Senior Associate/Transmission Strategy and Planning (Energy practice)

Company: Charles River Associates
Location: Boston
Posted on: February 22, 2025

Job Description:

About Charles River AssociatesFor over 50 years, Charles River Associates has been a premier consulting firm that offers employees a place to learn from a diverse group of consultants, industry experts, and academics. At CRA you will be exposed to leading minds who use economic, financial, and business analysis to solve complex world problems for an impressive roster of clients, including major law firms, Fortune 100 companies, and government agencies. Through a collegial environment, formal and informal training opportunities, and a broad array of professional development resources, your experience at CRA will open doors for you as you your career.Job OverviewConsultants in CRA's have researched, published, taught, and consulted on energy matters for a wide range of clients, including electric and gas utilities, investors, power asset owners and developers, power agencies, large industrial firms, and clean energy technology leaders. Our work in the energy industry has guided the energy transitions of major firms, established legal precedents in economics, and set new standards in market design and oversight. We have advised on developing the structure of national and regional competitive markets, reorganized multi-billion-dollar companies, testified in hundred-million-dollar damages litigation, and played a key role in most North American utility mergers and acquisitions that have taken place over the last decade.CRA is seeking qualified candidates with prior experience and knowledge of nodal production cost simulations and power flow analysis to join our team.As a Senior Associate, you will conduct research and use software to organize, analyze, and deliver data-driven insights, and you will always have your project team as a resource. Your responsibilities may include (but are not limited to):

• Manage Energy practice teams in market and transmission analysis engagements, including integrated resource planning studies, regulatory/policy analysis, and market/commercial due diligence for developers and financial investor clients;
• Act as a principal custodian of some of the Energy practice's nodal production costing and power flow models;
• Perform a broad range of quantitative consulting tasks such as developing forecast scenarios and assumptions, interpreting study results and tying to historical and forward market conditions, and identifying creative mitigation options to alleviate transmission reliability and congestion issues;
• Support the development of industry leading models through research and analysis, programming, and model vetting in areas like development support, transaction due diligence, and utility planning;
• Develop presentations and reports to concisely, comprehensively, and accurately share findings with clients on complex matters;
• Effectively communicate and present information and results to senior- and mid-level staff of clients;
• Oversee junior staff in the production of reports, presentations, and market analyses.Qualifications
  • Bachelors' degree in Electrical Engineering, Engineering Management, and/or related fields. Master's degree preferred.
  • 5+ years of professional experience in markets and transmission planning space, power flow analysis, nodal production cost analysis, and assessment of congestion/basis-risk across Eastern RTO markets.
  • 2+ years of professional experience directly managing or leading the work of others.
  • Software skills:
    • 3+ years fluency in power flow assessment packages (PowerGEM TARA, GE-PSLF, PSS-E, or PowerWorld)
    • 3+ years fluency in nodal production cost models (PROMOD, Aurora, Plexos, or Gridview)
    • Knowledge of RTO and regional planning authority planning processes, including interconnection rules, and regional reliability planning processes for PJM, MISO, and SPP in particular.
    • Excellent presentation skills and writing ability.
    • Strong problem-solving abilities and resourcefulness.
    • Working well in a team environment, and willingness to provide mentorship and supervision to junior staff members.
    • Strong project management and client engagement skills.To ApplyTo be considered for a position in the United States, we require the following:
      • Resume - please include current address, personal email and telephone number;
      • Cover letter - please describe your interest in CRA and how this role matches your goals.If you are interested in applying for one of our international locations, please visit our to view and apply for available jobs.Career Growth and Benefits
        • CRA's robust , including a commitment to offering 100 hours of training annually through formal and informal programs, encourage you to thrive as an individual and team member. Beginning with research and analysis skill building, training continues with technical training, presentation skills, internal seminars, and career mentoring and performance coaching from an assigned senior colleague. Additional leadership and collaboration opportunities exist through internal firm development activities.
        • We offer a comprehensive total rewards program including a superior benefits package, to support physical, mental, emotional and financial well-being, and in-house for foreign nationals and international business travelers.Work Location FlexibilityCRA creates a work environment that enables our colleagues to benefit from being together in the office to best deliver on our promise of career growth, mentorship and inclusivity. At the same time, we recognize that individuals realize a range of benefits when working from home periodically. We currently ask that individuals spend 3 to 4 days a week on average working in the office (which may include traveling to another CRA office or to a client's location), with specific days determined in coordination with your practice or team. At certain times of the year (e.g. holiday periods), additional remote work options are offered to those whose work commitments permit it, although our offices remain open for those who choose or need to be there.Our Commitment to DiversityCharles River Associates is an equal opportunity employer (EOE/AAE). As part of our focus on equity and inclusion, we work to ensure a fair and consistent hiring process. We celebrate diversity and we are committed to an inclusive work environment.The state of California, the city of New York, and the District of Columbia require CRA to include a good-faith estimate of the wage range for this role. This range is specific to individuals applying to work in our California, New York, and Washington, DC offices and considers a number of factors including but not limited to experience, education level, and expertise. A good-faith estimate of the base wage range for this role is $120,000 - $170,000; actual total compensation may also include benefits and bonus.
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Keywords: Charles River Associates, Boston , Senior Associate/Transmission Strategy and Planning (Energy practice), Other , Boston, Massachusetts