Senior Consultant - Accounting and Tax Expert (Remote) Share LinkedIn

GDS Associates, Inc. has an exciting and challenging opportunity for a Senior Consultant - Accounting and Tax Expert in the Rates and Regulatory Department. This position is expected to work remotely from a home office. This position has the opportunity for hybrid arrangements if local to a GDS office. The main responsibilities are listed below.

GDS is a nationwide multi-service engineering and consulting firm specializing in the energy utilities industry. The ongoing pace of regulatory uncertainty and economic volatility is unrivaled in the utility industry and requires equally unparalleled flexibility in ratemaking and regulatory strategies. GDS has been at the forefront of industry rate and regulatory policy, offering broad expertise in regulatory ratemaking, accounting, taxes, economics, finance, and engineering.

The Rates and Regulatory Department supports publicly owned utilities, industrial and large commercial companies, municipalities, and government agencies on a variety of unique and challenging proceedings before FERC and many state utility commissions. Additionally, the Rates and Regulatory Department specializes in accounting, tax, depreciation, regulatory policy, and cost of service matters involving electric, natural gas, and water/wastewater utilities. The department supports its clients on FERC formula rate proceedings, FERC litigation and settlement cases, intervenor comments, retail rate proceedings before state utility commissions, and regulatory compliance matters, among others.

The Senior
Consultant's responsibilities include broad coordination and supervision of projects
managed on time, within budget with the assistance of the supporting staff. The
Senior Consultant oversees and mentors the supporting staff in order
to ensure that project deliverables and deadlines are on track as well as
monitoring the project budgets. The
Senior Consultant will be responsible for managing a larger portion of the
client interactions and will work to generate new project work by participating
in marketing efforts and proposal development. The Senior Consultant collaborates
directly with clients to meet their needs and ensures that any problems are
corrected immediately with the assistance of the project team. The Senior Consultant
will report to a Director, Senior Director, or Managing Partner and work in
tandem to build a profit center.

A
Senior Consultant will also:

• Provide subject matter
  expert consulting for utility regulatory and cost-of-service rate matters,
  such as accounting, tax, depreciation, and related FERC precedents.
• Lead and participate
  on a consulting team to identify issues related to ratemaking concepts in
  connection with utility cost of service and regulatory proceedings.
• Independent
  preparation of expert testimony in support of disputes, regulatory
  protests, and/or litigation support on behalf of public power,
  consumer-owned utilities, large industrial users and/or state regulatory
  commissions.
• Convey complex subject
  expertise matters related cost-of-service and/or other precedent and
  ratemaking principles to clients in an easily understood fashion.
• Independently conduct
  regulatory, accounting, and tax research to support positions, increase
  technical knowledge, and train others in the Rates and Regulatory
  Department.

Additionally,
a Senior Consultant with a designated expertise in Accounting and Tax will
also:

• Provide subject
  matter expert consulting for complex utility accounting and tax matters with a
  focus on the impact to utility cost-of-service rate outcomes.
• Lead and
  participate on a consulting team to identify issues related to accounting and
  tax matters in connection with utility cost of service and regulatory
  proceedings.
• Independent
  preparation of expert testimony in support of disputes, regulatory protests,
  and/or litigation support on behalf of public power, consumer-owned utilities,
  large industrial users and/or state regulatory commissions.
• Convey complex
  accounting and tax concepts related cost of service principles to clients in an
  easily understood fashion.
• Independently
  conduct regulatory, accounting, and tax research to support positions, increase
  technical knowledge, and train others in the Rates and Regulatory Department.

• Develop proposals and marketing
  materials.
• Review draft invoices for project
  work.
• Marketing and client engagement.
• Mentor and train junior staff.
• Attend industry conferences and
  meetings on behalf of GDS.
• Testify at regulatory hearings.
• Discuss with administrative
  supervisor performance assessment of staff assigned to projects under
  their leadership.
• Manage large and complex projects
  successfully.
• Possess knowledge and awareness of
  other GDS departments to maximize cross-functional opportunities on the
  projects managed.
• Possess knowledge and awareness of
  Rates and Regulatory staff and resources to ensure the proper delegation
  of project tasks and utilization of division resources.
• Provide expertise to the Rates and
  Regulatory Department on relevant topics in the industry.

• Minimum of bachelor's degree in accounting, economics, engineering, statistics, finance or other related field with utility experience.
• Certified Public Accountant CPA (preferred, but not required).
• Suggested experience related to the project team assignments of at least 11(eleven) or more years.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience.
• Manage the workflow of project team/staff.
• Knowledge of company culture, procedures, and policies.
• FERC and/or state utility regulatory and rate making experience.
• Familiarity with the FERC Uniform System of Accounts.
• Experience in electric utilities rate matters. Experience in natural gas utilities rate matters (preferred, but not required).
• Experience with electric cooperatives and municipals (preferred, but not required).
• Research, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Testimony experience (e.g., assist with ghost writing portions of expert witness' testimony) or similar experiences communicating technical positions in writing.
• Experience in assisting or conducting audits, investigations, or other reviews involving the collection of evidence or data necessary to evaluate compliance or reasonableness of utility cost of service matters.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work well on a team.
• Physical ability to perform reading and work on a computer during working hours.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, & PowerPoint).
• Available for moderate domestic travel (5-10% primarily to FERC offices).
• Flexibility/availability to work extra hours when necessary to meet project requirements.

GDS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Please note that this position is not available for visa sponsorship.

Work Authorization: Citizens or Permanent Residents of USA or Canada. Cannot provide Visa sponsorship.

Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, the individual's particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability and organizational requirements. The typical salary range for this position is $148,200 - $210,000. This is just one component of the firm's total compensation package.

• Flex Benefits (Flexible Hours, Telecommuting)
• Competitive Pay
• Excellent Health Insurance Benefits
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick, Floating Holiday, Holidays)
• 401(k)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Tuition Reimbursement