Rhode Island Energy URI Fellow

Rhode Island Energy provides essential energy services to over 770,000 customers across Rhode Island through the delivery of electricity or natural gas. Our team is dedicated to helping Rhode Island customers and communities thrive while supporting the transition to a cleaner energy future. Rhode Island Energy is part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies addressing energy challenges head-on by building smarter, more resilient, and more dynamic power grids and advancing sustainable energy solutions. PPL is a positive force in the cities and towns where we do business, providing support for programs and organizations that empower the success of future generations by helping to build and maintain strong, diverse communities today.

The energy industry is an exciting place, full of developing technology and new customer service possibilities. Rhode Island Energy is looking for Interns who can help us provide strong, reliable, affordable electric service to more than a million customers in Rhode Island, while adapting to new opportunities that are changing our industry. People depend on us and we deliver. We'd love to have you on board as we tackle that challenge, in new ways, every day.

 

An Intern is a temporarily employed college student in an accredited four-year institution of higher learning, who is offered a work-study program designed to give college students practical work experience in their field of study. This program often helps students determine career interests. Beyond the scope of the actual tasks performed, the student becomes familiar with a corporate environment and gains practical skills and knowledge to supplement their classroom experience.

• Rising junior senior or grad student enrolled in a curriculum leading to a baccalaureate or master’s degree in business or engineering from an accredited college or university program.
• GPA requirement: 3.00 or higher
• Able to provide an official student transcript and other required information.
• Able to work in a team environment.
• Able to demonstrate good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities.
• Travel within the service territory may be required.
• Possess a valid driver's license from state of residence

*RhIsEn*

The Business Account Specialist will be an integral part of the Customer Gas Connections Team and work directly with Commercial and Residential customers that request new gas connections in Rhode Island. The purpose of this role is to be the first point of contact for the customer and provide information and clarity on how to apply for a Gas Service and prescreen the customer to see if gas service is feasible. They will clearly guide customers through the gas connection process, work with the teams that plan and safely install the new gas service, resolve customer issues, and implement new and better ways to improve customer trust and ease.

Responsibilities include:
- Providing excellent customer service.
- Serving as a point of contact for several towns within a territory, providing customer information, setting expectations, and explaining the gas service process.
- Determining customer needs by running simple models to determine gas pipe size and costs for new types of services and reviewing maps.
- Processing customer requests in work request and billing systems.

 

RI Energy currently has a hybrid work plan. The successful candidate will be allowed to work remotely from home but must be willing to come into the office as required or upon request as well as perform site visits to customer facilities when needed to properly evaluate site conditions to determine the best installation solution for the customer. All software and customer calls are available via laptop which will be supplied to you. Broadband internet is required at your home. Microsoft Teams and Zoom are used to connect virtually with the team and with colleagues. RI Energy has a health and safety plan in place and the position may be required in person at either our Melrose St or Dexter St locations in Providence, RI.

 

Key Accountabilities

• Act as the primary point of contact for Commercial and Residential customers. Provide clear communication, resolve customer issues, and ensure new customer services are delivered throughout the Customer Gas Connection process.
• Project Manage / Own Customer projects through the end-to-end process to deliver a seamless experience to RI Energy customers.
• Learn the Commercial and Residential gas service construction process and educate customers about the process.
• Provide excellent customer service, predict customer needs and de-escalate customer issues.
• Process gas service level agreements, invoices, use multiple data tracking systems, learn new data systems.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with other business process owners and at a local level to support the fulfillment of customers’ requests. This includes attending local/virtual planning or construction meetings and finding effective ways to resolve Commercial and Residential customer issues or processes.
• Identify and implement ways to improve customer trust and ease, expedite the customer process and create operational efficiencies. Use a process excellence approach to communicate concerns, identify causes and develop and implement countermeasures.
• Support team outcomes including cross-training on other team responsibilities, assist or lead analysis or reporting, lead process improvements, represent team in cross-functional meetings.