Job Description    

Are you passionate about working on the cutting edge of decarbonization and electricity sector transformation? Do you enjoy tackling complicated technical problems with robust analysis and thoughtful communication? Do you enjoy confidently defending your analysis and position? If yes, Synapse has a position for you.

Synapse is a consulting company that has been providing rigorous analysis on behalf of public interest clients in the energy and electric sector for more than 25 years. Our work includes robust analysis, well-respected reports, and high-impact expert testimony delivered in hundreds of docketed proceedings across the United States and Canada. Our clients include environmental non-profits, state agencies, utility regulators, federal agencies, consumer advocates and renewable developers.

Synapse is seeking an ambitious energy candidate with strong technical, quantitative, communications, and organizational skills that thrives in an occasionally fast-paced work environment. Candidates should have a commitment to public interest issues such as sustainability, environmental justice, and consumer protection, and a desire to dive into utility resource planning dockets, analyze and develop clean energy portfolios, and review the economics and risk of new clean energy projects as well as legacy fossil fuel power plants. Candidates should also have a passion for advancing the analysis available to social interest parties in the energy field and have a keen interest in the tools and tech to support decarbonization analysis.

Job Responsibilities

The Principal Associate will manage projects, proposals, teams, project scope, and content related to topics such as resource planning, electricity markets, modeling, energy efficiency, clean energy technologies, legacy fossil-fuel power plants, and other related topic areas. Our clients are passionate about transforming the electricity sector, and we are looking for someone who can bring a technical edge to their passion and commitment to this important work. 

Your role will include:

• Leading and managing projects and proposals (including budget, staff, and client management) focused on electric-sector resource planning issues
• Managing and training staff as both a project manager and staff manager.
• Serving as a technical advisor on electric-sector resource planning issues
• Conducting electricity system modeling activities using industry-standard production cost and capacity expansion software (such as EnCompass, ReEDS, NEMS, PLEXOS, Strategist, System Optimizer, or PROMOD), as well as in-house custom software tools
• Serving as an expert witness in utility docket proceedings
• Creating, using, and maintaining spreadsheet-based tools and other analytical platforms to analyze energy technologies, programs, and portfolios
• Performing robust analysis that meets Synapse’s high quality control standards
• Assessing utility company modeling approaches, scenario definitions, input assumptions and related parameterization. Working collaboratively with team members to refine analyses and develop reports and testimony
• Clearly and succinctly summarizing complex technical concepts to clients, regulators, and public audiences through testimony, papers, presentations, and meetings
• Utilizing techniques to defend analysis and refute opposing viewpoints and analysis
• Managing and prioritizing multiple projects and workstreams simultaneously

Required Qualifications

• Degree in Economics, Energy and Environmental Policy, Physical Sciences, Engineering, or related field
• Bachelor’s degree plus 10+ years of industry experience, master’s degree plus 5-10 years of industry experience, or PhD plus 3-5 years of industry experience
• At least 3 years of project and budget management experience in a consulting position or similar role
• Passion for playing with energy data for mission-based purposes
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and ability to coordinate across different teams
• Ability to multitask and prioritize critical tasks and conflicting requirements under tight deadlines
• Ability to scope and execute spreadsheet analysis, develop spreadsheet models, and produce client-ready deliverables to communicate the results.
• Ability to managing and training staff, and effectively delegate work across a team,

You don't have to satisfy every requirement or meet every qualification listed above. If your skills are transferable and you are near the number of years of experience we are looking for, please apply. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.

We are looking for a candidate to start working in early 2025 in our Cambridge, Massachusetts office. We highly prefer candidates local to the greater Boston/Cambridge area, we will consider candidates out of state. Candidates should plan on occasional travel to present testimony in regulatory proceedings.

 Preferred Qualifications

• Project management and budget management experience in a consulting position or in a similar role
• State, federal, or provincial electric utility regulatory experience preferred
• Expert witness testimony experience: ability to develop persuasive arguments for testimony and reports based on analysis of quantitative and qualitative evidence
• Experience running utility planning software or other similar input-output models

Working at Synapse

Synapse prides itself on its flexible and collaborative working environment. Many staff work in-person in our Cambridge, Massachusetts office, while others are hybrid or fully virtual across the country. Synapse currently supports a hybrid work environment so our staff can find the right mix of support, collaboration, and flexibility. While we prefer employees located locally so we can nurture this environment, we will consider remote candidates where such an arrangement is compatible with our clients’ work.

Synapse offers numerous benefits to its employees:

• Generous and flexible PTO (35 days)
• Flexible work hours and holidays, and the ability to choose a schedule that works for you
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Profit-sharing bonuses
• Work-life balance benefit: at the end of the year, salaried employees are compensated for every hour worked over their standard full-time work schedule
• 401K plan; Synapse makes a safe harbor contribution of 3% salary 
• Life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Collaboration: everybody contributes, asks questions, proposes solutions, and works on interesting research and analysis
• Extensive professional development opportunities
• Cambridge, MA office space with sit-stand desks, lots of meeting space, indoor bike parking, and plenty of nitro cold-brew and kombucha on tap

Principal Associate base salary range is $108,000-$162,000 annually, based on a full-time schedule. Our base salary range does not include profit-sharing bonuses. Actual salaries will vary based on various factors including, but not limited to location, experience, and performance. Synapse offers competitive market salaries, based on our primary market of nonprofits and government agencies. Our salaries reflect our work for these public interest clients.

We are unable to sponsor work visas for this position. Authorization to work in the United States is required to be considered. 

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please describe your experience with electric sector analysis or work in analogous fields.

Synapse is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a culturally diverse company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We strongly encourage applications from all qualified candidates including women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community.