Project Specialist - Digital Products & Demo Projects
The Digital Products Specialist will support the Customer Energy Solutions Digital Products organization, addressing the increasing scope and span of financial management responsibilitiesacross the Digital Products Team. The role includes oversight of budget alignment, forecasting, spend tracking, and vendor contract management and coordination with Finance to ensure fiscal discipline and transparency.
The Project Specialist will be accountable for managing a diverse portfolio of complex projects across both Capital and Operation & Maintenance (O&M), and Regulatory Asset funding streams. The Project Specialist will be responsible for end-to-end budget management, forecasting, variance analysis, and contract administration. A key focus of this role is to streamline financial tracking, enhance spreadsheet models, and provide management with strategic insights to prevent budget overspends or underspends. This position will also require development and management of project valuation tracking for regulatory reporting purposes across the portfolio.
Core Responsibilities- Manage, track, and reconcile monthly actual expenditures against forecasted budgets for all Capital and O&M projects within the Digital Products portfolio. Perform monthly reforecasting based on actual spend, scope changes, and project timelines.
- Maintain comprehensive oversight of all staff augmentees employed by the group. Track total contractor spend vs allowed spend, manage requisitions, Blanket Purchase Agreements, Contract Purchase Agreements and ensure adherence to corporate oversight of contractors.
- Establish and administer a centralized contract management structure to provide full visibility across all Digital Products contracts.
- Partner with individual Project Managers to deeply understand their project goals and collaboratively streamline their Capital and O&M budgets. Identify opportunities to consolidate data and simplify financial reporting.
- Ensure all projects have proper Rulings, Appropriations, and cost segregations when necessary. Ensure strict operations within the guidelines and limits of the rulings and appropriations for each Project.
- Provide the Section Manager and leadership team with clear, actionable insights, regular variance explanations, and early warnings regarding potential budget risks (under/overspend).
- Leverage advanced Excel skills to overhaul, improve, and consolidate existing financial spreadsheets, turning complex data into intuitive, easy-to-understand tools for the department.
- Maintain and track department value stream accountability including monitoring performance against key metrics to ensure alignment with organizational goals.
- Perform other administrative and financial functions as required to support effective program and project execution.
- Bachelor's Degree and three (3) years of experience. or
- Master's Degree and two (2) years of experience.
- Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Data Analytics, Information Systems, or a related field and 5 - 7 years of experience.
- Master's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Data Analytics, Information Systems, or a related field and 2 years of experience in utility, clean energy, or sustainability.
- Strong organizational skills with attention to detail, required.
- Strong experience in project financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and actuals reconciliation for Capital and O&M projects, required.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (e.g., complex formulas, pivot tables, data consolidation, and financial modeling), strong proficiency in other Microsoft Office products (Word, PowerPoint), required.
- Experience in contractor management, procurement processes (requisitions/accruals), and contract compliance tracking, required.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with Project Managers and senior leadership.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to build consensus through collaboration and manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment, required.
- Demonstrated knowledge of New York States regulatory landscape and key policy issues, required.
- Familiarity with utility sector accounting practices, corporate appropriation rulings, and regulatory compliance (e.g., NDAA 889), required.
- Understanding of clean energy programs, business processes, and/or work flows, preferred.
- Demonstrated project management and/or contract management experience; PMP certification a plus, preferred.
- A proven track record of process improvement or transforming complex financial data into streamlined, user-friendly formats, preferred.
- Experience negotiating contracts with clear deliverables, milestones, and commercial terms, preferred.
- Driver's License Required
- The selected candidate will be assigned a System Emergency Assignment (i.e., an emergency response role) and will be expected to work non-business hours during emergencies, which may include nights, weekends, and holidays.
- Must be able and willing to travel within Company service territory, as needed.