Director Regulatory Accounting Services

American Electric Power•Columbus, OH

23h•$160,434 - $208,566•Onsite

About The Position

Directs the Regulatory Accounting Services department in Columbus, supporting operating company regulatory activities, external audits of company financial statements, and regulatory disclosures in external financial statements. The role presents expert accounting testimony before regulatory commissions, determines total company revenue requirements using data from multiple functions, and communicates with parties involved in regulatory proceedings, external audits, and financial statement filings. It also directs accounting instructions to other accounting departments related to regulatory decisions and keeps accounting management informed about regulatory activities. The Director leads regulatory accounting for filings, testimony, exhibits, schedules, accounting models, revenue requirements, rate base, operating income, and cost of capital. The position also directs regulatory analysis and strategy support, accounting memos, regulatory activity updates for management and external auditors, and the accounting support provided during proceedings, discovery, settlements, and legal filings. The role is onsite at AEP Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio; some travel and occasional overtime are expected.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related business field.
At least 7 years of accounting experience, or 5 years of experience directly related to regulatory or cost-based rate activities.
Strong written and oral communication skills.
Strong computer skills, including accounting software, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Word.
Some travel is required.
Overtime is expected at times during the processing of cases.

Nice To Haves

CPA certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Direct regulatory accounting aspects of regulatory filings before commissions.
Provide expert accounting testimony before regulatory commissions, including sponsoring accounting exhibits and schedules.
Direct and review the development and modification of regulatory accounting models for specific jurisdictions.
Direct the preparation and coordination of regulatory schedules and exhibits across functional lines of business.
Analyze and research accounting transactions.
Direct determination of total company revenue requirements, rate base, operating income, and cost of capital while considering jurisdictional variables.
Present results to operating company upper management.
Communicate with parties in regulatory proceedings, including commission staff, and attend commission meetings.
Direct coordination of and participate in on-site reviews and audits by commission staff and intervenors.
Make presentations to commission staff and intervenors.
Direct preparation and review of responses to interrogatories during discovery and rebuttal phases.
Direct accounting support for settlement discussions, including financial analysis of multiple scenarios in coordination with operating company upper management and regulatory counsel.
Direct accounting support for internal and external legal personnel preparing and filing regulatory applications, briefs, proposed findings of fact and orders, motions for rehearing, and appeals.
Analyze regulatory legal requirements and commission rules, develop compliance strategies for regulatory accounting activities, and research other utilities’ filings for precedent.
Participate in commission and utility working groups on filing requirements and proposed industry legislation.
Direct preparation of regulatory analysis for operating companies.
Direct analysis of financial data for purposes including actual-versus-budget comparisons and earnings comparisons with amounts approved in rate filings.
Consider the impact of past commission decisions in regulatory analyses.
Inform upper management of accounting implications related to regulatory initiatives.
Direct preparation of accounting instructions to other accounting departments based on regulatory proceedings.
Research commission decisions, generally accepted accounting principles, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rules.
Direct issuance of accounting memos.
Direct completion of the regulatory activity portion of the quarterly Accounting Issues Book for management.
Present regulatory activity updates to external auditors quarterly or as needed during the external audit.
Direct completion of the regulatory activity portion of the quarterly Accounting Issues Book for external auditors.