Manager of Rates and Revenue presso New Braunfels Utilities

Position Summary

The Manager of Rates and Revenue is responsible for developing and implementing strategic utility rate structures to stabilize revenue streams, while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and considering affordability for essential use customers. The role will be pivotal in financial planning, rate structuring, and collaborating cross-functionally to drive sustainable revenue growth for the organization. This position will provide New Braunfels Utilities (“NBU”) with guidance relating to impact fee design, cost of service studies, rate structures, tariffs, water contracts, legal requirements, and revenue sufficiency, while ensuring that growth pays for growth. All of these items will feed into the development of a Rates and Revenue Strategy.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

·       Leads strategy, development, and implementation of NBU’s rates across all electric, water, and wastewater services to drive greater revenue certainty, increased budget discipline, better alignment between revenues and expenditures, favorable credit rating agency treatment, and better predictability for ratepayers.

·       Leads NBU’s billing and metering functions ensuring accuracy of operations and revenue collection.

• Manage and oversee the billing department and all its operations
• Coordinate and communicate with various departments to ensure accuracy in billing operations
• Develop and implement billing policies and procedures
• Ensure compliance with financial and legal regulations
• Resolve any issues related to billing processes
• Train and guide staff members on billing operations and procedures
• Prepare and present reports to senior management
• Manage customer complaints related to billing
• Monitor revenue streams and identify any discrepancies

·       Ensures alignment of Rates and Revenue Strategy with NBU’s overall financial objectives to minimize rate increases while meeting all financial obligations, satisfy all indenture requirements and Board policies, and maintain NBU’s exceptional credit ratings.

·       Collaborates with Finance leadership to develop and obtain Board approval for NBU’s Budget and Financial Plan, which determines the revenue requirements to operate and maintain the electric, water, and wastewater infrastructure and upgrade facilities.

·       Collaborates with Operations and Engineering teams to align revenue strategies with infrastructure investments and operational goals and drive initiatives that will enable improvement in planning, efficiency, margins, controls, and customer experience.

·       Spearheads NBU’s rate development and revenue forecast process, partnering with leaders across Finance, Operations, Engineering, Legal, and Administration to analyze and model various inputs, data, and assumptions from NBU’s 10-year financial plan, operating budgets, capital project budgets, and associated financing costs.

·       Leads NBU’s rate and budget proposal review process to obtain approvals for bi-annual rate plans; this includes coordinating with internal and external partners to prepare and conduct presentations and reviews with NBU’s Board of Trustees, New Braunfels City Council, the Community Advisory Panel, public constituents and representatives, community organizations and groups, independent consultants, and other stakeholder groups.

·       Manages various external studies and independent reviews that inform the rates and budget development, proposal, and reporting processes; these may include Cost of Service Studies for electric, water, and wastewater services, independent reviews of rates and budget, revenue reserves studies, engineering inspection studies, and other studies related to rates, revenue, and costs.

·       Leads development of pricing and forecasting models and analysis to project revenues, assess rate impacts, support long-term financial planning, and support data-driven recommendations and decision-making overall.

·       Establishes and monitors key performance indicators (“KPIs”) for rates and revenue, making data-driven decisions to achieve NBU’s overall financial objectives and targets.

·       Oversees revenue-related budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting and assesses financial risks associated with rate structures and revenue projections, developing, and implementing risk mitigation strategies.

·       Presents budget, forecast, and financial information to NBU’s Board of Trustees on a recurring basis.

·       Drives strategies and initiatives to optimize revenue streams, including rate structuring, demand forecasting, and pricing analysis.

·       Directs monitoring of consumption and payment collection and coordinating with the Customer Service department to identify and correct billing issues.

·       Manages preparation of monthly and quarterly electric, water, and wastewater reporting for financial management. Promotes efforts to reduce loss and enhance revenue.

·       Ensures compliance with NBU’s Board of Trustees’ policies for ratemaking.

·       Ensures compliance with regulatory policies and frameworks, including ratemaking process.

·       Performs other related duties and projects as assigned at the discretion of the Chief Financial Officer.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

·       Directs the Rates & Revenue team in developing and implementing effective rate strategies. 

·       Manages a team of analysts, billing specialists and meter readers. 

·       Collaborates with Finance, Customer Service, Operations, Engineering, Legal, and Administration to align rate and revenue strategies with overall organizational objectives.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

·       Interacts with leaders across NBU’s various departments, NBU’s executive team, NBU’s Board of Trustees, local government officials, private agencies and organizations, public constituents and representatives, community organizations and groups, and external vendors.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

·       Maintain regular attendance; leave schedule should be managed so as to not interfere with ability to accomplish tasks, including special projects and assignments with deadlines 

·       Adhere to NBU safety guidelines and practices at all times and in all situations 

·       Maintain a clean and safe work area, office, field site and vehicle as applicable 

·       Maintain strict confidentiality of business, employee and customer information in written and oral communications and safeguard sensitive documents 

·       Develop & maintain effective customer service skills for communications with co-workers, customers and the public in general 

·       Adhere to NBU policies and procedures 

·       Exemplifies NBU Core Values of Stewardship, Team, Integrity, Culture, and Safety

 Participate in and support initiatives to reach annual NBU Performance Measures

Other Minimum Qualifications

Required Experience:

·       10-15 years of progressive experience in revenue or financial management, with a focus on rate setting, strategy, cost of service analytics, and utility billing analytics.

·       Demonstrated experience in developing and presenting financial/budget proposals to diverse audiences and stakeholder groups, including Boards of Directors, executives, government and public agency officials, and community representatives.

·       Demonstrated experience in complex financial modeling, scenario planning, and analyzing large data sets.

·       Ability to perform well under pressure and adjust to changing priorities while maintaining a high level of accuracy. 

 Attention to detail is imperative.