Project Manager & Budget Controls

AES Indiana; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

AES Corporation in Indianapolis is seeking a Project Delivery & Budget Governance professional to partner with Central Operations leaders to ensure OpEx and CapEx budgets are planned, controlled, forecasted, and executed in alignment with priorities.

You will project manage initiatives, translate operational progress into clear financial insights, and develop dashboards to provide visibility into spend, forecasts, and budget.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years in project management, budgeting or financial analysis roles.
• Experience managing CapEx and OpEx budgets in complex environments.
• Ability to partner with senior functional leaders without direct authority.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Engineering, Finance, Business or related field.

Responsibilities

• Manage initiatives from initiation through closeout, including scope, milestones, risk management and reporting.
• Enforce budget baselines, change control, and forecast updates for projects.
• Coordinate across functions to align execution with budgets and schedules.
• Develop and maintain dashboards showing spend, commitments, forecast-to-complete and remaining budget.
• Partner with Central Operations leaders as a trusted financial and execution advisor.

Skills

Project management

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Financial analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SAP (ERP)

Job description

Are you ready to be part of a company that's not just talking about the future, but actively shaping it? Join The AES Corporation, the largest US-based global power company with a team of 8,300 employees across 12 countries.

AES has been ranked #1 by BloombergNEF in renewable energy sales to corporations in the US and Americas for five consecutive years, providing electricity for millions of people worldwide.

We are proud to foster a strong workplace culture, earning prominent positions in Great Place to Work™ rankings across the markets where we operate. AES was also named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the 13th consecutive year in 2026, highlighting our dedication to integrity, transparency, and responsible business practices.

Our spirit of innovation continues to earn industry recognition. AES is the only seven-time winner of the Edison Electric Institute’s Edison Awards in the twenty-first century, a distinction honoring global leadership in advancing the electric power industry.

If you're ready to be part of a company that's not just adapting to change, but driving it, AES is the place for you. We're not just building a more sustainable future, we're powering it.

Position Summary

The Project Delivery & Budget Governance partners closely with Central Operations functional leaders (System Operations, Substations & Network, Fleet & Facilities, Operations Technology, Metering & CSI2, Security, and Supply Chain) to ensure OpEx and CapEx budgets are planned, controlled, forecasted, and executed in alignment with operational priorities.

This role project manages and/or governs selected initiatives, ensuring scope, schedule, and cost decisions are financially sound and operationally executable. The position also acts as the bridge between execution and finance, translating operational progress and risks into clear financial insights for leadership decision making.

In addition, is responsible for tracking financial governance, consolidate forecasting, providing visibility across Central Operations and FP&A of OpEx and CapEx.

Key Outcomes (What Success Looks Like)

• On‑time, on‑budget delivery of assigned projects and initiatives.
• Strong CapEx and OpEx budget discipline across Central Operations with clear visibility to plan, forecast, and actuals.
• Accurate and timely forecasts that reflect real execution progress and risks
• Improved financial decision‑making by functional leaders through proactive insights and scenario analysis
• Consistent budget governance and audit‑ready documentation across the project lifecycle

Core Responsibilities

• Project & Initiative Management (PM‑like Responsibilities)
• Project manage selected initiatives from initiation through closeout, including scope definition, milestone tracking, risk management, and status reporting.
• Apply structured delivery practices (charters, workplans, RACI charts, cadence reviews) to ensure predictable execution.
• Govern financial performance of projects by enforcing budget baselines, change control, and forecast updates.
• Coordinate across functions to plan and resolve execution impacting delivery.
• Budget Controls – CapEx & OpEx
• Analyze budgets for Central Operations, including CapEx and OpEx planning, forecasting, variance analysis, and trend management.
• Lead monthly and quarterly forecast updates, identifying risks, opportunities, and required corrective actions.
• Ensure alignment between operational execution plans and financial forecasts, incorporating schedule, productivity, and scope changes.
• Coordinate accruals, close activities, and reporting in partnership with Finance/FP&A.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and reporting that provide clear visibility to spend, commitments, forecast‑to‑complete, and remaining budget.
• Partnership with Central Operations Functional Leaders
• Work embedded with Central Operations leaders as a trusted financial and execution partner.
• Support leaders with budget planning, prioritization, and trade‑off decisions, including OpEx vs. CapEx considerations.
• Translate operational risks (resource constraints, schedule changes, productivity impacts) into financial implications.
• Facilitate regular budget and performance reviews with functional leaders to ensure accountability and alignment.
• Budget Governance & Performance Management
• Establish and maintain budget governance standards for Central Operations initiatives and projects
• Ensure consistent application of approval thresholds, change management, and financial documentation
• Support development of multi‑year capital plans and annual budget submissions for Central Operations
• Track and report performance KPIs related to cost, schedule, and financial outcomes
• Continuous Improvement
• Identify opportunities to improve budget visibility, forecasting accuracy, and financial processes
• Standardize reporting, tools, and cadence across Central Operations to reduce friction and improve transparency
• Partner with Finance and Operations to improve capitalization practices, cost allocation, and decision support

Required Qualifications

• 5–10 years of experience in a combination of:
• Project management, program management, or operational execution support
• Budget management, FP&A, or financial analysis and
• Demonstrated experience managing CapEx and OpEx budgets in an operational or engineering‑driven environment
• Proven ability to partner with senior functional leaders and influence decisions without direct authority
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting (highly preferred), Engineering, Finance,, Business, or a related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Power Utility, Transmission and Distribution.
• PMP, CAPM, or equivalent structured project delivery experience
• Strong understanding of how execution drivers (schedule, scope, productivity) impact financial outcomes.

Key Skills

• Understanding and use of SAP (ERP).
• Budget controls, forecasting, variance analysis, and financial storytelling.
• Strong communications, business partnership and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong Project management fundamentals (planning, risk, execution tracking).
• Ability to translate complex operational information into clear, actionable financial insights.
• Understanding and ability to create Process flowcharts.
• Skillful at building Presentations.
• Proficient at Microsoft Office Suite of applications.

AES is an Equal Opportunity Employer who is committed to building strength and delivering long-term sustainability through diversity and inclusion. Respecting all backgrounds, differences and perspectives enables us to improve the lives of our people, customers, suppliers, contractors, and the communities in which we live and work. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and/or expression, race, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, marital status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law. E-Verify Notice: AES will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee's I-9 to confirm work authorization.