Engineering Business Analyst III

Location: Downtown Houston, TX
Employment Type: Contract
Rate: $50/hour C2C or 1099
Visa: U.S. Citizen /
Interview: 1 Round – Panel Interview

• Local Candidates: In-person interview

• Non-Local Candidates: Microsoft Teams

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Engineering Business Analyst III to support the Gas Engineering / Regulated Operations organization.

This is a finance-focused business analyst position, with primary responsibility for financial analysis, capital planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, SAP-based analysis, and support for rate case and regulatory activities.

Important – Please Read

This is not primarily an IT Business Analyst role.

Candidates should have a strong background in Accounting, Finance, Financial Analysis, Capital Planning, CAPEX, Financial Modeling, Budget/Variance Analysis, and SAP.

The ideal candidate will have experience supporting Engineering, Operations, Finance, and/or Regulatory organizations, preferably within the Utility, Energy, or Natural Gas industry.

Candidates whose experience is primarily focused on IT/software business analysis, Agile/Scrum, application requirements, UAT, Jira, or software development projects, without substantial Finance, Accounting, Capital Planning, and SAP experience, will not be considered a strong match.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze financial and operational information to support management decision-making and develop actionable business intelligence.

• Support Gas Engineering and Regulated Operations through financial analysis, capital planning, budgeting, forecasting, and expenditure analysis.

• Utilize SAP, financial systems, analytical tools, and spreadsheets to gather, analyze, and report financial and capital expenditure data.

• Support capital planning, project estimating, resource planning, benchmarking, cost comparisons, productivity/efficiency studies, and variance analysis.

• Develop and maintain financial models supporting:

  • Resource allocation

  • Regulatory testimony

  • Rate case schedules

  • Settlement negotiations

  • Future financing

  • Accounting-related impact analysis

• Support planning and rate case filings by analyzing historical expenses, capital expenditures, activities, and unit costs.

• Perform financial analyses including:

  • Risk analysis

  • Internal Rate of Return (IRR)

  • Lease vs. purchase analysis

  • Discounted Cash Flow (DCF)

  • Revenue requirements

  • Utility comparisons

  • Budget evaluations

• Assist management in developing and monitoring capital budgets against established capital plans.

• Prepare capital planning reports, expenditure analysis, metrics, invoice reconciliations, and other ad hoc financial reports.

• Collaborate with Operations, Gas Supply, Gas Measurement, Engineering, Finance, Regulatory, and other departments regarding capital planning impacts.

• Partner with Finance teams to support business and system/process changes associated with Finance initiatives.

• Extract and analyze financial and operational information from SAP and other databases for Gas Engineering leadership.

• Maintain data integrity within financial tools and systems used to track capital projects and expenditures.

• Compile and analyze cost data and prepare billing for reimbursable projects.

• Coordinate financial data requests, audit responses, and supporting documentation.

• Participate in and/or lead cross-functional teams by providing financial, accounting, and business expertise.

• Prepare for and participate in monthly budget review meetings with regional management.

• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Minimum 5+ years of professional experience in Accounting, Finance, Engineering, Operations, or a closely related discipline.

• Strong hands-on experience in financial analysis.

• Experience with capital planning and capital expenditure (CAPEX) analysis.

• Experience with financial modeling and financial impact analysis.

• Strong experience with budgeting, forecasting, and budget-to-actual variance analysis.

• Hands-on experience with SAP.

• Strong Microsoft Office and spreadsheet skills, particularly Microsoft Excel.

• Ability to analyze financial and operational data and translate findings into actionable business recommendations.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills.

• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.

• Ability to plan, schedule, and track ongoing and special project activities.

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license in the state of residence with a safe driving record.

• Must be authorized to work in the United States as a .

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within the Utility, Energy, Natural Gas, Oil & Gas, or Engineering industry.

• Experience supporting Gas Engineering or Gas Operations.

• Experience with rate cases, regulatory filings, regulatory testimony, or revenue requirements.

• Experience with utility financial analysis and capital planning.

• Experience with capital project financial analysis and expenditure tracking.

• Experience with Microsoft Access or other financial databases.

• Experience with utility benchmarking, project estimating, or resource planning.

• Experience working directly with Engineering, Operations, Finance, and Regulatory stakeholders.

Core Skills

Financial Analysis | Accounting | Finance | Capital Planning | CAPEX | Financial Modeling | Budgeting | Forecasting | Variance Analysis | Cost Analysis | SAP | Advanced Excel | Capital Projects | Regulatory Support | Rate Case | Utility Finance | Gas Engineering | Gas Operations | Business Analysis

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have a background such as:

Financial Analyst | Senior Financial Analyst | Finance Business Analyst | Capital Planning Analyst | Utility Financial Analyst | Engineering Financial Analyst | Capital Project Analyst

with strong experience in:

Finance + Capital Planning + CAPEX + Financial Modeling + Budget/Variance Analysis + SAP

Candidates with Utility/Energy/Gas Engineering and Regulatory/Rate Case experience will be especially strong.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit, stand, walk, and work at a computer for extended periods.

• Ability to operate standard office equipment.

• Ability to exert more than 10 pounds of force frequently to move objects.

• Ability to travel for work-related meetings, conferences, and other business activities, including occasional overnight travel.

• Ability to work more than 40 hours per week when required to meet established deadlines.

• Ability to operate a motor vehicle independently.

• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

• Ability to work under pressure and meet short-term deadlines while maintaining quality.

• May occasionally be required to work evenings, weekends, or overtime based on business needs.

• May be required to remain in the service area during emergency events and support assigned restoration activities.

• Must communicate effectively and demonstrate strong teamwork and professionalism.

Candidate Submission Focus

Please ensure resumes clearly demonstrate the following where applicable:

1. Finance / Accounting background
2. 5+ years relevant experience
3. SAP hands-on experience
4. Capital Planning / CAPEX experience
5. Financial Modeling
6. Budgeting & Forecasting
7. Budget Variance Analysis
8. Rate Case / Regulatory experience
9. Utility / Energy / Gas Engineering experience
10. Advanced Excel / Financial Reporting