Review Vacancy
AgencyPublic Service, Department of
TitleDeputy Director - Consumer Assistance, NS-M6
Occupational CategoryOther Professional Careers
Bargaining UnitM/C - Management / Confidential (Unrepresented)
Salary RangeFrom $147758 to $185851 Annually
Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s degree and nine years of relevant progressively responsible experience*, including at a policy making level, in the areas of consumer protection advocacy, consumer assistance, consumer policy analysis, consumer complaint resolution, and/or consumer engagement with a regulatory or governmental agency; in the utility industry, including energy, telecommunications, water, or cable services; or in other regulated industries. This experience must include at least four years in a managerial** capacity.
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Preferred qualifications include experience in the field of utility services or regulation, strong oral and written communications skills; exceptional analytical skills; and an advanced degree.
* Substitutions: four years of specialized experience or an associate’s degree and two years of specialized experience may substitute for bachelor’s degree; J.D. or master’s degree may substitute for one year of specialized non-managerial experience; Ph.D. may substitute for two years of specialized non-managerial experience.
** Managerial experience includes having responsibility for determining and prioritizing the workload of a unit or section, the management of subordinate professional employee supervisors, including assignment of tasks, employee training and development, evaluation of their performance and time and attendance, making recommendations on hiring and other human resource actions, and participating in long-range planning for the program.
Duties Description Under the general supervision of the Director of the Office of Consumer Services (OCS), the Deputy Director for Consumer Assistance will be responsible for the management, administration, and coordination of the work of the Consumer Assistance Section of OCS. They will oversee all analysis case workloads including: executive correspondence, shared metering, sub-metering, Inspector General investigations, consultant, and regular consumer complaint cases. In addition, the Deputy Director oversees all informal hearing decisions and makes sure the decisions are consistent with Public Service Commission (PSC) precedent. Specific duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Directing and managing the Informal Hearing (IH) program area of OCS-Consumer Assistance (CA) which has responsibility for conducting in-person, or by teleconference, hearings with vested parties who are not satisfied with initial complaint decisions rendered by OCS staff and then render an IH determination grounded in fact, law, regulation, and tariff. The Deputy Director will ensure staff is properly trained and provide guidance whenever necessary to resolve matters with high integrity and consistent with PSC rules and policy.
• Directing and managing the Analysis program area of OCS-CA which has responsibility for providing timely written responses to consumer complaints made in accordance with 16 NYCRR Part 12. The Deputy Director will ensure staff is properly trained and provide guidance whenever necessary to resolve matters with high integrity and consistent with PSC rules and policy.
• Representing the Director at Department management meetings and in meetings with utilities and other public agencies. Applying first class interpersonal and communication skills and working collaboratively with Department Directors and Executive Staff.
• Reviewing consumer complaint case files, and executive correspondence assignments on a regular basis, to determine average age of consumer complaints and correspondence at every level to ensure such complaints and correspondence are responded to in a timely manner, and regularly reporting to the Director the status of pending cases.
• Reviewing and evaluating operations and procedures in both the Analysis and IH program areas to ensure the uniform application of policies and procedures by staff in each office.
• Evaluating staff performance, establishing guidelines for implementing performance evaluation programs, identifying training needs, and developing and conducting training programs.
• Analyzing, resolving, and/or mediating complex complaints, meeting with one or several parties involved in the dispute, and preparing a settlement agreement, informal hearing decision, or recommendation for Commission action consistent with Part 12 of 16 NYCRR.
• Directing staff in enforcement activities involving 16 NYCRR Parts 92, 228 and 500, Public Service Law, 16 NYCRR Part 11, 12, 13, 14, and 633.
• Maintaining expertise in the PSC’s residential and non-residential consumer protection regulations, new laws and related PSC Orders, and the full range of related matters before the PSC.
Additional Comments Salary will be commensurate with experience. The primary location for this position is either Albany or New York City, New York with at least 10% travel, which may vary depending on location. If the position is filled in the New York City location, the salary range above would increase by the Downstate Adjustment of $3,087. This is an appointment to a position in the exempt jurisdictional class. As such, the incumbent of this position would serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. Appointment to this position is contingent upon Division of Budget approval.
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