Senior Billing Data Analyst, Third Party Attachments

National Grid is seeking a Senior Billing Data Analyst for the Third-Party Attachments team, located in the Syracuse, NY location. This will be a hybrid role with time spent in office and remote.

Every day we deliver safe and secure energy to homes, communities, and businesses. We are there when people need us the most. We connect people to the energy they need for the lives they live. The pace of change in society and our industry is accelerating and our expertise and track record puts us in an unparalleled position to shape the sustainable future of our industry.

To be successful we must anticipate the needs of our customers, reducing the cost of energy delivery today and pioneering the flexible energy systems of tomorrow. This requires us to deliver on our promises and always look for new opportunities to grow, both ourselves and our business. Data informed decision-making is at the heart of what we do. The data and analytics professionals on the Data & Advanced Analytics team provide the data, analytics and insights that support the New England Electric team with delivering clean, fair and affordable electric power.

• Manage billing and invoicing activities for third parties placing attachments on National Grid-owned and jointly owned assets.
• Administer recurring invoices for annual pole attachment rentals, inspections, underground conduit, and related services.
• Reconcile billing data regularly to ensure accuracy, completeness, and timely processing.
• Maintain and update rate calculations for third-party attachments.
• Support desktop reviews and related billing requirements, including updates to backend GIS and STORMS systems.
• Complete financial administration, reporting, and revenue reconciliation activities related to third-party attachments.
• Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of billing and invoicing requirements associated with third-party attachment processes.
• Apply and monitor billing and invoicing practices consistently and equitably for attachers, joint pole owners, and other relevant entities.
• Coordinate with attachers and joint owners regarding invoice processing and payment.
• Understand and monitor the financial obligations of attachers and joint pole owners.
• Support regulatory reporting and responses to information requests related to third-party attachment billing and invoicing.
• Coordinate with Non-Utility Billing (NUB), Collections, and external counsel regarding overdue or delinquent accounts.
• Manage billing and invoicing activities associated with joint ownership arrangements and other pole owners.
• Assist with customer billing and revenue reconciliation during periodic pole attachment audits.
• Assist in the development and implementation of asset and business strategies, policies, and procedures within the upstate New York jurisdiction to assure National Grid meets customer requirements and maintains system reliability.
• Ability to develop positive working relationships, internally and externally with a focus on the resolution of customer concerns (often relating to billing or company performance) and fulfill National Grid's contractual obligations.
• Develop and report on specific performance indicators to be established and communicated between all responsible organizations to address:
  • Revenue Reconciliation
  • Project budget, cost and schedule performance

Required:

• Strong overall PC skills with proficiency in MS Office Suite; especially MS Excel, Power Point, Outlook, and Word. Experience with Access beneficial, but not essential.
• Experience using and developing advanced proficiency in National Grid's financial, accounting, and process management systems, including SAP Portal/GUI (NUB and GRC), PowerPlan, STORMS, and GIS.
• Bachelor's degree in the fields of Finance / Accounting, Business Administration, Information Management / Technology, Engineering or equivalent years qualifying experience. A master's or other advanced degree or diverse utility management experience is preferred.
• Knowledge of budget process, financial accounting, customer relations and account management essential. Knowledge of National Grid engineering and design process, operations, and associated procurement and regulatory processes beneficial, but not essential.
• Strong communication skills necessitated for communication with internal and external stakeholders relating to billing and invoicing and presenting revenue / financial reviews and statements to National Grid leadership team.
• Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record.

Preferred:

• Ability to assist with developing and applying National Grid rates for joint use and joint ownership arrangements, including attachment fees and rates for related National Grid support services.
• Understanding process improvement and problem-solving techniques.
• Ability to read, understand and interpret language in attachment agreements, contracts and regulatory requirements.
• Analytical skills to aggregate and interpret information from different systems to aid in decision making.
• Understanding of legislative and regulatory directives relating to all aspects of the associated utility infrastructure attachments.
• Provide the required support for the proper representation of National Grid's position to regulatory and legislative staff in designated proceedings and associated regulatory Information Requests.
• Familiarity of advanced data analytic / visualization software such as Power BI or Tableau beneficial.