About the Department

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This is a 2-year term position that expires on 6/30/2028.

Continued employment in this position is contingent upon renewal of term.

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Please note: The salary range above represents this position’s earning potential. The anticipated hiring range for this position will be $113,715 to $195,476 based on the candidate’s qualifications and experience.

WHO WE ARE

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is a nationally recognized and award-winning agency with the mission to enhance the quality of life in our community by protecting and improving Montgomery County's air, water, and land in a sustainable, innovative, inclusive, and industry-leading way while fostering smart growth, a thriving, more sustainable economy, and healthy communities. DEP is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and values diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and cultures. DEP encourages BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), immigrants, women, LGBTQIA+, individuals with disabilities, and veterans to apply.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Montgomery County is launching a pilot Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program that will make the County the default electricity supplier for approximately 350,000 residential and small-business electricity accounts and create a foundation for providing a variety of innovative energy efficiency, distributed energy, and demand response programs. This flagship initiative—highlighted in the County’s Climate Action Plan—is one of the most impactful measures to help meet the County’s goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.

As the first CCA in Maryland and the mid-Atlantic, the program will serve as a model for other jurisdictions, demonstrating how a well-governed, customer-centric CCA can lower electricity costs, increase deployment of distributed energy resources, improve grid resiliency, and reduce environmental impacts.

DEP is seeking a strategic, mission-driven energy leader to develop and grow the CCA program. As Senior Manager (Manager II) for the CCA program, you will provide expertise to ensure cost-effective electricity procurement, regulatory compliance, and customer-focused program development and operation as well as to build key partnerships, direct program policy, and communicate complex topics clearly to diverse audiences.

We welcome applicants who can demonstrate experience and the following knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Ability to develop and lead all aspects of the CCA program, including designing program offerings, directing contractors, and hiring staff.
Expertise in electricity markets and sourcing strategies to secure reliable, cost-effective, and renewable power, as well as designing and negotiating retail supply and aggregation agreements, power purchase agreements, and professional services contracts.
Thorough knowledge of, and the ability to navigate, the complex energy regulatory landscape, including public service commission and County government processes.
Strong financial stewardship to oversee the design and maintenance of sustainable rate-funded CCA operations.
Expertise in the collection and analysis of data to optimize program offerings, measure program performance, and drive continuous improvement, while protecting sensitive program and customer information.
Ability to collaborate and build durable, productive relationships with utilities, suppliers, regulators, legislators, community organizations, consultants, and County leadership.
Excellent public communication and customer education skills to engage audiences in complex energy topics and support customers' understanding of the CCA program and their program options.
Strong organizational leadership skills to build a high-performing, innovative team and the ability to manage workforce planning, hiring, coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
A commitment to racial equity and social justice, incorporating these principles into planning, policies, and daily operations.

Position Duties

This position will lead the development and launch of Montgomery County’s CCA program.

Key duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Designing the vision and structure of the CCA program in alignment with the Climate Action Plan goals and in accordance with State and County laws and regulations.
Partnering with leading CCAs and subject-matter experts to incorporate “best-in-class” practices into Montgomery County’s program.
Serving as the primary liaison with regulators and policymakers, engaging the Maryland Public Service Commission, Maryland General Assembly, and other authorities to ensure program compliance and long-term viability.
Leading the hiring and coaching of a multidisciplinary team in a customer-centric, innovative culture.
Identifying and managing consultant services.
Developing short-and long-term electricity procurement policies and strategies that deliver competitive, stable rates and sustained customer participation.
Overseeing the selection of aggregation supplier(s) and negotiating Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and other instruments to secure reliable, long-term electricity supply.
Designing and delivering opt-in customer programs (energy efficiency, renewable energy, demand response) that lower costs, enhance resiliency, and reduce environmental impacts.
Leading inclusive customer communications and outreach, ensuring materials and channels effectively reach Montgomery County’s diverse communities.
Establishing rigorous data collection and analytics to evaluate and improve program offerings and performance, customer experience, and cost-savings.
Providing first-class customer service, ensuring timely, accurate resolution of billing and program inquiries and continuous improvement of service processes.
Safeguarding customer data through secure data practices.

Additional Information

A background check is required for this position. The selected candidate will undergo this check prior to appointment, and the results will be considered as part of the hiring decision.

This position requires the ability to attend meetings and perform work at locations outside the office, which includes traveling to various locations throughout Montgomery County and the region (e.g., Baltimore to attend Public Service Commission meetings or Annapolis to attend Maryland General Assembly meetings).

Occasional evening or weekend work outside of normal business hours may be required.

As a manager/supervisor of unionized employees, this position has a responsibility for fostering a positive labor relations environment based on mutual trust, respect, and cooperation.

To ensure a positive workplace and to comply with federal, state, and County laws, the incumbent is responsible for completing mandatory trainings within the first three to six months or within the specified timeframe.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience related to electricity markets, energy programs, or utility operations, three (3) years of which were in a supervisory or executive capacity. Note: The term “executive” is further defined as a high echelon or high level position in an organization that is assigned technical research, management advisory services responsibilities, or policy-making duties and responsibilities that exerts considerable influence on organizational policy, plans, and operations through technical research, management advisory services, and/or policy-making duties and responsibilities (e.g., County positions at Grade 30 or above).

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree.

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

Medical Exam: Medical History Review.

Financial Disclosure Statement: This position is designated as one that requires filing a Financial Disclosure Statement and you will be required to disclose information about your financial affairs.

Other Qualifications

All Applicants will be reviewed by the Office of Human Resources (OHR) for minimum qualifications. Those applicants who meet minimum qualifications will be rated “Qualified,” placed on the Eligible List, and may be considered for an interview.

Preference for interviews will be given to applicants with experience in the following. Please address this information in a separate section of the resume.

Direct experience leading a Community Choice Aggregation program (or similar municipal aggregation/utility program) with filings before a state commission and serving 100,000+ customer accounts.
Experience building a multi-disciplinary team, including workforce planning, classification selection, coaching, and establishing a customer-centric, innovative culture.
Experience developing and managing a rate-funded budget, with demonstrated ability to maintain rate competitiveness and program solvency while growing operations.
Experience leading and executing complex multi-year electricity supply procurements and negotiating with licensed electricity suppliers to deliver renewable energy while maintaining rate stability.
Experience leading public outreach and education campaigns during major energy transitions; and/or facilitating effective collaboration with utilities, suppliers, community-based organizations, and government leadership.
Experience managing a diverse workforce, supervising professional staff, and overseeing key human resources functions, coordinating work programs, developing performance plans, conducting evaluations, and leading recruitment and hiring processes to build high-performing teams aligned with organizational goals.
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree or advanced degree in Energy Policy, Public Policy, Economics, Engineering, Business, Environmental Management, or related field.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Benefits

Leave Benefits

Our generous leave package starts with non-MLS permanent and term employees earning 15 days of sick leave and 15 days of annual leave in their first year, as well as up to three additional personal days each calendar year. Positions in MLS earn 35 days of paid time off each year. In addition, we offer all employees 10 paid holidays. Our leave policies adhere to the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, and we provide six weeks of paid parental leave for new parents.

Retirement Benefits

All permanent and term positions are eligible for robust retirement plans. Public safety positions are eligible for a defined benefit pension plan in which they are vested after only five years. Employees in non-public safety positions can participate in retirement plans that contribute up to 12 percent of their annual salary. All employees can also participate in a supplemental retirement plan, the 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, to contribute even more to their retirement goals.

Tuition Assistance & Student Loan Forgiveness

Montgomery County employees are eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Participants who meet all requirements may qualify for forgiveness on the remaining balance on their Direct Loans after making 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time in a qualifying public service position. To learn more about PSLF, please visit the Student Loan Repayment Benefits page. Our tuition assistance program allows you to receive up to $2,130 annually in tuition assistance to help you achieve a degree that supports your career path.

Free Mass Transit Benefit

County employees are entitled to use the RideOn Bus service for free with a valid County-employee ID. This benefit can be used any time of the day or evening, including weekends. We also offer a pre-tax flexible spending account to reduce the cost of other mass-transit options such as MARC trains and Metro.

Reduced Child and Health Care Costs

Working for Montgomery County also entitles permanent and term employees to participate in healthcare and childcare Flexible Spending Accounts. These plans allow eligible employees to save on a pretax basis for healthcare and dependent care costs incurred during the plan year.

Employee Wellbeing

We deeply care about your holistic wellness. Our award-winning wellness program, LiveWell, will support you in improving and maintaining your physical, mental, financial, social, and intellectual well-being.

Learn more about our wonderful benefits available to you once you join our team. Montgomery County Benefits

Supplemental Questions

What is your highest level of completed education?

N/A
High School/GED
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Juris Doctor
Doctorate

How many years do you have of progressively responsible professional experience related to electricity markets, energy programs, or utility operations?

No Experience
1-4 Year's Experience
5 Year's Experience
6 Year's Experience
7 Year's Experience
8 Year's Experience
9 Year's Experience
10 Year's of experience
11+ Year's Experience

Do you have at least three (3) years of experience in a supervisory or executive capacity?

Please explain your experience working in a supervisory or executive capacity and identify the position(s) on your resume where this work was performed. If you do not have experience in this area, indicate “N/A.”

Are you able to attend meetings and perform work at locations outside the office, including traveling to various locations throughout Montgomery County and the region?

Required Question

Agency Information

Employer: Montgomery County (MD)
Address: 101 Monroe Street

7th Floor

Rockville, Maryland, 20850
Phone: 240-777-0311
Website: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ohr

Senior Manager, Community Choice Energy Aggregation Program (Manager II, Grade M2)