Posted December 15, 2023

Principal Market Research Specialist

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)  | US

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SMUD is an insights-driven organization and a leader in clean energy research and development. We are seeking an individual who can bring strategic thinking and an expert grasp of consumer research and industry intelligence. In addition to conducting primary research (qual and quant), you will leverage internal operational data and secondary reports to triangulate a clear consumer narrative for key initiatives. You will have the opportunity to engage directly with leaders across SMUD including Marketing, Programs & Services, CX, Digital, Strategy, and R&D to support our 2030 Clean Energy Vision.

This posting intends to fill one (1) regular, full-time position.  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.

Purpose

Directs projects and provides technical expertise in the collection and dissemination of marketing and customer information and the conduct of market research studies that form the basis of SMUD's marketing decisions, strategies and policies; analyzes current market trends and evaluate current and potential product and service offerings in light of market conditions.

Nature and Scope

Serves as a technical or functional expert or consultant providing expertise and/or direction in one or more areas of a professional discipline and assumes responsibility for resolving complex problems and overseeing complex projects. May also serve in a Lead role and assist in planning, coordinating, prioritizing, monitoring and evaluating the work results in assigned area and in selecting, training, motivating, evaluating and developing lower-level personnel.

Required Education

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in marketing, business administration, economics, statistics or a related field.  If no degree, a minimum of 9 years of relevant experience is required.

Required Experience Qualifications

Five (5+) or more years of relevant experience in directing market research projects, coordinating interdepartmental teams responsible for the ongoing collection and dissemination of marketing and customer data and making presentations of technical material to senior management, governing boards and outside agencies.

Knowledge Of

Project management and control; operational and service characteristics of the electric utility industry; quantitative and qualitative methods of marketing and customer research including complex multivariate statistical techniques such as regression, conjoint, discriminate, discrete choice and factor analysis; research and sample design, survey methods, data collection, analysis and reporting of results; competitive intelligence research techniques and practices; economic and pricing principles; principles and practices of developing, managing and maintaining complex databases; office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.

Skills To

Work effectively across all SMUD departments and engage the cooperation of all functional areas of SMUD in the development of customer information and information databases; plan and design research projects including sampling methods and development of survey instruments; apply appropriate statistical and analytic techniques; seek out and apply new and improved techniques and industry practices; coordinate with contractors in the performance of research projects; operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications; prepare clear and concise analytical reports; communicate effectively orally and in writing internally/externally; establish and maintain effective working relationships internally/externally.

Desirable Qualifications

• Recent experience demonstrating your ability to pull a sample and manage internal databases using SAS or SQL
• Data analysis and modeling including regression, correlation, factor analysis, and other multivariate techniques using SAS, SPSS or R
• Experience with survey programming and analysis using Qualtrics, Alida Sparq and/or Alchemer
• Text analytics
• Data analysis and visualization using Excel, Power BI, R and Python
• Innovative and solutions-oriented 
• Demonstrated experience presenting complicated technical data and statistics to a non-technical audience
• Excellent skills collaborating with internal clients
• Master’s degree

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 may be eligible for SMUD's hybrid (office/home) work employee benefit, the schedule of which will be determined by the successful candidate and the Hiring Manager. 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 hybrid 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.

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