Job Description:Utilities are navigating significant financial and strategic demands, including major capital investment needs, affordability pressures, evolving regulations, changing consumption patterns, workforce constraints, and increasing expectations for resilient and reliable service. Baker Tilly continues to invest in helping utility organizations make sound financial decisions, align resources with long-term priorities, and deliver sustainable value to customers and communities.
As part of Baker Tilly's Public and Non-Profit Consulting practice, the Managing Director, Municipal Utility Advisory Practice will lead and expand a nationally recognized municipal utility finance and advisory platform. The successful candidate will combine deep utility expertise, proven practice-building experience, strong executive relationships, and entrepreneurial leadership.
This individual will set market strategy, broaden and connect Baker Tilly's utility advisory capabilities, originate and lead complex engagements, develop scalable solutions, expand revenue, build talent, and cultivate executive-level client relationships nationwide. The role will work across utility finance, rates and cost of service, strategic planning, capital and infrastructure, organizational performance, workforce, governance, technology, and operational improvement to deliver integrated solutions for municipally operated water, wastewater, stormwater, electric and gas utilities.
ResponsibilitiesLead National Practice Growth- Develop and execute a national growth strategy for Baker Tilly's municipal utility advisory practice.
- Establish Baker Tilly as a recognized market leader in utility finance, rates, financial planning, and strategic advisory services.
- Drive growth through new client acquisition, geographic expansion, strategic account development, and collaboration across existing client relationships.
- Define priority markets, client segments, service offerings, and investment needs for sustainable national scale.
- Monitor emerging financial, regulatory, operational, infrastructure, technology, and workforce trends affecting utilities.
Build Market-Leading Utility Solutions - Expand and connect Baker Tilly's utility advisory offerings into a cohesive, scalable national platform.
- Develop repeatable methods, tools, models, and client solutions across utility types and geographies.
- Lead or oversee solutions addressing:
- Utility rate studies and rate design
- Cost-of-service and revenue requirement analysis
- Long-range financial planning and forecasting
- Capital funding and financial strategy
- Scenario analysis, affordability, and financial sustainability
- Strategic planning and implementation
- Performance management, benchmarking, and organizational alignment
- Regulatory and financial advisory services
- Collaborate with leaders across capital and infrastructure, organizational performance, workforce, governance, grants, technology, and operational improvement to create integrated client solutions.
Business Development & Market Leadership - Develop and maintain executive-level relationships with utility general managers, chief financial officers, finance directors, utility directors, boards, regulators, and other industry leaders.
- Originate, shape, and lead complex utility advisory engagements.
- Lead strategic pursuits, proposals, presentations, and account development efforts.
- Represent Baker Tilly through industry conferences, professional associations, publications, research, and other thought leadership.
- Build referral networks and strategic partnerships that strengthen market reach and capabilities.
- Translate market insight and client needs into new offerings and sustained revenue growth.
Client Delivery & Technical Leadership - Serve as an executive advisor to utility leadership teams and governing bodies on financial and strategic decisions.
- Provide technical direction and quality oversight for complex engagements involving rates, cost of service, financial models, capital needs, and long-term strategy.
- Communicate complex financial and operational issues in clear, decision-ready terms for executives, boards, and public audiences.
- Ensure recommendations are practical, analytically sound, and responsive to regulatory, customer, affordability, and implementation considerations.
- Balance direct engagement leadership with development of a broader delivery team and consistent national methods.
Talent & Team Development - Recruit, develop, and retain top utility advisory talent.
- Build and leverage a scalable national team capable of delivering consistent, high-quality services across markets and utility types.
- Mentor emerging leaders and create clear opportunities for technical and business-development growth.
- Connect professionals across disciplines and geographies to deploy the best team for each client need.
- Foster a collaborative, entrepreneurial, innovative, and client-focused culture.
Practice Leadership - Establish practice goals, performance measures, investment priorities, and growth plans.
- Develop delivery standards, quality-control practices, pricing approaches, and resource models that support profitable scale.
- Identify opportunities to create repeatable, technology-enabled, and potentially recurring advisory offerings.
- Collaborate with marketing and firm leadership to strengthen market visibility and thought leadership.
- Support strategic priorities across Baker Tilly's Public and Non-Profit Consulting practice.
Qualifications Required - Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics, engineering, public administration, business administration, public policy, or a related field.
- 15+ years of experience serving utilities through consulting, advisory services, utility leadership, public finance, regulatory work, or a related field.
- Demonstrated success building and scaling a consulting practice, service line, or advisory business.
- Demonstrated success generating significant revenue growth, originating work, and developing new client relationships.
- Deep expertise in utility rates, cost-of-service analysis, financial modeling, and long-range financial planning.
- Experience advising utility executives and governing bodies on strategic, financial, capital, or organizational decisions.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and complex advisory engagements.
- Strong executive-level communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
- Ability to travel nationally based on client and business-development needs.
Preferred - Experience leading a regional or national utility consulting practice.
- Established professional network among utility executives, finance leaders, board members, regulators, and industry partners.
- Experience across multiple utility sectors, such as water, wastewater, stormwater, electric, gas, or public power.
- Experience integrating rates and financial analysis with strategic planning, capital planning, affordability, performance management, or organizational advisory services.
- Experience developing proprietary methodologies, analytical tools, market-facing service offerings, or recurring advisory solutions.
- Active involvement in utility-focused professional associations and conferences.
- Graduate degree or relevant professional credential preferred.
The pay rate range for this job position is $215,950 to $409,420. Actual compensation is influenced by a variety of relevant factors including but not limited to applicant's skills, prior experience, qualifications, degrees, professional certifications, work arrangements and geographic location. Baker Tilly offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package to eligible employees.
