Financial Analyst – Governance

Southern Company; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

Job summary

Southern Company Services is seeking a Financial Analyst to provide governance, compliance, allocation, and analytical support for budgeting across SCS organizations and affiliates. The role ensures accurate review of financial segments and supports allocation methodologies while upholding accounting policies and internal controls.

You will partner with Finance, Internal Controls, Audit, Legal, Regulatory, and HR to drive transparency, document decisions, and improve governance processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, finance, or related field required.
• CPA, CMA or MBA/advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum experience in accounting, finance, or business administration.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support governance process for SCS Budgeting.
• Develop, maintain, and communicate allocation methodologies and supporting documentation.
• Evaluate allocation bases across organizations, affiliates, customers, projects, or services.
• Promote consistent use of allocation drivers and financial coding standards.
• Review financial transactions, cost allocations, and ensure policy compliance.
• Provide guidance on GAAP and corporate accounting policies.
• Coordinate periodic allocation reviews and approvals.
• Maintain audit-ready support for allocation methodologies and controls.
• Identify compliance risks and opportunities to improve governance and efficiency.
• Collaborate with Accounting, Internal Controls, Audit, Legal, Regulatory, Tax, HR, and Supply Chain stakeholders.
• Deliver training and communications on allocation and compliance requirements.
• Consolidate governance and compliance reporting for management.
• Participate in special projects involving allocation and budgeting changes.

Skills

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Communication

Governance & compliance understanding

Budgeting knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, or related business field

CPA, CMA or MBA/other advanced degree preferred

Tools

Oracle

Excel

PowerPoint

OACS

PowerPlan

Job description

Financial Analyst

The Financial Analyst will provide governance, compliance, allocation, and analytical support to Southern Company Services (SCS) organizations and Southern Company affiliates by ensuring the timely and accurate review of financial segments and the reporting of those segments for the budgeting organization. This position will help ensure chart of account and project segments are assigned accurately, consistently, transparently and in accordance with all applicable accounting policies, internal controls, affiliate requirements, and Southern Company policies. Key responsibilities include supporting allocation methodologies and governance, reviewing financial account setup, documenting decisions, monitoring compliance, coordinating affiliate segments, and recommending process and control improvements. The analyst will serve as a trusted partner to financial and non-financial managers by translating complex allocation and compliance requirements into clear, practical guidance.

Job Summary

The Financial Analyst will provide governance, compliance, allocation, and analytical support to Southern Company Services (SCS) organizations and Southern Company affiliates by ensuring the timely and accurate review of financial segments and the reporting of those segments for the budgeting organization. This position will help ensure chart of account and project segments are assigned accurately, consistently, transparently and in accordance with all applicable accounting policies, internal controls, affiliate requirements, and Southern Company policies. Key responsibilities include supporting allocation methodologies and governance, reviewing financial account setup, documenting decisions, monitoring compliance, coordinating affiliate segments, and recommending process and control improvements. The analyst will serve as a trusted partner to financial and non-financial managers by translating complex allocation and compliance requirements into clear, practical guidance.

Major Job Responsibilities

• Lead and support governance process for SCS Budgeting
• Develop, maintain, and communicate allocation methodologies, procedures, decision criteria, and supporting documentation.
• Evaluate allocation bases by determining which organizations, affiliates, customers, projects, or services benefit from the associated costs.
• Promote consistent use of allocation drivers, POET, template maintenance, class categories, and other financial coding across business units.
• Review financial transactions, cost assignments, and allocation results for accuracy, consistency, reasonableness, and policy compliance.
• Provide guidance to managers regarding GAAP, Southern Company accounting policies, affiliate requirements, internal controls, and allocation practices.
• Coordinate periodic allocation reviews, certifications, documentation updates, and stakeholder approvals.
• Maintain audit-ready support for allocation methodologies, controls, assumptions, approvals, and key financial decisions.
• Identify control gaps, compliance risks, inconsistent practices, and opportunities to improve governance, transparency, and efficiency.
• Partner with Accounting, Internal Controls, Audit, Legal, Regulatory, Tax, HR, Supply Chain, and business-unit stakeholders as appropriate.
• Coordinate affiliate rate case, audit, and regulatory support related to cost assignments, service company charges, and allocations.
• Develop and deliver training, job aids, and communications for financial and non-financial users on allocation and compliance requirements.
• Consolidate governance and compliance reporting for SCS management, including trends, exceptions, remediation items, and decision points.
• Participate in special projects and system or process changes by assessing allocation, compliance, control, and documentation impacts.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships and communications with business-unit and affiliate budget managers.
• Demonstrate strong organization, documentation, facilitation, and communication skills
• Ability to analyze data and effectively communicate SCS financial story
• Coordinate annual budget preparation and communications
• Prepare and communicate monthly variance reporting and comprehensive analysis for budget, actual, and projection information
• Provide guidance to managers regarding GAAP and Southern Company accounting policies
• Ensure compliance with internal controls and make recommendations regarding needed changes and efficiency improvements
• Provide guidance on accounting policies and activities to non-financial managers
• Consolidate reporting for roll up and management reporting for SCS
• Gather data and analyze periodic cost projections and budget data
• Participate in special projects by gathering information and providing analysis
• Establish and maintain effective relationships and communications with business unit and affiliate budget managers
• Strong organization and communication skills are a must

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, or related business field required
• CPA, CMA or MBA/other advanced degree preferred

Experience

• Minimum of 3 months experience in accounting, finance, industrial engineering, or business administration required.
• Utility accounting experience is preferred
• Experience in accounting, allocations, shared services, accounting policy, or governance preferred
• Experience documenting processes, controls, methodologies, decisions, and supporting evidence preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with Oracle
• Cloud ERP, OACS, Oracle Planning, and PowerPlan is preferred
• Strong experience in Microsoft Office Products (Excel, Power Point, and Access) highly desired
• Process or project management experience desired
• Experience coordinating multiple business units’ requests and ensuring goals and objectives are met

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Detail-oriented with strong initiative-taking critical thinking skills and excellent follow-through
• Working knowledge of governance, risk, compliance, internal controls, and documentation practices
• Proficient analytical and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrate organizational and planning skills
• Knowledge of utility and regulatory accounting standards and GAAP principles desired
• Knowledge of data management and retrieval techniques with strong technical skills
• Ability to evaluate whether an allocation methodology is equitable, supportable, repeatable, and aligned with the beneficiaries of the cost or service
• Ability to identify compliance risks, control gaps, inconsistencies, and root causes, and recommend practical corrective actions
• Conceptual thinker and ability to quickly understand our Accounting System, POET Codes and be able to understand how segments are used
• Ability to multi-task and adapt to a changing environment
• Ability to coordinate project creation process for all project types, including capital and integration with PowerPlan
• Detail-oriented with strong follow-through, documentation discipline, and personal ownership
• Strong interpersonal skills to effectively interact with accounting, auditing, various non-financial functional areas, and varying levels of staff and management
• Ability to operate in a matrix organization and communicate clearly
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrate personal ownership and initiative
• Anticipate and proactively communicate process decisions and bottlenecks
• Demonstrate sound business judgment in decision making
• Other attributes include proactive, team player, and strategic thinker
• Knowledge of Enterprise Foundations principles preferred
• Thorough understanding of techniques and methods for accounting, budgeting, cost tracking, financial projections, and interrelationships with affiliate accounting and budgeting functions

About Southern Company

Southern Company (NYSE: SO ) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net‑zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com . Southern Company invests in the well-being of its employees and their families through a comprehensive total rewards strategy that includes competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees and health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well‑being. This position may also be eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s). A summary of the benefits offered for this position can be found here https://seo.nlx.org/southernco/pdf/SOCO-Benefits.pdf . Additional and specific details about total compensation and benefits will also be provided during the hiring process. Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Job Identification: 22389

Job Category: Finance

Job Schedule: Full time

Company: Southern Company Services