Research Analyst

Introduction

The State of Connecticut, Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) is hiring for a Research Analyst focused on consumer and stakeholder education and outreach related to the provision of electric, gas, water and telecommunication services.

What we can offer you

• Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• Work at a Forbes-recognized company! Connecticut is proud to be featured on both America's Best Employers by State and Best Employers for New Grads in 2024. With our dynamic job market and commitment to fostering a thriving workforce, Connecticut stands out as a top destination for both seasoned professionals and fresh graduates seeking to launch their careers.
• Professional growth and development opportunities.
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees.

Our state has a lot to offer - from fun activities for all ages, to great food and shopping, to beautiful state parks and forests, to our diverse cultures and rich history. Connecticut is a great place to live! Learn more about Connecticut here.

Position highlights

The OCC represents consumer interests before state regulators, the legislature, regional decision-making bodies, and federal agencies, as well as the courts. Ratemaking for energy, water, and gas customers is complex, and OCC seeks to expand its direct engagement with and education of consumers of these technologies and services, as well as state leaders and decision-makers. Similarly, consumers of telecommunications services benefit from accurate and easy-to-understand information about services, offerings, and consumer protections. This position will take OCC-related policy and regulation and help make the material more accessible to the public and prospective and current participants in the Public Utility Regulatory Authority’s Stakeholder Group Compensation Program as well as those engaged in state and federal legislative, policy and regulatory developments.

OCC is a collaborative work environment with a team-based approach to most projects. As a Research Analyst, you will work with a team on a number of complex projects related to energy, utility regulation, grid modernization, grid reliability and resiliency, and telecom and broadband. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Developing education and outreach materials for consumers and policy leaders;
• Developing website and social media outreach materials designed to relay policy positions and regulatory decisions in a manner that can be understood by non-technical consumers;
• Developing and implementing programs for community and stakeholder engagement.

This position is full-time on first shift, 40 hours per week, based in New Britain with opportunities for hybrid work available.

About us

OCC is a small, independent state agency that acts as the advocate for consumer interests in matters which may affect Connecticut consumers relating to electricity, natural gas, water, and telecommunications.

The OCC is a statutory party to all proceedings before the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) and is authorized to appear and participate in any regulatory or judicial proceedings, federal or state, in which the interests of Connecticut utility consumers may be involved.

In addition to representing consumer interests before PURA, the OCC participates actively in proceedings before federal agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") and the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC"), advocates on behalf of consumer interests in state and federal courts, and promotes the interests of consumers at the Connecticut legislature and in regional and national forums.

Selection Plan

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:

Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Reference Library for additional support throughout the recruitment process.

BEFORE YOU APPLY:

• Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below.
• Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency.
• Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
• Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
• Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.

• Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.

AFTER YOU APPLY:

• Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).
• Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression!
• Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
• Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.

QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP:

Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Ben Beaudry at Benjamin.Beaudry@ct.gov.

Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In a state agency this class is accountable for independently performing a full range of tasks in research design and implementation.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Develops and implements formal research projects and assists in these activities on more comprehensive and complex research assignments;
• Analyzes, interprets and prepares data in a variety of ways;
• Prepares narrative and statistical reports;
• Develops computerized databases and analyzes and interprets computer generated reports;
• Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

• Knowledge of
  • research methods and techniques;
  • statistics;
• Skills
  • interpersonal skills;
  • oral and written communication skills;
• Ability to
  • analyze data;
  • develop programs and use prepackaged computer programs to perform data analysis;
  • understand agency related policies and procedures as they relate to research.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Six (6) years of professional experience in research, data analysis or economics.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

• College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
• A Master's degree in economics, statistics or a closely related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.
• Successful completion of a Connecticut Careers Trainee program approved by the Department of Administrative Services may be substituted for the General Experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience writing research papers on utility regulation practices and environmental and energy justice;
• Experience creating social media content and implementing community outreach plans;
• Experience with advocacy and outreach related to energy and environmental justice initiatives;
• Bilingual with ability to translate materials from English into Spanish;
• Experience conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis and synthesizing results related to increasing equity in utility regulation;
• Experience with oral and written communication, both digitally and in person, to internal and external stakeholders;
• Experience working on two or more projects simultaneously, while adhering to deadlines;
• Experience using Canva, Prezi, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office 365 applications;
• Experience or coursework in any one of the following: energy or utility policy or program implementation, renewable energy, energy infrastructure, energy efficiency, building decarbonization, transportation decarbonization, broadband or telecommunications infrastructure, climate change, or environmental science or policy.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group ofpositions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a singletitle for administrative purposes. Assuch, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/orresponsibility.