Planate Management Group (PMG) is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and Orlando, Florida USA with a technical support center in South East Asia and East Africa, that provides program management and facilities engineering services worldwide. Planate is a small business provider of planning, design, infrastructure management, technical consulting, engineering, and construction management services in support of the US Department of Defense (DOD) and its Service (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps) missions, along with other US federal agencies, all over the world.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Energy Economist, Regulatory & PPP Advisor. You will lead economic, financial, regulatory, and institutional analyses for energy and infrastructure investments. For the Tonga opportunity, the advisor will evaluate cost recovery and fuel pricing, build auditable project and supply-chain models, assess investment returns, recommend regulatory improvements, and develop ownership, PPP, and financing pathways that support long-term private investment and implementation.

This position is contingent upon contract award of the contract. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Review Tonga’s petroleum pricing laws, institutional roles, pricing methodology, adjustment frequency, market structure, and comparable Pacific Island approaches.
• Assess the current fuel pricing framework for full cost recovery, operating margin adequacy, return on capital, transparency, predictability, and protection from under-recovery.
• Develop an auditable economic and cash-flow model for the recommended infrastructure solution and complete sensitivity and scenario analyses.
• Estimate impacts of proposed pricing or cost-recovery adjustments on consumers, operators, investors, and government revenues to the extent supported by available data.
• Develop recommendations for a stable, transparent, investable pricing and regulatory framework and support capacity-building discussions with government and regulatory stakeholders.
• Assess ownership and financing structures, including sponsor investment, joint ventures, PPPs, and allocation of port, pipeline, and storage investments.
• Identify and assess potential funding sources, including commercial banks, institutional investors, ADB, multilateral development banks, U.S. EXIM, and DFC.
• Prepare task deliverables, model documentation, funding-source contacts, investor-ready findings, and final-report chapters for Tasks 7, 8, 9, and 11.

Qualifications to be successful in the role:

• Master’s degree or higher in Economics, Finance, Public Policy, Energy Economics, Business, Infrastructure Planning, or a related field; a bachelor’s degree with substantial directly relevant experience may be considered. 
• Typically 15+ years of experience in energy economics, utility or fuel-sector regulation, infrastructure finance, PPP advisory, project finance, or development-finance consulting. 
• No universal license required; advanced financial-modeling competence and relevant professional standing required. 
• Preferred certifications and credentials include CFA, FRM, CPA, PMP, CP3P, or equivalent, with formal training in project finance, regulatory economics, financial modeling, or multilateral development bank appraisal methods.
• Experience in petroleum downstream markets, fuel price regulation, island economies, small markets, or import-dependent energy systems.
• Completion of bankability, tariff, PPP, transaction-advisory, or financial-feasibility assignments that led to financing or implementation.
• Experience engaging ministries, regulators, utilities, private sponsors, banks, MDBs, DFC, EXIM, or institutional investors.
• Prior USTDA or similar donor-funded feasibility study experience, including public and confidential reporting requirements.

Why Planate? 

Planate Management Group is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. 

Joining the Planate team opens you to an experience working for a Global company where you are among a team that is considered a premier trusted partner for planning, design, engineering, asset management, and professional service solutions anytime, anywhere.  We Take Care of Our Own; Personally, and Profession. 

Full-time employees enjoy the following benefits:

• Medical insurance/Dental/Vision Insurance
• 401K plan eligibility upon hire
• Health and Savings Account plan
• Life/AD&D Insurance Coverage
• Short-Term Disability Insurance Coverage
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Time Off
• Wellness Offering
• Training and Development
• License/Certification support
• Recognition and Rewards program
• Travel Insurance

We’d love for you to be a part of our Global workforce, helping us serve as an effective and integrated partner to advance every client's mission!