Sr, Project Controls Analyst at Southern Company in Naperville, IL

Job Summary

This position will provide hands on project controls services, focused on financial, document, schedule, and scope controls, along with project metrics and reporting for large scale, high-value infrastructure improvement programs, which may include natural gas pipeline replacement projects and/or gas operations infrastructure upgrades.

This position will work closely with the project/program managers to ensure business objectives are met, prudent and properly tracked spending, on-time and on-budget delivery of projects, commissioning of assets, returning investments, meeting program regulatory and government commitments and reporting, etc.

This is a mid-office, highly analytical position, which involves the compilation, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of complex information, with a focus on program financials. It requires adherence to the Company’s Asset Development Process (ADP), along with the development and enforcement of supporting processes to ensure that projects are properly planned, estimated, scheduled, documented, tracked, and reported.

Additionally, this position will work closely with the Manager, Project Controls to become familiar with overall departmental processes and deliverables and oversee the team of Project Controls Analysts in the support of numerous large, often highly complex Engineering and Construction capital projects. It requires self-direction and minimal supervision.

Functional Expertise:

Serves as the Project Controls Analyst for select programs and projects.
Supports the execution of the Company’s Asset Development Process (ADP), Supply Chain policies, and other corporate or departmental best practices
Develops, documents, and enforces procedures for the successful execution of financial, document, schedule, and scope controls for assigned programs and projects
Ensures that required metrics are gathered and compiled, and prepares program reports, scorecards, and other presentations, while obtaining project management review and approval
Supports Manager, Project Controls with controls activities, including cost controls, schedule controls, and document controls; serves as back-up for Manager when needed.
Supports Manager, Project Controls with strategic planning for system integration, process improvements, software selection and implementation.
Leads, oversees and provides training to Project Controls Analysts and Schedulers.

Driving Results:

This position performs and/or oversees the following activities. Many efforts are performed in close collaboration with project managers, track leads, other departments, and management.

Compile project cost estimates, and ensure that they are accurate, complete, in adherence with the Company’s Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Maintain and publish an account coding plan for projects/program; refine as needed
Assist with creation/revision of Authorizations for Funding (AFEs); circulate for review and approval according to company policies
Adhere to cost control procedures for material procurement and contract work, the development of pay applications, and the mapping of invoice payments to account codes
Develop and maintain a comprehensive program forecast, including costs to date (CTD) and estimates at complete (EAC), by WBS and by month. This serves as input for annual budgets and quarterly re-forecasts (3+9, 6+6, etc.), project scorecards, and other reports
Develop, maintain, and ensure adherence to process standardization
On a monthly basis, participate in the accounting close to include preparing and submitting accruals & journal entries
On a monthly basis, update program forecast with project financials from various tools to ensure “one version of the truth” (e.g. Oracle, any project/program financial tracking tool, etc.)
On a monthly basis, conduct detailed financial review with Program and Project Manager to include analysis and review of actuals, development of variances from plan (both month and year-to-date), reforecast of remaining months and communication of risks, opportunities and impact to schedule.
Work with program Scheduler to maintain a master schedule which is used not only for project execution but also for in-service forecasting and cost recovery/revenue planning.
Assist in the compilation, analysis, and quantification of project risks, and ensure that project schedules and forecasts include the appropriate inclusion or release of risk allowances and contingencies.
Ensure that Stage 5 close out activities are performed at the end of each project, including the completion and storage of final documentation, the closeout of POs and AFEs, etc.
Assist the PM in enforcement of the change management process
Perform Cost Per Unit analysis and provide associated recommendations
Ensure that lessons learned are gathered and funneled to process improvement initiatives
Provide project information and analytics to support internal audits, commission audits, etc.
Create project related presentations and reports (e.g. dashboards/scorecards, gate reviews, etc.)
Perform other activities, as required, to support the successful execution of assigned projects and/or to improve processes related to managing and controlling projects
Support Manager, Project Controls with departmental deliverables and preparation and review of program reporting for month end close as well as for annual budgets and monthly re-forecasts.

Qualifications

Education, Certifications/Licenses:

Required: BA/BS/BBA in Finance, Accounting, Construction Project Management, Business Management, or related field
Preferred: Certification through Project Management Professional (PMI), Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE); or similar recognized organization

Related Work Experience:

Required: 6+ years finance, accounting, project management, project controls, project estimating or related position
Preferred: 6+ years project controls or cost controls position, for large engineering and construction projects, preferably in gas distribution or related energy field
Preferred: experience in energy sector, especially natural gas/pipelines, natural gas storage, or process plant development

Specific Skills & Knowledge:

Required:

MS Office – advanced proficiency, especially Excel
Project cost controls concepts – advanced proficiency
Project management concepts - intermediate proficiency
Accounting concepts – intermediate proficiency
Ability to extract and analyze complex data
Ability to communicate with all levels in the organization and lead other team members
Ability to support multiple projects and resources and adapt to changing priorities
Knowledge of capital program portfolio management, project management, and project controls best practices
Familiarity of mid-office Project Controls deliverables (e.g. EVA, Financial Analysis, etc.)

Preferred:

Working knowledge of Asset Development Process (ADP), or other Stage Gate related project management methodology
Proficiency with SharePoint or other web-based data repository
Proficiency with Oracle ERP
Familiarity with Unifier
Familiarity with Primavera P6
Familiarity of commercial project management and project controls software tools
Utility, oil and gas, energy, or pipeline industry experience
Construction project experience

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:

Primarily office environment
Occasional (local) travel required
Available during critical project activities (e.g. accounting close, month-end financial review)

Potential for extended hours during critical project activities