Director, Financial Planning & Analysis

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 Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. This is a full-time, on-site position located at any FirstEnergy location in our footprint. Summary: This position is a key leadership role on the Business Unit Finance & Regulatory Team reporting to the Vice President of Finance and Regulatory Affairs for West Virginia/Maryland. The successful candidate will lead the Business Unit Finance team that is responsible for leading strategic financial planning, analysis, and execution for the Business Unit. This leader plays a pivotal role in providing impactful insights to support Business Unit operations, with the ability to communicate informed, actionable guidance aligned with organizational goals by building a strong foundation of business partnerships. This position serves as the primary communication link on financial performance between Business Unit Leadership, FEU Leadership, Corporate Finance, Controller’s Department, and various other groups.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a safe workplace for coworkers and the community based upon knowledge of potential hazards and industry regulations/requirements.
• Lead strategic planning and forecasting for the Business Unit. This includes long-term plan development and execution, budgeting, forecasting, analysis, and reporting processes/deliverables. This role owns full P&L performance, including revenue, O&M and capital planning, strategic leadership on financing, taxes, and cash/credit management through coordination across multiple departments to ensure plans are executable and meet strategic goals, while driving accountability for results.
• Own O&M and Capital planning for the Business Unit. Lead development of well-defined budgets, track actual performance using detailed and impactful tools and providing clear analysis, and build accurate forecasts that deliver on commitments. Ensure plans are flexible to proactively adjust as needed. Engage across Operations, Engineering, Portfolio Planning, Supply Chain, Work Management, and Corporate Support teams to ensure all investments are well-planned and positively impact all stakeholders.
• Provide guidance to all levels of the organization on impacts of business performance through strategic decision support models. Effectively utilize analysis to guide decisions and drive exceptional results. Communicate plan and performance through KPIs. Influence regulatory framework to optimize investment and recovery strategies.
• Primary interface with key stakeholders on the Business Unit’s budget, forecast, analysis, and performance, including Business Unit Leadership, FEU Leadership, Corporate Finance, and Controller’s Department. Establish clear connection between Business Unit financial plans and performance with FirstEnergy strategic goals.
• Build a business partner model and mindset to facilitate communication, increase business knowledge of teams, identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and drive results. This includes full P&L and financial performance accountability; identifying, communicating, and executing strategic insights; and developing and implementing risk mitigation strategies.
• Lead team responsible for direct support of business partners. Guide team to deliver exceptional business results in day-to-day processes, including O&M and capital investment planning/analysis, revenue execution, cash/credit performance, and compliance activities. Provide growth opportunities to develop well-rounded financial analysis skills and become influential business partners.
• Create and lead a decision support function to provide strategic insights and recommended actions based on thorough analysis and understanding of operations, finance, and regulatory strategies and expectations. Educate direct team and across organizations on technical subject matters (regulated finance, investments, financial performance, etc.), providing clear, concise, and actionable learnings.
• Lead the identification, design, and implementation of process improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, engineering, or related discipline required. Advanced degree is a plus.
• 10+ years of relevant work experience with increasing impact and responsibility in FP&A-related functions.
• Demonstrated success in leading strategic business decisions from idea to execution.
• Ability to apply learnings quickly and drive continuous improvement.
• Strong financial acumen, including expert-level knowledge of financial statement analysis, budgeting/forecasting theory and process, and internal/external reporting functions.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP and FERC accounting principles. Regulated finance experience is a plus.
• Understanding of the Business Unit regulatory framework and ability to translate recommendations into actions to optimize results. Regulatory experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including ability to lead by example, coach others, provide constructive feedback, build high-performing teams, and empower others.
• Proven ability to develop business partnerships and earn trust across organizations.
• Commitment to role modeling FirstEnergy’s values and behaviors, transparency, continuous learning and improvement.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Expert analytical skills with a track record of solving complex issues and providing clear, logical, and impactful solutions.
• Technical expertise in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. Experience in SAP and UI Planner a plus.

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at www.firstenergycorp.com to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs.

FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H-1B visas at this time.

Safety

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all of our business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information, and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co-workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, to maintain an accident-free, injury-free workplace, and to promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals, we dedicate ourselves to achieving world-class safety standards.

Position Classification: Exempt

FirstEnergy Human Resources Team