Senior Financial Analyst - Legal Operations

NRG•Princeton, NJ

6d•$75,000 - $115,000•Hybrid

About The Position

NRG is seeking a Senior Financial Analyst – Legal Operations to serve as the dedicated finance lead for the Legal Department. This highly visible role will own financial planning, forecasting, budget management, performance reporting, and strategic analysis for a multi-million-dollar functional budget. The successful candidate will partner closely with Legal leadership to provide financial insights, support investment decisions, optimize spending, and drive continuous improvement in financial processes. This position offers a unique opportunity to combine financial expertise with strategic business partnership in support of a critical corporate function. Ideal for a high-performing finance professional seeking increased responsibility and leadership exposure, this role offers opportunities to influence business decisions, support strategic initiatives, and develop professionally within a collaborative, results-oriented culture.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.
5+ years of experience in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Corporate Finance, Accounting, or a related financial discipline.
Experience supporting annual budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, accrual management, and variance analysis processes.
Experience developing financial models and translating financial data into actionable business insights.
Experience partnering with business leaders and presenting financial information to both finance and non-finance audiences.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently in a fast-paced environment.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including financial modeling, forecasting, and data analysis.
Experience working with ERP and financial planning systems.
Experience utilizing PowerPoint to develop executive-level presentations and financial reporting materials.
Experience with data visualization and reporting tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or similar platforms.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
Demonstrated ability to communicate financial concepts to non-finance stakeholders and influence business decisions through analysis and recommendations.
Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy, and quality control, with the ability to consistently deliver error-free financial analyses, reports, forecasts, and presentations.
Ability to build effective partnerships across multiple functions and organizational levels.
Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
Ability to thrive in a collaborative, results-oriented environment while maintaining a high degree of accountability and ownership.

Nice To Haves

MBA, CPA, CFA, or other relevant graduate degree or professional certification.
Experience supporting corporate functions or shared services organizations, particularly Legal, Compliance, HR, IT, Finance, or similar G&A functions.
Experience managing departmental budgets and supporting executive-level stakeholders in a large corporate environment.
Experience developing advanced financial models, business cases, and scenario analyses to support strategic decision-making.
Experience with legal spend management, eBilling, matter management, or outside counsel management platforms.
Experience with SAP, enterprise planning systems, Power BI, reporting automation, and advanced analytics or AI-enabled technologies.
Candidates who demonstrate strong business partnership, executive communication, analytical problem-solving skills, and a desire to grow into broader finance leadership responsibilities will be particularly successful in this role.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary finance lead for the Legal Department, owning the annual budget, quarterly forecasts, long-range planning, and financial performance management processes.
Partner closely with the General Counsel, Director of Legal Operations, and Finance leadership to develop, analyze, and present annual budget and forecast assumptions.
Lead departmental headcount planning activities, including workforce forecasting, open position tracking, personnel cost analysis, and organizational changes.
Develop financial models, scenario analyses, and strategic planning assumptions to support business decisions and resource allocation.
Identify financial risks and opportunities and provide recommendations to improve forecast accuracy and departmental performance.
Conduct monthly financial reviews of Legal Department operating expenses, personnel costs, open positions, and company-wide outside counsel spend.
Perform variance analysis against budget, forecast, and prior-year results, identifying key drivers and actionable insights.
Prepare and present executive-level financial reports, dashboards, presentations, and recommendations to the General Counsel and Legal leadership team.
Prepare, review, and coordinate quarterly accrual reporting to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with Corporate Accounting requirements.
Serve as the primary financial liaison between the Legal Department and key corporate functions, including FP&A, Accounting, Human Resources, Procurement, M&A and Treasury.
Lead ad hoc analyses and provide data-driven recommendations in support of strategic, operational, and financial decision-making.
Develop expertise in legal spend management, including outside counsel budgeting, forecasting, accrual management, and law firm rate analysis.
Develop expertise in the Company's eBilling and matter management system, including generating spend reports, analyzing legal expenditures and law firm performance, and monitoring budget-to-actual results.
Monitor outside counsel spend trends and budget utilization, providing recommendations to optimize legal expenditures while supporting business objectives.
Support financial oversight of legal technology investments, vendor relationships, and departmental operating expenses.
Ensure proper financial governance through cost allocation, coding, and compliance with company financial policies.
Develop and maintain reporting, analytics, and automation solutions including Power BI dashboards and AI-enabled tools to improve financial visibility, forecasting accuracy, and process efficiency.
Support Legal Operations initiatives through financial analysis, business case development, vendor evaluations, contract reviews, and cost-benefit assessments.
Partner with senior leaders to evaluate investments, support strategic initiatives, and influence decision-making through data-driven insights.
Continuously identify opportunities to improve financial processes, reporting capabilities, and overall decision support.