Budget Analyst Renewable Operations

Southern Company - Newkirk, OK

Full-time - Mid Level

Newkirk, OK

10,001+ employees

Utilities

About the position

The Budget Analyst position at Southern Power involves two distinct roles, each supporting different renewable energy fleets. The first role focuses on the self-perform Wind fleet, which encompasses ten sites. The selected candidate will be responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining both Operations & Maintenance (O&M) and Capital accounting, budgeting, and reporting processes for the current year and long-range budgets for these facilities. This position will report directly to the Wind Fleet General Manager. The second role supports 15 Solar & Wind sites operated and maintained by a third party, along with three Central Texas self-perform solar sites. Similar to the first role, this position will also develop, implement, and maintain O&M and Capital accounting, budgeting, and reporting processes for the current year and long-range budgets for these facilities. This position will report directly to a Renewable Region Manager. Both positions require a strong understanding of budgeting and accounting principles, as well as the ability to liaise effectively between various teams, including Operations, Finance, and Accounting. The Budget Analyst will play a crucial role in ensuring accurate financial reporting and analysis, supporting large-scale projects, and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement within the budgeting processes. The role also involves administrative duties and requires a commitment to safety, inclusion, integrity, and superior performance as outlined by the company's core values.

Responsibilities

• Capital and O&M budget creation, ownership and reporting responsibility for multiple facilities
• Monthly and year-end reforecasting, actuals review, and variance explanations to functional and executive management on a routine basis
• Preparation of monthly accruals for submittal to accounting
• Liaison between Operations and SPC Finance and Accounting
• Liaison between Operations and Partnerships Team
• Liaison between Operations, Property Accounting and SPC Financial Planning for Long Term Service Agreements (LTSA's)
• Understand and work with multiple types of contracts for multiple facilities (examples include Long Term Service Agreements, Power Purchase Agreements, Turbine Supply Agreements, Third Party O&M Agreements, Partnership Agreements)
• Invoice coding and reconciliation
• Support large-scale projects affecting the fleet, such as wind repowering and site acquisition
• Receiving materials and services, review packing slips, file paperwork
• Active membership in the Budget Operations Review Board representing Renewable Operations
• Support and back up other budget analysts and overall Renewables Financial Plan
• Timekeeping and Expenses Subject Matter Expert
• Miscellaneous administrative duties in support of site personnel and management
• Identifying and leading opportunities for continuous improvement and sharing best practices

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance strongly preferred
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) required
• Knowledge of Southern Company budgeting principles a plus
• 5 or more years of relevant experience is strongly preferred
• Experience in budgeting, accounting, and/or finance is required
• Working knowledge of Enterprise Foundation systems and tools
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite with proven focus on Excel and PowerPoint
• Knowledge of data analytics platforms is a plus (i.e., Tableau, PowerBI, Oracle Analytics)
• Knowledge of financial principles such as net income, earnings per share, cash flow analysis
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to effectively communicate at all levels within the organization and corporate environments
• Ability to review budget/actual/forecast variances and provide assessment analysis based on trends
• Ability to understand and work with multiple types of contracts for multiple sites (Long Term Service Agreements, Power Purchase Agreements, Turbine Supply Agreements, Third Party O&M Agreements, Partnership Agreements)
• Ability to review invoices for accuracy (check contract rates, T&M, verify % complete, verify current balance due, etc.)

Nice-to-haves

• Knowledge of Southern Company budgeting principles
• Experience with data analytics platforms (i.e., Tableau, PowerBI, Oracle Analytics)

Benefits

• Some relocation assistance may be available