Managing Consultant/Sr. Managing Consultant
2 days ago
Chicago
Job DescriptionWhy You Should Join the E3 Team When you join the E3 team, you will be working on some of the most important energy issues with some of the top minds in the industry. We help shape energy and climate policy, play vital roles in regulatory proceedings, advise executives, and inform investment and planning selections. At E3, you will be challenged and inspired. Who We Are Founded in 1989, Energy + Environmental Economics (E3) is a 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. We are also increasingly working in regions all across North America, with utilities, regulators, developers and investors from Florida to Alberta and many places in between. Practice AreaThis position is based in our Distribution Technology & Planning practice area. About the Role· Hours: Full Time · Travel: 0-10% · Office Location: Remote or hybrid work schedule from one of our E3 offices; travel to local client site maybe required for the San Francisco office. Work EnvironmentE3 has adopted a hybrid and flexible work environment that adapts to changing needs of projects and safety requirements. Because E3 thrives in a strong collaborative office-based working environment, in addition to work at client sites as project needs require, we encourage employees to work from the office at least 2-3 days per week, while also welcoming those who prefer to come in more regularly. Must be able to work for extended hours in front of a computer screen and conduct meetings on the telephone and virtually. The RoleE3 is seeking Managing Consultants for our Distribution Technology and Planning team to lead on technical and strategic engagements that help utilities and regulators transition to a more flexible, decarbonized, and distributed grid. This role combines business development, client engagement, regulatory support, and technical contributions - ideal for a utility consultant with experience in grid modernization, distributed system planning, and Distributed Energy Resource (DER) integration. You will help develop and grow E3’s work in distribution planning, grid modernization strategy, distribution systems planning and integration, and DER program evaluation including flexible load integration while helping clients navigate the technical, operational, and regulatory challenges of electrification, DER, and system planning reform. Your background should include leading multidisciplinary teams, developing trusted client relationships, and delivering high-impact advisory services at the intersection of engineering, policy and operations. This role also includes direct support for utility distribution planning teams, where you will help refine analytical frameworks, implement advanced modeling tools, and align planning practices with emerging regulatory expectations. In addition to project leadership, you will contribute to E3’s business development, thought leadership, and strategic partnerships in power systems planning and engineering. You will also support strategic work with utilities to prioritize distribution capital investments across competing objectives including reliability, resiliency, affordability and enabling electrification and DER adoption. You will develop and apply rigorous, transparent modeling and investment prioritization frameworks that help utilities direct capital to investments delivering the greatest system and customer value, while clearly articulating tradeoffs among cost, performance, and risk. This analytical rigor is central to building stakeholder confidence and securing regulatory approval for timely investments in utility distribution systems. Responsibilities • Strategic Leadership and Client Engagement, • Lead and contribute to consulting engagements focused on distribution systems planning, grid modernization, DER integration, and integrated grid strategy for utilities, regulators, and public agencies, • Serve as a trusted advisor to utility clients on distribution planning, grid modernization, DER integration, electrification, non-wired alternatives (NWAs), flexible interconnection and resilience planning, • Partner with utility planning, operations, and customer program teams to improve internal workflows, adopt advanced modeling tools, and align distribution planning with operational practices and regulatory expectations, • Support E3 in high-profile industry proceedings, rulemakings, and technical working groups, offering technical clarity and policy-aligned insights, • Technical Leadership, • Lead analytics and reports development for consulting engagements focused on distribution systems planning, grid modernization, DER integration, and integrated grid strategy for utilities, regulators, and public agencies, • Lead distribution planning projects with analyses including steady-state, dynamic, and quasi-static time-series simulations for planning, reliability and hosting capacity assessments, • Guide the development of grid modernization roadmaps, use cases, and systems architecture while accounting for cybersecurity considerations, • Guide the development of models, simulations, and forecasts exploring electrification impact, NWAs including flexible load potential, and distribution automation for system and substation-level planning, • Lead the development of interconnection studies and strategies that accommodate DERs beyond hosting capacity through coordination with storage and NWAs with dispatchable flexibility, • Manage power systems modeling efforts using tools such as CYME, Synergi, ASPEN, PowerFlow and LoadSEER and scripting with tools such as Python, • Provide guidance to improve practices, tool enhancements, and refine architecture to improve analytical capabilities and efficiency, • Business Development & Practice Growth, • Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with utilities, commissions, and energy agencies, • Lead proposal development for projects related to distribution planning, grid modernization and planning or operational technology integration, • Identify project opportunities related to distribution planning, grid modernization and DER integration, • Identify emerging opportunities in areas such as electrification, distributed operations, climate resilience and advanced distribution analytics, • Contribute to E3’s thought leadership through white papers, presentations, and conference participation, • Collaborate across E3’s practice areas to deliver integrated solutions, • Project Oversight and Team Management, • Oversee and contribute to the delivery of complex technical and strategic projects, ensuring high quality, technical rigor and alignment with client needs, • Review major deliverables to ensure actionable outcomes across technical, regulatory, and business dimensions, • Manage budgets, schedules and client expectations to meet performance and growth goals, • Cross train with your peers and mentor colleagues and junior staff to develop technical, business, and soft skills while expanding knowledge of the electric power industry Requirements, • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or related field, • 4-8+ years of experience in utility consulting, distribution planning or grid modernization, • Deep understanding of utility planning practices, distribution modeling, and DER applications, • Proven ability to engage with clients at all levels, including executives, regulators, and technical staff, • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and public speaking Things that Set You Apart, • M.S. or Ph.D. in Engineering, Business, or related field, • Experience with California regulatory processes, • Technical leadership in developing: Flexible load roadmaps and end-use disaggregation, DERMS business integration frameworks and cost benefit analysis, flexible interconnection protocols where DERs exceed hosting capacity and/or grid modernization filings and DSIPs, • Understanding of non-wires alternatives, demand response strategy and climate resilience planning, • Recognized contributions to industry standards, technical committees or national grid modernization initiatives