Economist - Advanced

Bring your economic analysis expertise to the Public Service Commission as an Economist - Advanced! 

The Public Service Commission (PSC) is an independent state agency that is responsible for regulating more than 1,100 Wisconsin public utilities, which provide electric, natural gas, combined water and sewer utilities, and certain aspects of local telephone service to households and businesses throughout the state! The PSC of Wisconsin ensures safe, reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible utility services and equitable access to telecommunications and broadband services. 

This position offers a hybridized work schedule. The position will be headquartered at and required to work from the Hill Farms State Office Building in Madison, WI at least 1 day per month. All employees working a hybrid work schedule are still expected to telework from within the State of Wisconsin. This topic will be discussed more at the time of the interview.

The PSC is a great place to work! In addition to meaningful and rewarding work, we offer a competitive benefits package featuring:

• Substantial leave time including at least 3.5 weeks of paid leave time to start, 9 paid holidays, and 130 hours of sick time that roll over each year.
• Excellent and affordable health, vision, and dental benefits (health plan options start at just $42/month for single plans and $104/month for family plans after two months of employment)
• A casual office atmosphere, flexible work schedules, and telework options depending on the position’s requirements
• An exceptional pension plan with employer match and lifetime retirement payment, plus an optional tax advantaged 457 retirement savings plan
• Well Wisconsin Wellness Program
• A free and confidential employee assistance program that offers employees and their immediate family dependents a variety of tools, resources, and professional consultation services to support their health, goals, and overall well-being
• Use this Total Rewards Calculator to see the total value of our competitive benefits package!

In addition to our generous employee benefits, we strive for inclusivity and celebrate different religious holidays and cultural observances and provide flexibility for utilizing paid time off for such celebrations. 

The Economist-Advanced, under the general supervision of the Director of the Office of Regional Markets, investigates energy policy issues focused on the utility industry and the economic operation of regional energy markets and regional electric transmission planning, as primarily proposed at the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. The primary responsibilities include verifying and describing energy market performance and market participant behavior based on economic theory, reporting on policy proposals, and presenting relevant economic theory and analysis of potential impacts through an economic and policy lens to the Commission through presentations, reports, memos, and other deliverables.

This position reports out to a delegated Commissioner, and is responsible for preparing and communicating technical information and analysis. The expertise provided by this position directly informs decision-making on current energy markets proposals, such as those involving electric transmission, the energy transition, distributed resources, and customer affordability. The Economist-Advanced provides additional support to the Commission by leading or supporting inquiries and investigations around economic issues concerning the energy and utility industry in Wisconsin, and new proposals from Wisconsin utilities and stakeholders. 

This position requires considerable independent judgment and initiative in a fast-paced environment, while also collaborating on a multidisciplinary team and with other internal and external stakeholders, and serves as an economic expert in those forums. This position requires some out-of-state travel, on average quarterly. 

To view the complete position description, email Ben Harwell at BenjaminK.Harwell@Wisconsin.gov

This position is in schedule-range 08-03 with an annual salary of $76,960-$92,206, plus excellent benefits. A twelve month probationary period is required. Pay for current state employees will be set in accordance with the Wisconsin State Compensation Plan.

The PSC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As a state agency, we operate under an Equity and Inclusion Plan that aims to create a welcoming environment for all employees and has the full commitment of the Chairperson. We encourage all of our staff to participate in activities organized by our Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee.

Prior to any appointments for position(s) filled from this announcement, candidates may be subject to a comprehensive criminal background check.

The Public Service Commission is a registered participant in the federal work authorization program commonly known as E-Verify to verify employment eligibility of all employees hired on or after June 18, 2015.

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin is unable to sponsor work visas for new hires. Any appointment made will be contingent on the applicant being able to prove valid status to work in the United States.

Minimally qualified applicants will have experience performing each of the following activities: 

• Experience analyzing and evaluating policies with a microeconomic focus, including applying microeconomic theory or practices to inform and present conclusions or policy recommendations
• Experience working on regulatory economic issues, such as those related to government, electric or natural gas industry, or energy markets
• Experience working with a multidisciplinary team performing work on multiple projects or tasks simultaneously
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment with rapidly changing timelines and priorities.

In addition, well-qualified applicants will have experience with at least one of the following: 

• Experience working in the utility or energy industry
• Experience conducting advanced financial or economic analysis using economic concepts, such as cost-benefit analysis, industrial organization behavior, game theory, price theory, political economy, or externalities
• Experience with applied microeconomics and econometric analysis, econometric modeling, and forecasting methods demonstrated either in advanced coursework or work experience

Apply online! To apply, click “Apply for Job” to start the application process.  Then, you will access your existing account or to create a new account if you don’t have an account. Once you are logged in, click “Apply for Job.” Follow the steps outlined in the application process and submit your application.

Your application materials are very important parts of your application and are used during our evaluation process to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job. For instructions on how to develop and what should be included in these materials, click here. For more information on the basics of the selection process and how the State of WI ensures fair and equitable treatment of all applicants, click here. The vast majority of applicants are able to outline their background and experience in their resume in 1-3 pages. Any resumes submitted with more than 3 pages will not be considered after page 3. If this job posting requires a letter of qualifications, the same limit applies.

Permanent classified state employees who are eligible for consideration (transfer or voluntary demotion) should complete the application process as described above by the stated deadline.

Submitted materials will be evaluated by a panel of job experts and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process. Questions related to the job and how to apply can be directed to Ben Harwell at 608-266-8665 or BenjaminK.Harwell@Wisconsin.gov. For general wisc.jobs user information and technical assistance, please see the wisc.jobs Frequently Asked Questions page.

The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM CT on Sunday, June 29th, 2025.