Sr Forecast Consultant

Itron is a leading provider of electric and gas forecasting consulting services, training, and software. Our clients include gas and electric utilities, Independent System Operators, transmission companies, and retail energy providers. We support organizations across North America, Europe, Australia, and South Asia with forecasting solutions that range from near-term operational forecasting to long-term planning analysis. In this role, we are seeking a distribution planning professional who also brings forecasting experience and can help bridge planning needs with advanced analytical methods. 

As part of our Forecasting Solutions Team, you will support utilities in distribution planning and long-term distribution forecasting applications. 

This includes helping clients valuate geospatial growth, identify emerging distribution constraints, and apply forecasting tools and software solutions to support planning studies, investment decisions, and evolving grid needs. 

You will play a key role in developing geospatial customer growth forecasts, evaluating distributed energy resource (DER) adoption, and translating forecast outputs into actionable insights for distribution planning. This may include supporting feeder- and area-level planning assessments, analyzing historical load and market data, and helping clients understand how growth, electrification, and DER adoption affect future system needs. 

This role also involves becoming a subject matter expert in DER technologies, including solar PV, battery storage, and a range of electric vehicles (EVs)—from light-duty to medium- and heavy-duty classes—and translating emerging market trends into actionable insights for clients. 

As a client-facing consultant, you will interact directly with utility stakeholders, providing guidance on distribution planning, load growth, DER impacts, and forecasting-driven planning decisions. You will also contribute to Itron’s thought leadership by delivering presentations, leading workshops, and sharing practical insights on how forecasting can strengthen distribution system planning. 

Duties & Responsibilities 

As a Forecast Consultant with a distribution planning focus, you will: 

• Provide technical and software support to clients. 

• Manage and execute consulting projects that support distribution forecasting, capacity screening analysis, and high-quality client deliverables. 

• Apply forecasting methods and DER adoption analysis to inform distribution planning studies and future system needs. 

• Analyze geospatial and load data to create feeder-, area-, or substation-level insights that support clients’ distribution planning needs. 

• Present forecasts and analysis to clients and stakeholders via workshops, webinars, and conferences. 

• Contribute to Itron’s thought leadership by authoring blogs, brown bags, and white papers. 

Required Skills & Experience 

• 10 to 15+ years of energy industry experience (utility, consulting, research, etc.). 

• Strong knowledge of distribution forecasting, including load growth, integrating new construction projects, DER impacts, system constraints, and utility planning processes. 

• Significant experience with database applications (e.g., SQL, Oracle). 

• Experience with load forecasting, time series analysis, or related analytical methods that can be applied to distribution planning studies. 

• Proficiency in code-based data & statistical modeling tools, with experience in Python, R, or SAS being a plus. 

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to deliver compelling presentations and defend forecasts in regulatory settings. 

• Experience working with geospatial data, feeder-level analysis, or distribution system planning tools is preferred.    

Preferred Skills & Experience 

• Advanced degree in power systems engineering, electrical engineering, economics, mathematics, statistics, data science, information systems, or related technical field, or equivalent job experience. 

• Strong knowledge of econometrics, statistics, calculus, and data science modeling methods. 

• Programming skills and knowledge of R&D processes is a plus.