Sr Manager, Operations Controlling

RWE; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 152,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) match

Paid time off

Job summary

RWE Americas, LLC is seeking a Sr. Manager, Operations Controlling to lead financial planning and performance tracking for a major portion of the operating portfolio.

You will partner with senior leaders, drive budgets and forecasts, and deliver insightful analyses to optimize costs and performance. The role requires a seasoned FP&A professional with 10+ years of experience, strong leadership, and a track record of influencing strategic decisions in a fast-paced energy environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Business required.
• Advanced degree is a plus, but not required.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in FP&A, Accounting, Controlling, Financial or Management Consulting, or other finance-related fields (minimum 3 years FP&A background).
• Minimum 2 years of experience leading functional teams and/or transactions.
• Proven experience leading teams of three or more, with strength in people leadership and accountability.
• Experience within the renewable energy sector preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team responsible for financial planning and performance tracking for a significant portion of the operating portfolio.
• Drive completion of quarterly forecasts, mid-term planning, monthly variance analyses, ad-hoc analyses, and cost-savings initiatives.
• Lead and manage direct reports and others within the Operations Controlling team, with succession planning and coaching.
• Mentor team members across junior levels to support their development and career growth.
• Serve as the key financial advisor to leaders within Operations and Asset Management; provide insights on cost trends and performance.
• Coordinate financial planning efforts and forward-looking OpEx forecasting for leadership presentations.
• Drive process improvements with standardized templates and dynamic modeling approaches.
• Represent Operations Controlling in strategic planning sessions and cross-functional reviews.

Skills

FP&A leadership

Financial planning

Forecasting

Performance analysis

Cost optimization

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting/Economics/Business

Job description

RWE Americas, LLC

To start as soon as possible, full time, permanent

Functional area: Finance / Controlling

Remuneration: Exempt

The Sr. Manager, Operations Controlling is a finance leadership role within Operations Controlling, supporting RWE Americas (RWEA) as it executes a large-scale growth plan that includes €17 billion of planned investment over the next six years resulting in 9 GW of new net capacity and strategic expansion into flexible gas generation to support America’s growing power needs.

The Sr. Manager serves as a strategic financial advisor and trusted partner to senior leaders in Operations and Asset Management, leads a high-performing FP&A team responsible for financial planning, performance tracking, and continuous improvement for the operating portfolio within the organization.

The Sr. Manager collaborates closely with Controlling sub-teams and stakeholders to provide actionable insights on cost trends, financial performance, and optimization strategies. The position drives excellence in financial reporting, forecasting, and represents Operations Controlling cross-functional initiatives to enhance asset performance and reporting transparency while supporting operational and financial objectives.

Role Responsibilities

• Financial Leadership: Lead a team responsible for financial planning and performance tracking for a significant portion of the operating portfolio.
• Deliverable Execution: Drive completion of critical deliverables, including quarterly forecasts, mid-term planning (MTP), monthly performance variance analyses, ad- hoc analyses, special projects, and cost-savings initiatives.
• Team Development & Management: Lead and manage direct reports as well as others within the Operations Controlling team, including review of work product, setting clear expectations, building succession depth, and scaling team capabilities in line with portfolio growth and evolving business needs.
• Mentorship & Growth: Mentor multiple team members across junior levels, supporting their technical development and career growth.
• Strategic Financial Partnership: Serve as the key financial advisor to leaders within Operations and Asset Management; collaborate with Controlling sub-teams and other stakeholders providing insights on cost trends, financial performance, and optimization strategies.
• Forward- Looking Planning: Coordinate financial planning efforts, enabling forward-looking forecasting of OpEx and preparation of presentation materials for Senior Leadership.
• Process Optimization: Drive continuous improvement in the planning process, including implementing standardized templates, assumptions, and dynamic modeling approaches.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Represent Operations Controlling in strategic planning sessions, cross-functional reviews related to asset performance, and improvement initiatives.
• Operational Excellence: Drive operational excellence by ensuring reporting quality, performance transparency, and integration of KPIs into dashboards and stakeholder briefings.
• Change Management & Integration: Support evolving company priorities, special projects, and integration efforts related to structural changes and accelerated growth targets.

Job Requirements and Experiences

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Business required
• Advanced degree is a plus, but not required
• Minimum 10 years of experience in FP&A, Accounting, Controlling, Financial or Management Consulting, or other finance-related fields (minimum 3 years of FP&A background required)
• Minimum 2 years of experience leading functional teams and or transactions
• Proven experience leading teams of three or more, with demonstrated strength in people leadership, development, and accountability
• Experience within the renewable energy sector preferred
• Broad expert in FP&A, risk analysis, systems and interdependencies between KPIs, occasions, departments
• Directs application of existing principles and guides development of new concepts and ideas for reporting and planning
• Leads with expert analytical and conceptual thinking; solves complex, corporate wide problems; crafts clear, strategic visualizations, anticipates stakeholder dynamics and their needs in analyses
• Fosters a high-performance problem-solving culture within the team through guidance and development
• Collaborates across business units, teams and senior leadership; presents to senior leadership on complex matters
• Outstanding communication skills (written and verbal), comfortable interfacing with senior management and diverse audiences
• Persuasive communicator who establishes feedback culture and drives consensus building across teams
• Demonstrated leadership and people-management experience
• Manages cross-functional, corporate wide processes, new initiatives or tools
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
• This position is a hybrid role with an expected 3 days in the Chicago office each week with some travel
• The employee must be able to sit, walk, or stand for long durations of time

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. RWE Americas is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas at this time.

Pay range: The annual base salary range for this position in Illinois is $152,000 - $190,000. The listed salary range represents our good faith estimate for this position and represents the range for new hire salaries across all U.S locations. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. RWE considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s education & work experience, training & certifications, and key skills as well as market and business considerations at the time of the offer.

Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays. Eligible employees also participate in short-term incentives, in addition to salary.

We look forward to meeting you. Of course, you can find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Xing, too.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status.

RWE Americas, a subsidiary of RWE, is a US-based energy company that is helping to meet the growing demand for energy across the United States. Backed by RWE’s 125-year global legacy of managing diverse power assets, RWE Americas operates approximately 13 GW of power projects across 27 states. With a talented workforce of 2,000 employees, RWE Americas develops, constructs and operates wind, solar and battery storage projects, along with natural gas-powered generation, that safely deliver affordable, reliable electricity to our customers. Committed to responsible development, RWE Americas invests in local and rural communities, creating jobs and partnering with stakeholders to support and strengthen the places where we live and work. This is complemented by RWE’s energy trading business. RWE is also a major offtaker of American liquified natural gas (LNG). Learn more about how RWE Americas is generating impact at americas.rwe.com.

At RWE Americas, we foster a culture defined by our Essential Behaviors - Have Courage, Create Impact and Actively Collaborate. We encourage bold thinking and continuous learning, and we value ownership, resilience and inclusion in everything we do. When you join us, you become part of a team that supports your development, respects your contributions and celebrates shared success. This is a place where you can grow your career and make a meaningful difference.