Manager Budget Planning and Financial Performance

Job Description

Puget Sound Energy is Washington State’s largest and most established energy company.  We drive our clean energy goals forward such that it is aligned with our commitments to safety, reliability, affordability and equity.

PSE is looking for a Manager Budget Planning and Financial Performance to lead a team of ten direct reports.  This role manages both the short and mid-term planning, the evaluation, design, and implementation of the company’s budget, specifically related to both operational business unit and corporate spend, as well as the associated processes and reporting.

The Budget Planning team works closely with our business units to successfully create forecasts, drive improvements in forecast accuracy, and support proper decision making.  The manager role also works closely with peer finance managers and their teams, as well as executive leadership. Deep expertise in this area is critical to successfully support business planning, the ongoing financial performance, and reporting of our business.

The ideal candidate will:

• Be self-motivated, passionate about this industry, and possess strong and proven leadership skills.
• Uphold the safety compliance standards inherent in PSE’s operating and/or field procedures related to work responsibilities. Promotes and supports a culture of safety.
• Demonstrate commitment to conduct business honestly, ethically and consistent with our core values and Code of Conduct.  Ensures duties are performed in accordance with all regulatory compliance obligations.

The leader will also be responsible for employee safety, development and team building - provides employees with coaching, feedback, and developmental opportunities:

• Demonstrates a passion for safety. Promotes and supports a culture of total safety including eliminating at-risk behaviors by conducting safety audits and inspections, eliminating hazards and near misses, and attending safety meetings.
• Sets clear expectations and holds employees accountable for performance as well as goals/targets where applicable.
• Oversees training and development of employees directly and indirectly managed and makes effective staffing decisions. Ensures required training is successfully completed.
• Challenges and inspires employees to achieve business results.
• Accountable to ensure employees adhere to legal and operational compliance requirements, as well as safety standards.
• Conducts and ensures the completion of performance reviews and development plans.
• Provides coaching, direction, and leadership support to team members in order to achieve employee, business, customer and safety results.

Job Responsibilities

Long Range

• Develops and manages the structure and process for gathering data for the annual budget in alignment with the strategic plan.
• Oversees the development and prioritization of the enterprise budget by leveraging and evolving existing tools and data.
• Identifies and incorporates risks and opportunities into plan recommendations and ensures robust processes are executed.
• Develops the plan based on business and economic assumptions for consideration as part of Senior Management’s strategic planning process.
• Oversees the processes and data to support the business plan included in related regulatory filings.
• Develops structure, methodology and analysis for multi-year plan and longer term strategic planning efforts, including all related reporting.
• Assures alignment and integration into corporate financial plans.

Short Range

• Oversees the annual budget.
• Drives process improvements for budgeting and financial performance metrics and reporting.
• Works with senior management and interfaces with operating areas to ensure the budget inputs are consistent with management goals and expectations.
• Coordinates data and analyses to present senior management a complete and comprehensive budget package that is useful for both understanding the budget as well as provide tools and reporting to help managers manage their annual business.
• Develops and monitors financial metrics & reporting.
• Manages the monthly financial forecasts, fiscal performance review, and variance analysis reporting.
• Supports monthly detailed department forecasts and reviews of performance relative to budget.
• Identifies areas where financial performance is not on plan; and analyzes performance for causes and areas to change/improve performance.
• Advises operations management on appropriate accounting treatment for expenditures in compliance with company policy.
• Serves as the departmental primary contact.
• Manages budget analyst staff performance.
• Designs and implements data integrity process improvements and develops proposals to further increase integrity of operational and financial data. 
• Promotes use of technology by department staff.  Ensures efficiencies from new software tools and systems are realized, and promoted through staff expertise.
• Implements and upholds corporate policies and procedures.
• Oversees and/or supports ad-hoc projects/requests as necessary
• Oversees consulting staff as required.
• Provides ad-hoc financial reports based on various management requests.
• Presents financial performance to PSE executive management.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, Finance or related field (relevant technical experience may be considered in lieu of a degree).
• 10 years experience in budget, forecasting, and financial planning and data analysis.
• Five years experience supervising/managing.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem solving skills.
• Strong leadership, mentorship, and coaching skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively (verbal and written) within all levels of the organization.
• Adept multi-tasker who works well in matrixed organization structure.

Desired Qualifications

• Familiarity with utility operations.
• Familiarity with FERC, utility accounting, and rate making.
• Working understanding of service provider concepts.
• MBA in Business, Accounting, Finance or related field.

Additional Information