Strategic Account Advisor III

Sacramento Municipal Utility District; Sacramento (CA); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District is seeking three full-time Strategic Account Advisors to manage key accounts across various sectors. These roles focus on relationship management and require candidates with strong customer account management experience. The successful candidates will engage in projects aligned with SMUD’s 2030 Clean Energy Vision while fostering partnerships within the community. Candidates with innovative solutions and strategic thinking are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in customer account management or energy advisory.
• Understanding of SMUD 2030 Clean Energy Vision preferable.
• Experience in strategic account management in manufacturing, hospitality, or non-profit sectors.

Responsibilities

• Building and managing relationships with key accounts across multiple sectors.
• Providing professional expertise in customer value creation through relationship management.
• Identifying and resolving customer-related policy and service issues.

Skills

Customer relationship development

Account management

Communication

Negotiation

Strategic planning

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

SAP

Job description

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This posting intends to fill three (3) regular, full-time positions. An eligibility list will also be established, which may be used to fill regular, full-time, or limited term positions, over the next two (2) years.

The successful candidates for these positions will support our Key Accounts, where they will be responsible for building and managing relationships within one of the following areas:

• food and beverage manufacturing, cold storage facilities, warehouses and distributors of goods
• hospitality industry to include lodging and entertainment and national retail brands
• non-profits, faith-based organizations, and community partners.

Understanding of the unique business and organizational model of each customer is essential in delivering high value, personalized programs, services and carbon reduction. The issues managed are multi-faceted and require an ability to understand mechanical systems, grid infrastructure, and emerging technologies.

See "Supplemental Questions” section below. Failure to respond to the questions may preclude you from moving forward in this process.

Supplemental Questions

Please attach a document with your response to the following questions. Failure to respond to these questions may preclude you from moving forward in this process. Please do not indicate “refer to resume” as a response to the questions as it will be viewed as incomplete.

• Which of the three positions are you applying for and why?
• Describe your experience in strategic account management. Which customer segments were assigned to you to manage and how many years of experience managing each segment?
• In your strategic account management role, describe what your company’s goals were and how your position and efforts aligned with those goals.
• What do you see as the most important elements around SMUD’s 2030 Clean Energy Vision and partnership with our customers? Please provide examples of potential partnerships or projects including the Strategic Account Advisor role, needed resources and potential challenges.

Purpose

Provide professional expertise, analysis, organization, and coordination in creating customer value through relationship management, utilizing knowledge of the customer and a comprehensive understanding of the market in which they operate. Positions within this classification require a strong focus on strategic account growth, customer satisfaction, expansion of SMUD services provided and fostering loyalty by engaging the customer through the account planning cycle.

Nature and Scope

• Strategic Account Advisor l: The entry level, works under general supervision of the Supervisor, Strategic Account Management and may be led by the Senior and Journey Strategic Account Advisors. Individuals in this position are learning and progressively growing in responsibility for the account management and energy advisory needs of SMUD customers. This level primary works on small to medium accounts with supervision/oversight. The incumbent is progressed to the journey (II) level upon demonstrating the required skills and knowledge, typically with three years of experience.
• Strategic Account Advisor lI: The journey level and works under general supervision of the Supervisor, Strategic Account Management and may be led by the Strategic Account Advisor lII. Individuals in this position are fully competent in account management and energy advising and may handle customer accounts of small to large magnitude. This level is distinguished from the Strategic Account Advisor lII, in the level of supervision needed and generally has a less complex nature in Strategic Account Advisory.
• Strategic Account Advisor lII: This is the senior and subject matter expert level and works under limited or occasional supervision of the Supervisor Strategic Account Management. Individuals in this position work on more complex account management and energy solutions may serve as a lead in their group.

Duties and Responsibilities

The following are the essential functions/tasks for the Strategic Account Advisor class series. The Entry I level assists and performs the more basic of the following functions, while the Journey II level fully performs each essential function. The Senior III level is the seasoned professional for the following duties:

• Supports the Strategic Account Advisor process by serving as a technical expert for both account management and comprehensive energy solutions for SMUD commercial/industrial customers within assigned industry segment.
• Acts as primary point of contact for commercial and industrial customers in order to establish and maintain a personalized business relationship based on openness, respect, trust, integrity and accountability for the purpose of identifying customer issues and needs.
• Establish direct, ongoing, personal relationship with decision-making leaders and staff within the customer's organization and assume responsibility for determining and responding to commercial/industrial customer's needs.
• Coordinate activities and services in the areas of Rates, Energy Services, Customer Services and Billing, Energy Operations, and Distribution Services for assigned commercial and industrial account management. Proposes solution development efforts that best address customer needs, while coordinating involvement of all necessary internal SMUD stakeholders. Works with internal teams to ensure operational efficiencies and service levels meet or exceed customer expectations through strong customer service orientation with excellent follow-through skills. Market new and existing SMUD services, coordinating requests for services with responsible departments and initiating new service programs based on in-depth analysis of customer needs.
• Resolve various customer-related policy and service issues and report through management as necessary. Such issues may include but are not limited to rates, energy efficiency, new technologies, and power quality.
• Support SMUD efforts with respect to community involvement participating in appropriate activities and organizations. Attend customers'meetings and presentations, focus groups, etc. as beneficial.
• Performs related duties as required.

In addition to all the above, the Senior III level serves as a lead, handles the most complex issues with commercial and industrial customers and is required to perform these functions:

• Provides insight and advice to lower level staff for resolution of complex issues or obstacles within energy account advising processes by sharing depth of knowledge in either account management or energy programs and solutions.
• Provides advanced expertise energy account advising including identification of opportunities, development of strategy, and managing of overall account needs.
• Serve as the lead for complex customer interactions, customized solutions and ongoing service engagements. Ensures the customer relationship is deepening through outcome-oriented, comprehensive account planning and successful plan execution.

Required Education

• High School diploma or equivalent

Required Experience Qualifications

Five (5+) or more years of progressively responsible customer account management or Energy Account Advisor experience.

Knowledge Of

General: Customer account management principles and practices; customer relationship development strategies; marketing and sales techniques; customers business and decision making process; marketing strategy and tactics, effective sales techniques, techniques of negotiation and persuasion; techniques and methods of financial evaluation; performance reporting methodologies and Key Performance Indicators (KPI's); organizational performance and operational improvement. Applicable SMUD policies, and applicable management directives; the MUD Act and Civil Service Rules; databases and Microsoft SharePoint; advanced Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

Skills To

Build and maintain successful customer relationships; identify and articulate market and customer requirements; conceptualize innovative and practical solutions to customer issues; develop sales and marketing proposals responding to customer needs; listen effectively to identify opportunities and solutions; deliver formal presentations to customers and the public; provide value-added recommendations to customers, research energy efficiency methods, practices, and equipment.

Desirable Qualifications

• 5+ years of strategic account management in manufacturing and industrial, hospitality and retail, or non-profit sectors
• Understanding of SMUD 2030 Vision and how to generate carbon reduction projects with your customers
• Working knowledge of SAP, SalesCloud, IEE/itron, and Outage Management System (OMS)
• Working knowledge of New Service, Meter & Service, and Grid Design process
• Experience preforming facility site assessments, sales meeting and presentations
• Experience in energy, sustainability, and economic development
• Knowledge of and experience with manufacturing and industrial, hospitality and retail, or non-profit sectors

Physical Requirements

Applicants must be able to perform the essential job functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) - Who We Are

As the nation's sixth-largest community-owned electric service provider, we're proud of our reputation as one of the best places to work in Sacramento. Our employees tell us in our engagement surveys they're "Happy, satisfied and engaged" which helps create a workplace that best serves our customers.Sacramento was named as the 2nd happiest place to work in America by Forbes Magazine. Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and the world-renowned Napa Valley are within easy driving distance of our locations.

Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

SMUD celebrates diversity, and inspires an inclusive culture based on trust and respect to create belonging and connection among our employees, customers, and communities. By working together, we are powering positive, equitable opportunities for all. We aspire to be a workplace where you can be yourself, achieve your best, and thrive together.

An example of our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is when SMUD signed the California Equal Pay Pledge in 2020. This requires equal pay for employees who perform “substantially similar work,” when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility at the time those employees started within that classification. As such, initial hiring salary range is not subject to negotiation and salaries will vary over time based on performance.

SMUD is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, veteran status, or any other applicable legally protected characteristic. All employment decisions are made on the basis of individual qualifications, merit, and business needs and interests.

Why Sacramento, California?

The capitol of California, Sacramento is the state's sixth-largest city, and the 35th largest in the U.S. Local universities include California State University, University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law, and the University of California, Davis and several competitive community colleges. The UC Davis Medical Center, a world-renowned research hospital, is one of more than a dozen hospitals and shared services centers in the Sacramento region. Part of the agriculturally-rich Central Valley, Sacramento is at the forefront of the farm-to-fork food movement. Northern California is home to some of the country's top technology companies, including Google and LinkedIn, and a multitude of startups in many industries. Sacramento is home to the NBA Kings, the River Cats (AAA baseball), the Republic FC (soccer) and the San Francisco Giants, NBA Warriors and NFL 49er's aren't far away. Sacramento offers an affluent liberal arts community with Broadway, Mondavi Center, Crocker Museum and summer musical theater to name a few.

Hybrid Work
This position will be required to work onsite one or more days a week on a regular basis; sometimes more or less, depending on the work and, at any of our SMUD locations. SMUD takes pride in powering the Sacramento region community where we live and work. We value the strong working relationships we develop with our colleagues. Our approach to remote work will continue to evolve. Please be aware that should SMUD’s business needs change, emergencies occur, or various other reasons arise, you may be required to report onsite on a part-time or full-time basis.

SMUD provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. SMUD complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

SMUD expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of SMUD employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated.

SMUD expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of SMUD employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated.