Cost Analyst Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• For a high school diploma or GED: four years of experience as an AEP Project Cost Analyst Associate (grade 005), or six years of total experience.
• For a qualified associate degree: three years of qualified experience.
• For a qualified bachelor's degree: one year of qualified experience.
• Qualified degrees must be in a related field from an accredited college or university; examples include accounting, business, construction management, engineering, technology, or project management.
• Qualified experience includes utility-specific operations knowledge and a good working knowledge of work processes and procedures; relevant experience may include design, operations, planning, project management, cost tracking and analysis, forecasting, project budgets, accounting principles, or construction or maintenance of systems or equipment.
• Demonstrate effective time management, organizational and planning skills, accuracy, attention to detail, and the ability to achieve goals.
• Demonstrate basic technical knowledge in written and verbal communication.
• Be proficient with computers and Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Work collaboratively as a team player.
• Demonstrate a willingness to listen to and satisfy internal and external customers.
• Safely and effectively perform light physical duties at various work sites, including home and AEP locations, in varying conditions.
• Understand and support AEP policies, values, principles, structure, and behavior.

Nice To Haves

• Exposure to corporate accounting and project cost management systems, construction environments, earned value management, and scheduling systems.
• A professional or trade certification such as CCMP, CETa, IQCP, PMP, or RMP is not required at this level; certification is required to progress to the Principal level for employees with a high school diploma/GED or a non-qualified higher education degree, and is otherwise preferred at the Principal level.
• Some travel, including overnight travel, may be required.
• Availability to work overtime, call-out overtime, and shift work may be required depending on the business unit.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate project meetings and collaborate with project team members on project activities.
• Support Project Managers with preparing and updating project documentation and plans.
• Prepare project spending and cash-flow forecasts, monitor budget variances, and track and analyze costs.
• Depending on business-unit needs, analyze and verify Sarbanes-Oxley activities and assist with annual budgets, capital forecasts, five-year plans, and improvement requisitions.
• Perform estimate-versus-actual analysis.
• Conduct variance reporting and establish original baseline budgets time-phased to dates in the system schedule.
• Create project breakdown structures.
• Perform departmental organizational tasks as assigned, including tracking and verifying unvouchered liabilities and keeping project-system records current and complete.
• Coordinate project work orders from creation through in-servicing and closeout.
• Depending on the assigned business unit, assist with contracting and bidding, cost analysis, and cost tracking.
• Communicate budgetary information with project teams, resources, and internal and external stakeholders; provide information and seek assistance as needed.
• Apply technical knowledge and analytical techniques to assignments, solve problems, and initiate solutions to technical issues.
• Develop and compile measurable KPIs for scope, budgeting, schedule and cost performance, and forecasting.
• Respond to customer and vendor inquiries, resolve work-order issues, and implement action plans in a fast-paced team environment.
• Follow AEP project and work-management organizational standards and Project Management Governance Committee guidance.
• Provide training and guidance to lower-level employees as appropriate.
• Recommend improvements to the role, project performance, service and product delivery, and environmental and community stewardship.
• Depending on the business unit, coordinate work activities of others, including contractors and vendors, to resolve routine technical tasks and field-work activities.
• Make decisions and contribute to team decision-making and consensus building.

Benefits

• AEP offers a comprehensive benefits package intended to support employees' overall well-being; specific benefits are not listed.