Principal Associate, Rate Design and Cost Allocation

Are you passionate about decarbonization and interested in helping transform the U.S. electricity system? Do you enjoy tackling complex problems through rigorous analysis and clear communication? If so, Synapse Energy Economics may be the place for you.

Synapse Energy Economics is a consulting firm that has provided rigorous analysis on behalf of public-interest clients in the energy sector for more than 25 years. Our work includes expert analysis, reports, and expert witness testimony in proceedings before public utility commissions across the United States and Canada. Our clients primarily include environmental nonprofit organizations, state and federal agencies, and consumer and environmental advocacy groups.

Synapse is seeking a Principal Associate with deep expertise in electric utility rate design, cost-of-service studies, and regulatory models. The successful candidate will contribute to and lead analytical work that advances sustainable, equitable, and customer-focused energy policy.

Our clients rely on Synapse to evaluate and develop rate designs that provide efficient price signals, support energy policy goals, and protect customers. A core part of this work involves reviewing and critiquing utility cost-of-service studies and cost allocation methodologies to ensure that rates are cost-reflective, equitable across customer classes, and aligned with state energy policy goals. Our work spans topics such as data center cost allocation and customer protections, time-varying rates, electric vehicle rates, and compensation mechanisms for distributed energy resources, including net metering, value-of-solar tariffs, feed-in tariffs, and solar renewable energy credits.

Synapse also supports clients in proceedings addressing emerging regulatory frameworks, including multi-year rate plans, performance incentive mechanisms, revenue decoupling, and other performance-based regulatory approaches.

Job Responsibilities

As a Principal Associate, you will serve as a technical leader and project manager, overseeing consulting engagements and collaborating closely with clients and multidisciplinary teams. You will contribute to the development of expert testimony, reports, and presentations that inform regulatory decision-making and advance the public interest.

Projects may include developing recommendations to protect customers from cost shifting from data centers, proposing innovative rate designs for electric vehicles and distributed energy resources, assessing utility proposals for multi-year rate plans, conducting benefit-cost analyses of non-wires alternatives and grid modernization investments, and reviewing utility cost-of-service studies and cost allocation proposals to assess their implications for different customer classes.

In this role, you will:

• Critically evaluate electric utility proposals related to rate design, cost allocation, and regulatory frameworks, identifying analytical gaps and developing alternative approaches that advance the public interest.


• Review and assess utility cost-of-service studies, class cost allocation methodologies, and rate design proposals to determine whether they appropriately reflect cost causation, produce equitable outcomes for customers, and support state energy policy objectives.


• Assess the risks and tradeoffs associated with different regulatory models, including traditional cost-of-service ratemaking, cost trackers, multi-year rate plans, and performance incentive mechanisms.


• Lead and manage consulting projects, ensuring high-quality analytical work and deliverables while coordinating project teams and schedules.


• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to clients and contribute to the development and defense of expert analyses in regulatory proceedings.


• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly and persuasively through written reports, testimony, presentations, and stakeholder meetings.


• Lead the preparation of proposals and contribute to business development efforts.


• Ensure the integrity, rigor, and accuracy of analytical work produced by project teams.

Required Qualifications

• A strong desire to work on behalf of public interest clients in improving energy policy and utility regulation.


• Broad knowledge of utility regulatory frameworks, cost allocation methodologies, and rate design principles.


• Degree or significant experience in Finance, Economics, Public Policy, or related field.


• Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of industry experience, Master’s degree with 6+ years of industry experience, or PhD with 4+ years of industry experience


• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Microsoft Excel.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey complex technical concepts clearly.


• Ability to work effectively in collaborative, multidisciplinary teams and manage multiple priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

Any of the following qualifications will be considered an asset:

• Advanced degree in economics or related field


• State, federal, or provincial electric utility regulatory experience


• Project management experience in a consulting position or in a similar role


• Expert witness testimony experience (either sponsoring or substantial contributions to the testimony of others)

Working at Synapse

Synapse offers numerous benefits to its employees:

• Generous and flexible PTO (35 days) 


• Flexible work hours and holidays, and the ability to choose a schedule that works for you 


• Medical, dental, and vision insurance


• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP): a tax-deferred retirement plan that offers employees a chance to be partial owners of Synapse.


• Profit-sharing bonuses 


• Work-life balance benefit: at the end of the year, salaried employees are compensated for every hour worked over their standard full-time work schedule 


• 401(k) plan, including an employer safe harbor contribution of 3% of your annual salary regardless of individual contributions


• Life insurance 


• Short- and long-term disability 


• Employee Assistance Program 


• Collaboration: everybody contributes, asks questions, proposes solutions, and works on interesting research and analysis 


• Extensive professional development opportunities 


• Cambridge, MA office space with sit-stand desks, lots of meeting space, indoor bike parking, and plenty of nitro cold-brew and kombucha on tap. 

Principal Associate base salary range is $108,000-$162,000 annually, based on a full-time schedule. Our base salary range does not include profit-sharing bonuses. Actual salaries will vary based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. Synapse offers competitive market salaries, based on our primary market of nonprofits and government agencies. Our salaries reflect our work for these public interest clients.

We are looking for a candidate to start working in the spring or summer of 2026. Ideally you will be located in the Boston area and work in our Cambridge, Massachusetts office on a hybrid basis. However, Synapse will also consider applications from candidates who seek to be fully remote. 

We are unable to sponsor work visas for this position. Authorization to work in the United States is required to be considered.

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please describe your experience with rate design, cost-of-service studies, and/or public utility regulatory frameworks. ,  

Synapse is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a culturally diverse company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We strongly encourage applications from all qualified candidates including women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community.