Electric Front Office Analyst (Staff Specialist-H)
City of Palo Alto Palo Alto, California, United States
- Location: Palo Alto, California, United States
- Categories: Administrative Analysis and Research, Criminology and Forensics, Engineering
- Job Type: Full Time
- Posted: Mar 05, 2026
Job Description:
Electric Front Office Analyst (Staff Specialist-H)
Description
DescriptionThe Electric Front Office Analyst is a high-impact role the Utilities Department responsible for developing and maintaining the analytical frameworks used to forecast electricity demand (load) and resource availability on an hourly basis. This position directly supports trading and risk management by quantifying the exposure of physical assets and financial contracts to market volatility.
Key Responsibilities
- Hourly Load & Resource Modeling: Develop and maintain bottom-up or top-down models to simulate hourly electricity demand and generation profiles.
- Financial & Physical Hedging: Conduct position analysis to determine hedging requirements for both physical energy flows and financial derivatives.
- Trading Strategy Support: Identify model gaps by calibrating results to market outcomes and recommend enhancements for fundamental trading strategies.
- Risk Quantification: Perform stress testing and sensitivity analysis (e.g., NPV, IRR, DSCR) to assess the impact of weather and outages on financial performance.
- Data Pipeline Management: Build and automate data pipelines to process large sets of electricity system data, weather forecasts, and market prices. California Energy Commission
Technical Qualifications
- Quantitative Mastery: Strong background in mathematics, statistics, and econometrics for time-series analysis and power-flow optimization.
- Programming Skills: High proficiency in Python, SQL, R, or MATLAB for building complex, automated simulation tools.
- Market Knowledge: Deep understanding of wholesale electricity market rules CAISO and grid operations.
- Financial Modeling: Expert-level Excel skills for creating auditable project finance and cash flow models.
Education & Experience
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Finance, Economics, or a related quantitative field.
- Experience: Typically requires 5-10 years of experience in energy market modeling, grid planning, or front-office trading environments
This is an SEIU Hourly (limited benefits) position that is budgeted to not exceed 1,000 hours per fiscal year.
Supplemental Information
Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.
The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
City of Palo Alto offers the following benefits to those in a SEIU Hourly position:
Medical Stipend
$3.80 effective the pay period including July 1, 2024.
Sick Leave
Earn .03 hour of sick leave for each hour worked.
Retirement
City of Palo Alto PST (Part-time, Seasonal & Temporary Employees) Retirement Plan
Please note: The City does not participate in CA State Disability Insurance (SDI) or Social Security.
Closing Date/Time: 3/9/2026 11:59 PM Pacific