Utilities Manager

Job Overview

The Utilities Manager assists the Energy & Sustainability (E&S) Department and others with a wide variety of tasks that help with budgeting, procurement, analysis of utilities, internal audits, interventions, and capital expenditures. This includes maintaining lists of vendors, contacts, contracts, bids, and proposals. Areas of focus include contract expirations, bidding process, gathering and analysis of usage data, project support, and main point of contact for internal customer service. Internal and vendor communications, data gathering and analysis are all within the purview of this role.

Organizational Impact

The Utilities Manager handles important elements of the E&S process, primarily focused on activities and information that does not require physical presence but more of a focus on communication and analysis. By managing the flow of information and communication, this role ensures a strong foundation of data and effective process for all stakeholders. The result is accurate information, leading to impactful recommendations, orderly operation of the department, accurate budgeting, competitive procurement, and a knowledgeable resource for stakeholders.

Key Systems

The Utilities Manager works closely with the systems used by the E&S Department. This typically includes the Document Management System (DM), Reporting System (Utilities Facts Reports), Energy Audits, Energy Intervention Cases, Energy Usage Programs (Smart Meters, EMS), and Compliance Programs (State Mandated Benchmarking).

Inputs

During periods of regular operations, internal and vendor communications, invoice analysis and usage history comprise the majority of inputs for a Utilities Manager, along with scheduled activities, such as Energy Audit Cases, Contract Expiration Cases. In general, incoming requests typically arrive through cases such as Energy Intervention Cases.

Outputs

Outputs are provided to the utility provider, vendors, and internally – Director of E&S, international support team, Accounting, Operations and Engineering. Outputs include presenting vendor proposals in a digestible form, presenting contract proposals in comparative format, flagging anomalous utility usage for further investigation, coordinating utility changes both when the utility provider changes and when customers move in and out and utilities need to be switched from customer’s name to Management Company’s name, providing utility information internally to stakeholders when questions are raised regarding invoicing, informing the E&S Dept. of upcoming rate changes and expected outages. Outputs often include reports, analyses, and responses to requests for information.

Activities

• Utility contract procurement

o Contact all vetted providers

o Provide vendors with needed data for vendor’s most competitive price

o Organize proposals and make recommendations

• Critical date management (expirations)

o Manage cases for contract expirations and timely execution of new contracts

• Coordinate utility switches

o Contact utilities

o Switch account service name as needed

• Engagement with utility representatives

o Establish contact at utility for future queries

o Make requests such as meter checks, meter replacements

o Proactively get information about rate changes, planned outages

• Data review of invoice inputs

o Review Facts report and compare to invoice data

• Data review of interval electric data

o Pull interval data from Smart Meter Texas and other interval data providers

o Refine data using models to flag anomalies

o Create cases to flag anomalies

• Error / missing items resolution

o Track missing invoices

• Utility usage reporting

o Maintain a portfolio-wide report showing Actual vs. Budget commodities usage and costs

• Explanation of variances

o Report anomalous costs attributed to rate changes, one-time fees, etc.

• Data gathering and organizing for annual utility budgeting

• Vet vendors - energy efficiency and sustainability consultants, solar, EV charging, etc.

Recommended Items

Central vendor list
Overview of MSA bid process
Sample / standard email for request for proposal (RFP)
Utility contracts
Document Management System
List of entity ownership and associated EIN

Content Examples

Standard utility invoices including electricity Settlements for Block & Index
Electric usage model
Utilities portfolio
wide report
Electric settlement summary file

Sample Event-Driven Tasks

• Project Start / Completion

o Circulate project scope amongst vendors

o Organize proposals

o Highlight cost/benefits or payback of various proposals

o Make recommendation

• Explain budget variances

• Payment approval for new accounts

• Assist in curtailment in times of electric scarcity

• Monitor and report on natural disaster (i.e. hurricane, drought)

• Assist with utility budgets for proformas

Sample Scheduled Tasks

• Contract approval and execution upon take-over/expiration

o Profile executed contracts in DM

o Audit first invoice under new contract

• Assist with Energy Audits

• Assist with annual utilities budgets

• Check Energy intervention cases and escalate if needed

• Regularly check with vendors (Retail Electric Providers) for contractual cost saving opportunities

• Track natural gas and other commodity prices

• Track real-time Localized Market Price for energy markets in which we participate

Sample Infill Tasks