Financial Analyst – Governance

Southern Company • Atlanta, GA

3h

About The Position

The Financial Analyst provides governance, compliance, allocation, and analytical support to Southern Company Services (SCS) organizations and Southern Company affiliates. The role ensures timely and accurate review and reporting of financial segments for the budgeting organization, including accurate, consistent, transparent assignment of chart-of-account and project segments in accordance with accounting policies, internal controls, affiliate requirements, and Southern Company policies.

The analyst supports allocation methodologies and governance, reviews financial account setup, documents decisions, monitors compliance, coordinates affiliate segments, and recommends process and control improvements. The position partners with financial and non-financial managers to translate complex allocation and compliance requirements into clear, practical guidance. It also supports budgeting, forecasting, variance reporting, management reporting, affiliate rate cases, audits, regulatory requests, training, and special projects.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, or a related business field required.
• Minimum of 3 months of experience in accounting, finance, industrial engineering, or business administration required.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, and Access, are highly desired.
• Detail-oriented, with initiative, critical-thinking skills, strong follow-through, documentation discipline, and personal ownership.
• Working knowledge of governance, risk, compliance, internal controls, and documentation practices.
• Proficient analytical and problem-solving skills, with organizational and planning skills.
• Ability to assess whether an allocation methodology is equitable, supportable, repeatable, and aligned with the beneficiaries of a cost or service.
• Ability to identify compliance risks, control gaps, inconsistencies, and root causes, and recommend practical corrective actions.
• Ability to quickly understand accounting systems, POET codes, and how financial segments are used.
• Ability to coordinate project creation for all project types, including capital projects and integration with PowerPlan.
• Ability to multitask and adapt to a changing environment; coordinate requests from multiple business units and help ensure goals and objectives are met.
• Strong interpersonal skills to interact effectively with accounting, auditing, non-financial functional areas, and staff and management at varying levels.
• Ability to operate in a matrix organization and communicate clearly, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to anticipate and proactively communicate process decisions and bottlenecks, exercise sound business judgment, and demonstrate initiative and teamwork.
• Thorough understanding of accounting, budgeting, cost tracking, financial projections, and their relationships with affiliate accounting and budgeting functions.

Nice To Haves

• CPA, CMA, MBA, or other advanced degree preferred.
• Utility accounting experience preferred.
• Experience in accounting, allocations, shared services, accounting policy, or governance preferred.
• Experience documenting processes, controls, methodologies, decisions, and supporting evidence preferred.
• Experience with Oracle Cloud ERP, OACS, Oracle Planning, and PowerPlan preferred.
• Process or project management experience desired.
• Knowledge of utility and regulatory accounting standards and GAAP principles desired.
• Knowledge of Enterprise Foundations principles preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support the governance process for SCS Budgeting.
• Develop, maintain, and communicate allocation methodologies, procedures, decision criteria, and supporting documentation.
• Evaluate allocation bases by identifying the organizations, affiliates, customers, projects, or services that benefit from associated costs.
• Promote consistent use of allocation drivers, POET, template maintenance, class categories, and other financial coding across business units.
• Review financial transactions, cost assignments, and allocation results for accuracy, consistency, reasonableness, and policy compliance.
• Provide managers with guidance on GAAP, Southern Company accounting policies, affiliate requirements, internal controls, allocation practices, and accounting activities.
• Coordinate periodic allocation reviews, certifications, documentation updates, and stakeholder approvals.
• Maintain audit-ready support for allocation methodologies, controls, assumptions, approvals, and key financial decisions.
• Identify control gaps, compliance risks, inconsistent practices, and opportunities to improve governance, transparency, and efficiency; recommend corrective actions and process improvements.
• Partner with Accounting, Internal Controls, Audit, Legal, Regulatory, Tax, HR, Supply Chain, and business-unit stakeholders as appropriate.
• Coordinate affiliate rate-case, audit, and regulatory support related to cost assignments, service-company charges, and allocations.
• Develop and deliver training, job aids, and communications on allocation and compliance requirements for financial and non-financial users.
• Consolidate governance and compliance reporting for SCS management, including trends, exceptions, remediation items, and decision points.
• Participate in special projects and system or process changes by assessing allocation, compliance, control, and documentation impacts; gather information and provide analysis.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships and communications with business-unit and affiliate budget managers.
• Analyze data and communicate the SCS financial story.
• Coordinate annual budget preparation and communications.
• Prepare and communicate monthly variance reporting and comprehensive analysis for budget, actual, and projection information.
• Consolidate reporting for SCS roll-ups and management reporting.
• Gather data and analyze periodic cost projections and budget data.
• Coordinate project creation for all project types, including capital projects and integration with PowerPlan.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary.
• Annual incentive awards for eligible employees; the position may also be eligible for additional compensation through an incentive program.
• Health, welfare, and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level