Corporate Development Analyst

Cleco Power•Mandeville, LA

About The Position

The Corporate Development Analyst II is a career-level professional who supports enterprise growth initiatives through strategic, operational, and financial analysis related to large-load customer recruitment, economic development, site development, land acquisition, and emerging infrastructure opportunities, including data centers, advanced manufacturing, energy storage, renewable energy, and other utility-scale projects. The role evaluates opportunities, conducts due diligence and feasibility analyses, develops business cases, and provides insights that support key business decisions and long-term growth objectives. The successful candidate possesses strong business acumen, strategic and critical thinking skills, and the ability to identify improvements, develop practical solutions, and effectively support the advancement of the department's and Company's growth strategy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Marketing, Engineering, or related field
3-5+ years of utility or related experience in Strategic Initiatives, Project Management, or Finance
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely
Ability to work in a team environment supporting all members
Strong understanding of the company’s industry and competitive landscape
Experience with Microsoft tools and applications required
Strong analytical, problem-solving, planning, and project management skills
Strong organization skills and delivery of assignments in a timely manner
Strong interpersonal, communications, negotiation, writing, speaking, listening and corporate storytelling skills
Ability to prioritize tasks/assignments and deliver high-quality outcome
Willingness and ability to learn and champion new technologies on the job
Ability to exercise judgment with little direction/guidance but also knows when to escalate to the Corporate Development Director
Proficient at functioning effectively within a team environment, present ideas, and opinions in a respective and collegial manner

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred
Experience with financial systems (e.g., SAP) preferred
CPA, CFA, PMP, or related certification in the Finance, Accounting, and Engineering field preferred
Experience supporting economic development, land development, site selection, utility infrastructure planning, commercial real estate, civil engineering design, project development, or large-scale infrastructure projects preferred.

Responsibilities

Support the planning, scheduling, execution, and monitoring of commercial opportunities and ensure the completion of milestones that meet/exceed expectations
Assist in managing and supporting the coordination and facilitation of the development of identified short and long term strategic and commercial opportunities from conceptual stages through execution.
Engage and collaborate with various internal and external stakeholders on both short- and long-term strategic and commercial initiatives to ensure business objectives are achieved, while maintaining efficient processes and effective communication.
Develop and maintain business cases for both short-term and long-term strategic and commercial opportunities, ensuring that each case is underpinned by complex financial models to evaluate potential transactions, strategic investments, and other corporate finance activities. (examples include: strategic partnerships, generation acquisition, energy storage, distributed energy)
Make recommendations to leadership based on thorough research and financial analysis.
Maintain strong internal relationships with business partners, team members, and senior management to effectively contribute to strategic decisions that require coordination across multiple business functions
Provide support in managing third-party technical and outsourcing partnerships, as needed, to achieve project goals and operational objectives.
Responsible for self-development and continuous learning, to deliver successful project outcomes with a customer-centric approach
Prepare and deliver presentations that clearly communicate findings and recommendations to both internal and external stakeholders, including senior management.
Gather quantitative and qualitative input and perform research tasks necessary to identify commercial opportunities that support Cleco’s growth initiatives
Conduct in-depth market research, analyzing industry trends and assessing competitive landscapes in the utility industry and analyze applicability to Cleco
Support the Corporate Development Director with the development and implementation of appropriate metrics, processes to improve decision making, efficiency improvements, and drive continuous improvement of project/tasks; consider future implications beyond an immediate problem
Support site selection, land strategy, and development activities for data centers, industrial customers, and other strategic growth initiatives, including evaluation of site readiness, infrastructure requirements, permitting considerations, and project feasibility.
Support the evaluation and advancement of large-load growth opportunities including data centers, industrial facilities, advanced manufacturing projects, and other strategic economic development initiatives.
Support with land acquisition, land option agreements, site control strategies, and real estate due diligence activities.
Evaluate development constraints, zoning considerations, utility infrastructure requirements, and highest-and-best-use considerations for potential development sites.
Support coordination with economic development organizations, site consultants, engineering firms, local governments, permitting agencies, and internal business units to support development projects and strategic initiatives.
Champion a corporate culture that emphasizes transparency, integrity, safety, environmental responsibility, employee development, diversity and inclusion, customer service, and operational excellence
May perform other duties as assigned.