Asset Management Financial Analyst

The Company

Scout Clean Energy is a leading US renewable energy developer, owner, and operator headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Scout is developing a MW portfolio of over 5,000 MW of wind, solar and energy storage projects across 11 US states. Scout is an owner-operator portfolio company of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners with expertise in all aspects of renewable power project development, permitting, power marketing, finance, construction, and asset management.

Made up of wind energy industry veterans who are making a difference in our world, our team’s work ethic is second to none. We identify problems, create solutions, and deliver them professionally to our customers, stakeholders, partners, and one another. We do the right thing when no one is looking because we are committed to our collective success and because we believe that our uncompromising integrity is key to the collaborative relationships that drive our business.

 

Position Description

Do you want to help create a cleaner power supply? Are you looking to launch your career in the growing renewable energy industry? Are you quantitatively driven and able to program in multiple languages? Do you have the ability to visualize data for senior leaders?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, then read on to learn more about the Asset Management team at Scout Clean Energy.

 

What does our renewable energy Asset Management team do?

Excellence in asset management enables us to deliver on our commitments to our customers, partners, and investors. This service-oriented team combines on-the-ground expertise with analytical insights to inform data-driven decisions about all aspects of operating renewable energy facilities.

Asset management spans a wide range of activities that are all directed toward the same goal: maximizing the profitability of our operating renewable energy generation plants. Key functions within the team include the following:

• On the ground, our Plant Operations team oversees day-to-day operations of the wind plants, ensuring smooth operation, monitoring compliance, and coordinating with maintenance contractors.
• Our Remote Operations Center team connects the Plant Operations team with grid operators and our team in the office.
• Our Asset Manager and Analysts analyze the plants’ operational and financial characteristics to inform data-driven decision making about maintenance decisions, pricing strategy, and risk management.

Our Asset Management team has grown substantially this year, as we have brought two new facilities online, expanding our portfolio to 5 operating wind farms. You will work alongside two specialized analysts, a trader, and an asset manager; you will interface frequently with the Plant Operations and corporate Accounting teams.

 

What will the Asset Management Financial Analyst do?

Asset Management Financial Analysts are critical to making renewable energy a profitable – and therefore viable – source of energy for our country. You will join a team of other specialized analysts in our Boulder, Colorado, office who mine our extensive databases for insights to improve our wind facilities’ operating efficiency. The Asset Management Financial Analyst will focus on the financial aspects of our operations – revenue from predictable as well as market-based sources, operating expenditures, and capital expenditures. Your scope will include creating forecasts, measuring the performance against them, and improving our forecasting methods in the future.

As Scout’s Asset Management Financial Analyst, you will make a lasting impact on Scout’s operations. You will support the development of processes, procedures, and reports that improve our team’s efficiency and profitability. You will help frame the manner in which this role interacts with people throughout the organization. You will create a set of proven practices and will set a high bar that helps every future Financial Analyst succeed.

No two weeks will look the same, but here are a few examples of what you may encounter during an average week at Scout:

• Use your programming skills to extract data from multiple databases and integrate it in a reporting platform where you design and update reports.
• Create, improve, and deliver weekly / monthly reports about the portfolio’s financial performance.
• Forecast the portfolio’s expected financial performance based on existing data, team input, and other resources that you assemble to quantify and model key operational and commercial drivers.
• Use data visualization and other strategies to tailor reports and forecasts for key audiences, including Asset Management, senior managers, and our investors.
• Leverage the experience and data of the Asset Management and Accounting teams to explain financial variances to budget.
• Drive process development and refinement that promotes the integrity and effectiveness of the evolving reporting process.
• Contribute to special projects upon request.

 

Why is Asset Management a great place to launch a career in renewable energy?

Asset Management Analysts build their understanding of renewable energy generation based on data derived directly from the wind plants themselves. Plant operations are the heart and soul of a renewable energy firm’s business, and Asset Management Analysts help optimize their profitability. You will develop a high-level understanding about what is physically happening at the facility as well as a more detailed understanding of the related cash flows. This combination of knowledge prepares Asset Management Analysts for roles in asset management, commodity trading, development, transmission, and project finance, among others.

 

What kind of experience do I need to be successful as an Asset Management Finance Analyst?

This is an entry-level position that requires a solid set of quantitative analysis, programming, and communication skills.

We have found that our team members’ interest in and passion for renewable energy is a strong determinant in our individual and collective success.

The successful candidate’s background will look something like this:

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline or another field with extensive upper-level math courses.
• 1-3 years of data analysis, model development, and data reporting.
• Advanced knowledge in Excel (e.g., Pivot Tables) and some subset of VBA, R, Python, and SQL.
• Database design – data normalization.
• Ability to concisely frame issues by providing context, analysis, recommendations and risk/benefit tradeoffs, both in written, verbal, and presentation format, to the Asset Management team and to senior management.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• High attention to detail and the ability to work proactively and productively without direct supervision.
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

 

How will I learn at Scout?

Much of the industry-specific knowledge you need can be learned on the job – through a combination of self-study, real-time instruction from your peers and manager, and learning by doing. Our team places a high priority on the continuous learning, autodidactic mindset. In many cases, you will be doing things for the first time, and we will provide general parameters for the result while enabling you to create the path to get there. You will need to be comfortable with path-breaking analysis and working through ambiguity.

 

Timeline and Location

The target start date for this role is in late Februrary / early March 2021, pending successful reference and criminal background checks.

It will be expected that the Asset Management Financial Analyst will be based in our Boulder, CO, office, which will re-open as soon as COVID protocols allow. In the meantime, you will work primarily from home.

 

Characteristics of Successful Scout Team Members

• Integrity. Ethical professional who does the right thing even when it is difficult.
• Initiative. Resourceful self-motivator with exceptional leadership and organizational skills.
• Intelligence. Perpetual learner with the ability to solve problems and make informed decisions quickly.
• Work Ethic. Productive team member who desires to work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment to meet deadlines and get things done.
• Team Focus. Purpose-driven colleague with strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to working across organizational boundaries to deliver on shared team goals.

 

Invitation to Diverse Candidates

Scout seeks to develop a diverse and inclusive team of professionals. We encourage applications from all demographics and especially those that are traditionally underrepresented in the energy industry.

 

Invitation to Veterans

Scout welcomes veterans of the United States Armed Forces to apply for this position. Scout includes veterans of all branches and a diverse set of occupational specialties. We value the independent thinking, problem solving, leadership, and teamwork that our veterans have developed through their service. We welcome applications from any service and any military occupational specialty.

 

Compensation

Target base salary: $55,000 - $75,000

Attractive bonus potential.

Scout offers a full range of benefits, including medical/dental/vision insurance with attractive premiums, 401(k) match, STD, LTD, an Employee Assistance Program, and a range of optional supplemental insurance coverage.

 

Job Type: Full-time	Required Education: Bachelors degree in STEM field or extensive upper-level math courses
Job Location: Boulder, Colorado	Required Experience: Data analysis and programming.

To Apply:

Please send a resume and cover letter to jobs@scoutcleanenergy.com.

For more information:  www.scoutcleanenergy.com