Strategic Advisor: Market Risk Governance & Integration

Seattle City Light, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked very hard to keep Seattle's electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. 

The Energy Risk Governance and Integration Advisor leads risk governance and risk-informed decision-making for City Light’s wholesale trading and market participation activities. This role focuses on identifying, assessing, and communicating energy, environmental, and market-structure risks, particularly those arising from evolving regional markets, regulatory change, and increasing market integration.

This is a strategic, cross-functional role that also requires hands-on analytical capability. The successful candidate will bring both deep program and industry knowledge (~70%) and demonstrated technical skills (~30%), including the ability to extract and manipulate data from ETRM and related systems, conduct quantitative analysis, and develop decision-ready dashboards and reports. The Advisor is expected to be equally comfortable advising leadership and rolling up their sleeves to solve problems directly.

The Advisor partners closely with internal teams (Trading, Settlements, Risk, Finance, Regulatory/Policy, Operations, IT) and engages external stakeholders (market operators, vendors, industry groups, and counterparties) to anticipate emerging risks and translate them into actionable strategies, controls, and recommendations.

This position reports to the Manager, ISO Settlements, Risk Control & Governance.

Here is more about what you’ll be doing: 

• Participate in market operator and stakeholder forums (e.g., CAISO EIM and related efforts), evaluate implications for City Light operations and portfolio risk, and translate findings into clear recommendations for internal teams and leadership.

• Provide risk, governance, and operational guidance during implementation and post go-live phases of new market initiatives such as EDAM/SPP Markets+ (or similar), including recommendations on participation strategy, bidding and market behavior, and downstream impacts.

• Serve as technical resource for EIM settlements and metering; design and manage settlement validation methodologies (including suballocation); and support process development for settlements and suballocation billing to transmission customers under OATT-related initiatives.

• Advise on risks and reporting implications tied to environmental and emissions attributes (e.g., RECs and other environmental commodities), including market activity impacts to compliance and reporting requirements.

• Identify embedded and systemic risks across power, transmission, and environmental commodities.
• Extract and manipulate data directly from ETRM systems and related data sources using SQL, Python, or equivalent tools.
• Develop and maintain risk monitoring dashboards and analytical reports using Tableau, Power BI, or Excel; communicate insights clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Build and maintain repeatable analytical workflows that reduce manual effort and improve data integrity across risk reporting processes.

• Maintain and enhance risk control, reporting, and governance frameworks.
• Support ETRM configuration and enhancement for new products and market structures by coordinating with internal system owners and external vendors.
• Contribute to credit risk frameworks, policy updates, governance documentation, and new market entry assessments.

Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate proficiency or working knowledge in the following areas during the selection process:

• SQL / Database tools: Data extraction & querying:
  • Ability to write queries to extract and join data from relational databases or ETRM system data exports.
• Python: Scripting & analysis:
  • Pandas, NumPy for data manipulation; ability to automate recurring analytical tasks or reporting workflows.
• Tableau / Power BI / Excel: Visualization & reporting:
  • Dashboard development, data modeling, and building reports suitable for executive and operational audiences.
• Trading & risk systems: ETRM familiarity:
  • Experience navigating or extracting data from platforms such as OATI, Allegro, Triple Point, or equivalent. Configuration support experience is a plus.
• Excel / Power Query: Spreadsheet modeling:
  • Advanced Excel skills including pivot tables, Power Query, and structured financial or operational models.

Note: Candidates are not expected to be software engineers. The expectation is practical, problem-solving proficiency- the ability to independently access data, build analyses, and produce clear outputs without relying on IT or data teams for routine tasks.

Required Qualifications: 

In addition to the skills and experience mentioned below, a successful applicant will have experience that reflects a commitment to creating fair and equitable outcomes and has: 

Education: A bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, business, public administration, public policy, or risk management is required.

Experience:

4 years experience in program/strategy development, project coordination, or designing and implementing new programs.

3+ years experience in energy, energy markets and/or environmental emissions attributes.

Desired Qualifications - You will be successful if you have the following experience, skills, and abilities:

• Strong understanding of wholesale energy markets, including market structures, pricing mechanisms, and RTO/ISO operations (CAISO, SPP, ERCOT, PJM), including day-ahead and real-time market activity, bidding strategies, position management, and risk mitigation.
• Hands-on experience with ETRM or CTRM platforms, including data extraction, configuration support, or new product integration.
• Experience developing quantitative risk metrics, monitoring frameworks, or analytical models for portfolio or operational risk.
• Familiarity with environmental commodity markets including RECs, carbon allowances, and emissions reporting.
• Project management experience leading cross-functional initiatives and coordinating internal and external audit processes.
• Strong communication skills — able to write clearly, facilitate discussions, and present complex risk topics to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Comfort working across trading, finance, compliance, and IT teams, as well as with external regulators and market operators.
• A commitment to equity, inclusion, and public service.
• A proven track record of taking initiative, following through, and adapting to new challenges.

Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The full salary range for this position is $51.88 to $77.82 per hour.

Application Process

Please submit the following with your online application: 

• A cover letter in which you clearly describe how your knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities prepare you for the job responsibilities and qualifications outlined in the job announcement 
• A current resume of your educational and professional work experience. 

Who May Apply: This position is open to all candidates that meet the qualifications. Seattle City Light values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Seattle City Light encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.

Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process, including the completion of a background check. The background check will involve a criminal history check, which includes conviction and arrest records in compliance with the Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17and the City of Seattle Personnel Rule 10.3. A driving history review may be conducted in compliance with SMC 4.79.020.Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain or correct background information.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans.

Want to know more about Seattle City Light? Check out our web page: https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/about-us/careers.