Senior Associate, Rate Design & Utility Regulation
Synapse Energy Economics, Cambridge, MA, United States
Are you passionate about decarbonization and looking to help transform the US electricity system? Do you enjoy tackling complicated problems with robust analysis and thoughtful communication? If yes, Synapse has a position for you.
Synapse Energy Economics is a consulting company that has been providing rigorous analysis on behalf of public interest clients in the energy sector for more than 25 years. Our work includes expert analysis, reports, and high-impact expert witness testimony in docketed proceedings before public utility commissions across the country and in Canada. Our clients are primarily environmental non‑profits, state agencies, federal agencies, and consumer and environmental advocacy groups.
Synapse is seeking a Senior Associate with strong quantitative and writing skills and a desire to dive into rate design, cost of service studies, cost allocation, and utility regulatory models. Candidates should be committed to advancing sustainability, environmental justice, and consumer protection.
Synapse’s experts work on a variety of rate design and utility regulation and topics. Our clients seek our support in evaluating and developing rate designs that provide efficient price signals, help achieve energy policy goals, and protect customers. Our work on specific advanced rate design topic areas includes time‑varying rates, demand charges, and electric‑vehicle‑specific rates. We also address compensation mechanisms for distributed generation including net‑metering, value‑of‑solar tariffs, feed‑in tariffs, and solar renewable energy certificates.
Synapse also frequently engages in proceedings to evaluate and implement new regulatory models and mechanisms, which include multi‑year rate plans, performance incentive mechanisms, and revenue decoupling mechanisms.
Job Responsibilities
As a Senior Associate, you will manage projects, proposals, and teams, as well as contribute substantively to projects managed by others. You will serve as a trusted technical expert for our clients and work collaboratively with them to develop testimony, reports, or presentations that advance the public interest. Examples of possible projects for this role include authoring and supporting expert witness testimony on innovative rates for electric vehicles and distributed energy resources, assessing the payback period and rate impact of solar compensation mechanisms, assessing proposals for performance based regulation, and conducting benefit‑cost analyses of non‑wires alternatives and utility grid modernization proposals.
Critically analyze electric utility proposals, particularly as they pertain to utility regulatory frameworks, cost of service, and rate design to identify shortcomings and propose forward‑thinking alternatives to advance the public interest
Assess the risks and tradeoffs between various types of utility ratemaking models, including traditional cost of service studies, cost trackers, multi‑year rate plans, and performance incentive mechanisms
Manage projects and work collaboratively with team members to produce high‑quality expert reports and testimony summarizing our analyses, conclusions, and recommendations
Analyze utility rate design and cost of service methodologies and underlying quantitative models
Serve as a trusted technical expert to clients and successfully defend your analysis and refute opposing analyses in regulatory hearings
Clearly and succinctly convey complex technical concepts to clients, regulators, and public audiences through papers, presentations, testimony, and meetings
Lead the development of proposals to effectively address client needs
Ensure the integrity and accuracy of our analyses and proposals
Required Qualifications
A strong desire to work on behalf of public interest clients in improving energy planning and policy.
Broad knowledge of electric utility regulation and ratemaking.
Degree or significant experience in Finance, Economics, Public Policy, or related field.
5+ years of relevant industry work experience with a Master's or Bachelor's Degree, or 2+ years of relevant industry work experience with a Doctorate.
Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work and communicate well in teams.
Ability to multitask and prioritize critical tasks and conflicting requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
Any of the following qualifications will be considered an asset:
Advanced degree in economics or related field
State, federal, or provincial electric utility regulatory experience
Project management experience in a consulting position or in a similar role
Expert witness testimony experience (either sponsoring or substantial contributions to the testimony of others)
Working at Synapse
Generous and flexible PTO (35 days)
Flexible work hours and holidays, and the ability to choose a schedule that works for you
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (EOSP): a tax‑deferred retirement plan that offers employees a chance to be partial owners of Synapse
Work‑life balance benefit: at the end of the year, salaried employees are compensated for every hour worked over their standard full‑time work schedule
401K plan; including an employer safe harbor contribution of 3% of your annual salary regardless of individual contributions
Life insurance
Short‑and long‑term disability
Employee Assistance Program
Collaboration: everybody contributes, asks questions, proposes solutions, and works on interesting research and analysis
Cambridge, MA office space with sit‑stand desks, lots of meeting space, indoor bike parking, and plenty of nitro cold‑brew and kombucha on tap.
Senior Associate base salary range is 84,000-126,000annually, based on a full‑time schedule. Our base salary range does not include profit‑sharing bonuses. Actual salaries will vary based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. Synapse offers competitive market salaries, based on our primary market of nonprofits and government agencies. Our salaries reflect our work for these public interest clients.
We are looking for a candidate to start working in the spring of 2026. Ideally you will be located in the Boston area and work in our Cambridge, Massachusetts office on a hybrid basis. At its discretion, Synapse will consider applications from candidates who seek to be fully remote.
We are unable to sponsor work visas for this position. Authorization to work in the United States is required to be considered.
To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please describe your experience with either (1) rate design or cost of service studies, or (2) your interest in specializing and becoming an expert in rate design.
Synapse is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a culturally diverse company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We strongly encourage applications from all qualified candidates including women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community.
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Synapse Energy Economics is a consulting company that has been providing rigorous analysis on behalf of public interest clients in the energy sector for more than 25 years. Our work includes expert analysis, reports, and high-impact expert witness testimony in docketed proceedings before public utility commissions across the country and in Canada. Our clients are primarily environmental non‑profits, state agencies, federal agencies, and consumer and environmental advocacy groups.
Synapse is seeking a Senior Associate with strong quantitative and writing skills and a desire to dive into rate design, cost of service studies, cost allocation, and utility regulatory models. Candidates should be committed to advancing sustainability, environmental justice, and consumer protection.
Synapse’s experts work on a variety of rate design and utility regulation and topics. Our clients seek our support in evaluating and developing rate designs that provide efficient price signals, help achieve energy policy goals, and protect customers. Our work on specific advanced rate design topic areas includes time‑varying rates, demand charges, and electric‑vehicle‑specific rates. We also address compensation mechanisms for distributed generation including net‑metering, value‑of‑solar tariffs, feed‑in tariffs, and solar renewable energy certificates.
Synapse also frequently engages in proceedings to evaluate and implement new regulatory models and mechanisms, which include multi‑year rate plans, performance incentive mechanisms, and revenue decoupling mechanisms.
Job Responsibilities
As a Senior Associate, you will manage projects, proposals, and teams, as well as contribute substantively to projects managed by others. You will serve as a trusted technical expert for our clients and work collaboratively with them to develop testimony, reports, or presentations that advance the public interest. Examples of possible projects for this role include authoring and supporting expert witness testimony on innovative rates for electric vehicles and distributed energy resources, assessing the payback period and rate impact of solar compensation mechanisms, assessing proposals for performance based regulation, and conducting benefit‑cost analyses of non‑wires alternatives and utility grid modernization proposals.
Critically analyze electric utility proposals, particularly as they pertain to utility regulatory frameworks, cost of service, and rate design to identify shortcomings and propose forward‑thinking alternatives to advance the public interest
Assess the risks and tradeoffs between various types of utility ratemaking models, including traditional cost of service studies, cost trackers, multi‑year rate plans, and performance incentive mechanisms
Manage projects and work collaboratively with team members to produce high‑quality expert reports and testimony summarizing our analyses, conclusions, and recommendations
Analyze utility rate design and cost of service methodologies and underlying quantitative models
Serve as a trusted technical expert to clients and successfully defend your analysis and refute opposing analyses in regulatory hearings
Clearly and succinctly convey complex technical concepts to clients, regulators, and public audiences through papers, presentations, testimony, and meetings
Lead the development of proposals to effectively address client needs
Ensure the integrity and accuracy of our analyses and proposals
Required Qualifications
A strong desire to work on behalf of public interest clients in improving energy planning and policy.
Broad knowledge of electric utility regulation and ratemaking.
Degree or significant experience in Finance, Economics, Public Policy, or related field.
5+ years of relevant industry work experience with a Master's or Bachelor's Degree, or 2+ years of relevant industry work experience with a Doctorate.
Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work and communicate well in teams.
Ability to multitask and prioritize critical tasks and conflicting requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
Any of the following qualifications will be considered an asset:
Advanced degree in economics or related field
State, federal, or provincial electric utility regulatory experience
Project management experience in a consulting position or in a similar role
Expert witness testimony experience (either sponsoring or substantial contributions to the testimony of others)
Working at Synapse
Generous and flexible PTO (35 days)
Flexible work hours and holidays, and the ability to choose a schedule that works for you
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (EOSP): a tax‑deferred retirement plan that offers employees a chance to be partial owners of Synapse
Work‑life balance benefit: at the end of the year, salaried employees are compensated for every hour worked over their standard full‑time work schedule
401K plan; including an employer safe harbor contribution of 3% of your annual salary regardless of individual contributions
Life insurance
Short‑and long‑term disability
Employee Assistance Program
Collaboration: everybody contributes, asks questions, proposes solutions, and works on interesting research and analysis
Cambridge, MA office space with sit‑stand desks, lots of meeting space, indoor bike parking, and plenty of nitro cold‑brew and kombucha on tap.
Senior Associate base salary range is 84,000-126,000annually, based on a full‑time schedule. Our base salary range does not include profit‑sharing bonuses. Actual salaries will vary based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. Synapse offers competitive market salaries, based on our primary market of nonprofits and government agencies. Our salaries reflect our work for these public interest clients.
We are looking for a candidate to start working in the spring of 2026. Ideally you will be located in the Boston area and work in our Cambridge, Massachusetts office on a hybrid basis. At its discretion, Synapse will consider applications from candidates who seek to be fully remote.
We are unable to sponsor work visas for this position. Authorization to work in the United States is required to be considered.
To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please describe your experience with either (1) rate design or cost of service studies, or (2) your interest in specializing and becoming an expert in rate design.
Synapse is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a culturally diverse company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We strongly encourage applications from all qualified candidates including women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community.
#J-18808-Ljbffr