commercial buildings, and vehicles.
We're in search of a Senior Resource Planner who wants to be an integral part of a team within a locally-owned utility that's dedicated to delivering cost-effective, dependable, and safe utility services. This position offers abundant opportunities for personal and professional growth, enabling you to make meaningful contributions while collaborating with passionate energy professionals.
In this position, your role will be to:- Manage the Utilities Department's legislative and regulatory (L&R) program.
- Support the development and approval of programs and policies to meet new regulations.
- Advocate for the Utilities Department in transmission and energy market design proceedings, regulations, and laws.
- Engage with legislators, regulators, and stakeholders at the state and federal level to influence energy market design and policies.
- Serve as the voice of our customers in one of the greenest utilities in the country.
- Champion the most cost-effective policies as we transition to a carbon-free utility and economy.
- Work to preserve local control over policies, ensuring that Palo Alto's utilities are tailored to meet the unique needs of our customers.
The ideal candidate will possess the following attributes:- Expertise in Legislative Affairs: Proven experience in legislative analysis, advocacy, or a related field within the energy or water sector.
- Energy Industry Knowledge: Familiarity with energy contracts, generation resources and energy transmission in the context of the Western energy grid.
- Water Industry Knowledge: Familiarity with water rights, environmental and regulatory challenges facing water supply in California and California water law.
- Policy Acumen: Strong understanding of energy, water, and utility-related policies, regulations, and industry trends.
- Communication and Persuasion: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. Ability to articulate complex issues clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
- Analytical Skills: Proficiency in conducting policy research, analyzing data, and synthesizing information to formulate strategic recommendations.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with governmental bodies, community stakeholders, and industry partners.
- Adaptability and Initiative: Proactive and adaptable in a dynamic regulatory environment. Ability to work independently and as part of a team, taking initiative to drive projects forward.
As you step into this role, you'll be at the forefront of legislative and regulatory efforts, protecting the unique value that owning a utility brings to the Palo Alto community. Join us at CPAU and be part of a team that's making a real difference!
Benefits:
The City offers a fantastic benefits package that includes affordable healthcare plans, generous retirement packages, paid parental leave, convenient commuter programs and more !
Compensation (UMPAPA): Comprehensive compensation plan. To learn more, click here .
Schedule: Hybrid, 9/80 work schedule (with every other Friday off) and up to 2 remote days per week.
Essential Duties
Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include but are not limited to following, depending on assigned operations and functional areas:- Facilitates strategic planning processes through data acquisition, analysis, decision process facilitation, report preparation, and critical activity analysis and tracking.
- Performs research and interprets utilities data related to assigned area of responsibility.
- Coordinates/leads development and implementation of short and long-term water, gas, electric portfolio management plans.
- Develops and evaluates recommendations for management and Council policy adoption.
- Devises methods and procedures to obtain, maintain, and update large sets of market-related data; provides leadership, participates in, and/or oversees the evaluation of data.
- Manages and oversees specialized studies in assigned area of responsibility.
To review the full job description, click here .
Minimum Qualifications
Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities which would typically be acquired through:- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field and seven years of progressively responsible related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.
- Master's degree preferred.
Licensing Requirements:- Valid California Driver's License
Supplemental Information
The Selection Process:- Applicants will receive recruitment status notifications via email (governmentjobs.com account also has notification status updates).
- Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
- The screening process for this position typically may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.
The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
For more details visit our Careers Page, by clicking HERE.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.
Closing Date/Time: 2/3/2025 11:59 PM Pacific -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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City of Palo Alto
Show morePalo Alto is located about 35 miles south of San Francisco; and 14 miles north of San Jose. Palo Alto, known as the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley” and global center of technology and innovation, is the corporate headquarters for many world-class companies and research facilities such as VMWare, Hewlett-Packard, IDEO, Tesla, and Skype. Home to Stanford University and a top-ranked public school system, Palo Alto also features beautiful and historic residential neighborhoods, vibrant shopping and retail districts.
Palo Alto has a highly educated and culturally sophisticated citizenry that is actively engaged in making a difference both locally and globally. Unique among city organizations, Palo Alto operates a full-array of services including its own gas, electric, water, sewer, refuse and storm drainage provided at very competitive rates for its customers.
The birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, is a community of approximately 68,000 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Located on the mid-Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technology, medicine, and green innovation. Many world-class businesses maintained or started offices here, including Amazon, Tesla, Hewlett Packard, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Rivian, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, SAP Ariba, Houzz, Varian Medical Systems, and VMware. Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the startup capital of the world.
Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community’s dedication to life-long learning. Stanford’s cultural and educational offerings are integral to the vibrancy and charm of Palo Alto, while the City’s exceptional K-12 school district ranks among the top public school systems in the country. With more than 50% of adult residents holding a graduate degree or higher, Palo Alto is frequently listed as one of the most educated cities in the nation.
Home to picturesque tree-lined streets, bike lanes, and historic buildings that reflect its California heritage, Palo Alto boasts a genuine sense of community and an active citizenry with strong environmental values. Beautiful neighborhoods are complemented by vibrant commercial corridors and a bustling economy with premium shopping and dining options. Excellent health care facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are just some of this incredibly desirable community’s cherished amenities.
Join an Award Winning Team
Palo Alto is an award-winning City recognized nationwide as innovative and well-managed. Palo Alto is one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating. Recently, Palo Alto became one of the most livable cities in the U.S. by Livability.com. It's the only city to receive the Platinum Beacon Award in sustainability best practices by California’s Institute for Local Government.
We offer a variety of career paths that relate to building and improving communities. The City has fourteen departments employing 1,000 full-time staff. Police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and building inspectors keep us safe. Engineers and public works staff build and re-build the physical infrastructure. City planners help envision and shape future community growth. Recreation, arts and library professionals enhance community life. Utilities provides electric, gas, water, sewer and other services. Internal services departments help manage, staff, and protect the City.
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