Capital Budget Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Capital Budget Manager

Type: Direct Hire (Full-Time, Permanent)

Location: San Jose, Los Angeles, Chico, or Bakersfield, CA (Onsite)

Salary: $105K–$231K per year, DOE (varies by office location)

About the Role

Lead the capital budget and General Rate Case (GRC) cost estimating program behind a $1.2B three-year water utility capital plan, based in San Jose, Los Angeles, Chico, or Bakersfield. We are partnered with a California investor-owned water utility to recruit a Capital Budget Manager reporting to the Director of Capital Planning and Budgeting within the Engineering Department.

The ideal Capital Budget Manager brings a strong accounting and finance foundation and communicates with everyone from the CFO to field operators. This is a permanent seat in a regulated business that plans its capital investment nine years out. The selected candidate will be hired as a full-time employee directly with our client.

Key Responsibilities

Capital Budgeting and Planning

• Serve as technical lead for capital budget standards, processes, and forecasting, and support long-range strategic planning for the Capital Planning team

• Own the annual capital budget for all districts, subsidiaries, and acquisitions, partnering with districts and departments on a $1.2B+ three-year plan and ~$450M annual budgets

• Review and approve capital funding projects and non-specific and blanket work orders, recommend non-specific spending reductions, and co-lead annual Project Manager validation of investment and close targets

• Report capital spend, project close, carryover, and budget-to-actual results, perform Earnings Test analysis by district, and recommend estimating and scheduling improvements

• Present the annual capital program to company officers and the Board

Rate Case and Cost Estimating

• Oversee the capital cost estimating program, including standards, methods, consultants, cost databases, catalog governance, and quality assurance of estimates

• Grow the estimating program with each GRC, including high-level costs for the nine-year district project list and Cost Catalog updates

• Assemble three-year capital budgets for GRC filings covering 1,200+ projects, support the Rates department, and lead capital input to GRC settlement and its master project spreadsheet

• Respond to data requests from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Public Advocates Office, and prepare rebuttals

Team, Systems, and Collaboration

• Manage a three-person team (civil engineer, budget analyst, technician), including assignments, performance reviews, staff development, and hiring recommendations

• Serve as primary budget administrator for PowerPlan, train districts and departments on PowerPlan and budget processes, and develop training materials

• Work with engineering and operations staff on capital project parameters and costs, and represent Engineering on project teams, committees, and improvement initiatives

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Financial Management, Economics, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field

• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in capital budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, reporting, or capital portfolio management

• Knowledge of supervisory principles, practices, and techniques, with demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to select and evaluate supervisory staff

• Knowledge of capital project budgeting and budgeting techniques, and of forecasting, tracking, and reporting for projects and programs of various sizes and budgets

• Knowledge of CPUC rules, regulations, and rate case filings

• Broad knowledge of engineering and project management practices for planning, designing, building, and operating water and wastewater facilities

• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, including presenting budget analysis to management, writing clear policies and procedures, and using Microsoft Office

• Demonstrated problem-solving, organizational, and time management skills, with sound independent judgment in setting priorities and executing goals

• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with contractors, vendors, consultants, regulators, and district, department, and engineering staff

• Valid California Driver License

Preferred

• Management experience

• Experience administering or supporting PowerPlan or a similar enterprise capital budgeting system (strongly preferred)

• Knowledge of cost estimating principles, standard practices, and software, including high-level capital cost estimating

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Compensation & Employment

Employment Type: Direct hire, full-time (40 hours per week) with our client

Salary: $105K–$231K per year, DOE (varies by office location)

Benefits: Full benefits package

Work Model: Onsite at the office nearest the selected candidate; relocation required if not within commuting distance of any of the four offices

Innovation Consulting LLC is an equal opportunity employer and recruiter. We review candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic.