Business Analyst

 FirstEnergy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers’ lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.

About the Opportunity

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Co., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. [FEU].

The Asset Management Support organization provides support to the Asset and Records Control and Power Delivery departments. It is responsible for Transmission Reliability data, metrics and reporting, initiative planning and budget tracking. The team identifies current and future challenges to transmission system reliability as well as coordinating and championing activities to continuously improve reliability. Report transmission performance data to North American Electric Regulatory Corporation (NERC) and North American Transmission Forum (NATF).

This position is responsible for supporting the initiatives that are represented in the annual transmission construction program (~30-50 million/annually) with detailed financial forecasting of the current year, five-year, and ten-year initiatives at the program and specific levels. The monthly forecasting cycle requires working with project managers to ensure the project forecasts are properly reflected in FirstEnergy in Budget/Forecast systems, ensuring that project accruals are correctly calculated and submitted to Corporate Finance, and projects are in-serviced in a timely manner. Analysts will work closely with the project managers/project leads in preparation of monthly meetings, the Financial Review and Accrual Review. The forecast is managed in both the Direct view and the Settled views.

This position is considered hybrid with weekly reporting in-person commitments to Akron, Ohio.   

Responsibilities include:

• Coordinate with Transmission Portfolio team on the department 10-year budget and current year annual/monthly forecasts. 
• Analyzing expenditures and recommending budget adjustments. Performing estimate to project actuals analysis.
• Participating in planning, prioritizing, tracking, and reporting major projects using the SAP Work Management System.
• Ensure budget tracking against Purchase Orders or Contracts.
• Program management support for obsolesce, and online monitoring that includes budgeting, forecasting, and tracking status.
• Initiate RPA’s for program work or spare equipment. 
• Department Material management support. 
• Present monthly financials to leadership
• Support round materials.  
• Providing analytical support to the portfolio development and financial group.
• Provide variance analysis and explanations for projects.
• Prepare journal entries for monthly accruals and any correcting entries as required.
• Track progress and provide forecast of in-servicing plan.
• Understanding business strategies, goals, and requirements
• Identifying and prioritizing the organization's functional and technical needs and requirements
• Forecasting, budgeting, and performing both variance analysis and financial analysis.
• Building respectful and effective working relationships with key stakeholders in multiple business units to work collaboratively on various requests and initiatives
• Create, maintain and close-out WBS numbers for proposed/approved O&M cost tracking centers and projects.
• Utilize project management skills for tracking and monitoring Asset Information projects.
• Interface between budget and reporting tools to support management tracking, reporting and decision-making (QlikView, OPPM Data Base, SAP, PowerPlan, UI Planner, etc.).
• Familiarity of transmission substation equipment and related attributes.
• Familiarity with Cascade substation systems.
• Working knowledge of querying tools (i.e. Hyperion, Toad) is a plus. 
• Familiarity with SAP cost collectors (Orders, WBS and Cost Centers).
• Building relationships and credibility across the organization.