Senior Financial Analyst - Legal Operations

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Senior Financial Analyst – Legal Operations

Position Summary

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.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Planning & Forecasting

• 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.

Financial Reporting, Analysis & Decision Support

• 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.

Legal Spend & Financial Operations Management

• 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.

Strategic Analytics, Automation & Business Partnership

• 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.

Minimum 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• 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.

Working Conditions

• Hybrid work schedule consisting of four days per week in the office and one day per week remote.
• Primarily office-based role in a collaborative, open office environment.
• Limited travel required (typically less than 5%).
• Prolonged computer use required.
• Periodic flexibility in working hours may be required during budget, forecast, close, and planning cycles.

NRG Energy is committed to a drug and alcohol-free workplace. To the extent permitted by law and any applicable collective bargaining agreement, employees are subject to periodic random drug testing, and post-accident and reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing. EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability. Level, Title and/or Salary may be adjusted based on the applicant's experience or skills.

Official description on file with Talent.

We support the use of AI tools to help you prepare for your interview (e.g., practicing responses, researching the role, or refining your resume). However, during interviews and assessments, we expect responses to reflect your own thinking, experience, and communication. Use of AI to generate or read answers in real time, complete assessments, or misrepresent your qualifications is not permitted and may impact your candidacy.
The base salary range for this position is: $75,000 - $115,000* *The base salary range above represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include annual bonus, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition the position may be eligible to participate in the benefits program which include, but are not limited to, medical, vision, dental, 401K, and flexible spending accounts.