Project Support Specialist I Or Sr.

Sr. Specialist

The purpose of this position is to coordinate key work management tasks related to capital construction projects, including cost-recoverable programs, from initiation to financial closeout. Duties include project setup and maintenance in Southern Company Gas (SCG) ARM, asset allocation and booking in Power Plan, creating and validating spot contracts. This position serves as a liaison between the pipeline contractors and Southern Company Gas for system and work management issues. This position requires intermediate advanced knowledge of Southern Company Gas ARM and Oracle functionality required to support analyzing moderate to complex financial transactions to ensure accounting codes are properly documented, invoices are processed correctly, and assets are booked accordingly. Duties also include working with customers (internal and external) to resolve system and establishing best practices and process improvements for Project Support Tasks.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate key work management tasks related to capital construction projects to support initiation, execution, and financial close-out.
• Validate required information to initiate projects in WMS, ARM (Asset Resource Management), and Oracle Cloud.
• Create projects and all supporting work requests in SCG WMS system.
• Associate work requests to appropriate contract in WMS to ensure pipeline contractor is paid based on agreed-upon bill rate.
• Monitor projects from initiation through completion.
• Identify, analyze, and resolve project financial transaction issues.
• Manage project workflow in ARM (Asset Resource Management) to ensure data being sent to Oracle Cloud is correct and projects are opened and funded properly.
• Monitor construction/retirement work in progress (CWIP/RWIP) reports to ensure projects are placed in service in a timely manner and projects adhere to SOX controls.
• Review and report all outstanding pay items to pipeline contractors and project coordinators so that all payments can be processed, and projects closed efficiently.
• Use project completion data to create and retire company assets to ensure cost recovery is achieved in a timely manner. Assets must be created/retired within the month they are placed in service.
• Perform project closing tasks in Oracle Cloud, Power Plan, and WMS so that all data and reporting are complete and easily accessible by all departments.
• Develop an in-depth understanding of Oracle Cloud P.O.E.T coding (Project Organization Expenditure Type) and Power Plan system to ensure costs are properly allocated and assets booked accordingly.
• Invoice processing (including investigating aging reports).
• Monitor invoice aging reports as well as follow up with project coordinators to approve invoices in Oracle Cloud to ensure timely payments to contractors.
• Identify invoice processing and payment delays through invoice aging reports and collaborate with pipeline contractors, construction personnel, and Con Ops management at each utility to resolve payment delays and ensure compliance with contracted payment terms.
• Collect and confirm information needed for invoice accruals at the end of the month and submit to Plant Accounting within the deadline.
• Research and package all invoices and corresponding supporting data for any requests from internal audit or for the GA PSC quarterly audits of the Pipeline Replace Program.
• Set up and maintain all projects in WMS system, which includes the timely creation of spot contracts with correct unit quantities and unit bid prices.
• Second validate spot contracts to ensure correct quantities and pricing.
• Analyze moderate to complex financial transactions to ensure accounting codes are properly documented, invoices are processed correctly, and assets are booked accordingly.
• Considerable discretion in making independent decisions related to the processor job function
• Performs processor job duties with limited instruction and guidance
• Provide training to all new personnel in the specialist role
• Work with customers (internal and external) to resolve system and process-related problems, providing guidance on work management system and Oracle Cloud system use, and establishing best practices and process improvements for Project Support Tasks.
• Primary point of contact for internal auditor interactions and compiles documentation required to support the audit activity.
• Perform assessments of other Specialist work products to ensure accuracy and performance in accordance with documented processes.
• Serves as SME to support work management system upgrade/integration projects.
• Coordinates with IT to resolve work management system issues and incorporation of system enhancements.

Business Acumen:

• Identify, analyze, and correct issues by understanding the correlation between systems and processes. This will include resolving interface errors between multiple systems.
• Apply critical thinking skills to review and improve processes.
• Process confidential information; maintaining confidentiality.
• Apply critical thinking skills to review and improve efficiencies in tasks assigned.

Engagement:

• Act as a liaison between pipeline contractors and SCG to ensure correct data set up in ARM, and to properly complete and invoice projects in a timely manner.
• Investigate, analyze, and resolve system and other complex issues through creative problem-solving skills.
• Complete ongoing financial-related transactions to support capital construction projects.
• Demonstrates leadership attributes and inspires others to support the vision of the team.
• Considered an expert resource in the project support group.

Driving Results:

• Ensure capital construction projects are initiated, worked, and closed in a timely manner. This includes projects worked inside or outside of ARM.
• Monitor and maintain capital projects worked both inside and outside of ARM to ensure all invoices are paid, completion reports received, and assets booked accordingly.
• Ensure proper asset booking, allocation, retirement, and project closeout for capital construction projects at all SCG local distribution companies.
• Apply critical thinking and decision-making to analyze and resolve complex financial transactions.
• Consistently demonstrates the ability to make independent prudent decisions.
• Ability to assess risk at multiple levels; understands the consequences and impacts of actions.
• Ability to participate and facilitate meetings or discussions with confidence and understanding.

Education, Certifications/Licenses:

• BA/BS Degree in Business, Accounting, Finance or equivalent academic education and experience Or
• High School Diploma or GED and related accounting or cost analyst work experience

Work Experience:

Required:

• 3-5 years of collaborating with people and supporting work management or financial processes (with BA/BS degree) or equivalent experience in SCG construction processes and systems (with High School Diploma or GED and related accounting or cost analyst work experience)

Preferred:

• 5+ years project support experience with satisfactory performance or related cost analyst or accounting work experience with a BA/BS degree
• Familiar with SCG ARM System
• Familiar with Power Plan System
• Familiar with Oracle Cloud Financial System
• Familiar with SCG construction processes

Specific Skills & Knowledge:

• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Understanding of Microsoft Office Programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) – intermediate proficiency
• Understanding of basic accounting fundamentals

Disclaimer:

This information describes the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this job. The description is not designed to be a comprehensive inventory of duties, responsibilities and qualifications required in the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to qualified disabled individuals for performance of essential duties and responsibilities.