Title – Director of Strategic Projects
Location – Anchorage or Jacksonville preferred, remote considered for the right candidate
Duration – 3 months+
Job Description: Summary
REQUIRED
- Leads the financial evaluation of strategic projects and business cases across the Energy Division, with primary accountability for developing and challenging Capital Expenditure Requests (CERs) and investment proposals.
- Builds advanced, decision-grade financial models—complete with scenarios, sensitivities, and clearly documented assumptions and reasoning—to quantify the value, risk, and trade-offs of major initiatives.
- Serves as a trusted advisor with significant exposure across the Energy Division and to Energy and executive leadership, translating complex financial analysis into clear, compelling recommendations that enable confident capital and strategic decision-making.
- This is a contract engagement with an initial 90-day term, with the possibility to extend based on business needs and performance.
General Responsibilities
REQUIRED
- Lead the development, structuring, and financial evaluation of strategic projects, business cases, and Capital Expenditure Requests (CERs) across the Energy Division, from early concept through executive approval.
- Build and maintain advanced financial models that incorporate multiple scenarios, sensitivities, and stress tests, along with thoughtful, well-documented assumptions and reasoning that withstand executive and cross-functional scrutiny.
- Quantify project value, returns, risks, and trade-offs using metrics such as NPV, IRR, payback, and ROIC, and clearly articulate the financial drivers and key assumptions behind each recommendation.
- Communicate the financial aspects of projects and business cases to executive decision-makers, translating complex analysis into clear, concise narratives, visuals, and recommendations that support timely capital and strategic decisions.
- Partner with operational, commercial, engineering, and functional leaders across the Energy Division to gather inputs, validate assumptions, pressure-test business logic, and ensure business cases are grounded in operational reality.
- Establish consistent standards, templates, and methodologies for business casing and CER development to improve rigor, comparability, and speed of investment decision-making.
- Support post-approval and post-investment reviews, comparing actual outcomes to business case assumptions to strengthen future modeling accuracy and accountability.
Key Decisions Owned
REQUIRED For Director Level and Above
Key Decisions Owned
- Determine the financial modeling approach, structure, and methodology for strategic projects, business cases, and CERs, including scenario design, sensitivity ranges, and valuation metrics.
- Establish and validate the assumptions, drivers, and reasoning underpinning each business case, and recommend which scenarios and investment options are presented to leadership.
- Assess and recommend the financial viability, risks, and trade-offs of proposed projects and capital requests to energy and executive decision-makers.
- Set the standards, templates, and quality bar for business casing and CER deliverables to ensure consistent, decision-ready analysis across the Energy Division.
Reporting Structure
REQUIRED For Director Level and Above
Reporting Structure
Tier (for ex, EVP-1; EVP-2): CFO-2
Reports to Name: Jon Gladden
Reports to Title: Vice President, Finance, Energy Division
REQUIRED For Director Level and Above
Size/Complexity of Organization
Revenue / Capital Responsibility: Financial modeling and business case support for strategic projects and Capital Expenditure Requests across the Energy Division; influences capital allocation and investment decisions, with dollar value defined by the specific project and portfolio scope.
Headcount Responsibility: Individual contributor (contract) with no direct reports; delivers impact through cross-functional influence and by leading business case and CER workstreams with matrixed project, operational, and finance partners.
Stage or Business Growth (for Director level and above): Supports a complex, capital-intensive operating environment with an active pipeline of strategic initiatives and investment decisions, requiring rigorous business casing, scenario planning, and forward-looking financial insight to guide Energy Division and executive leadership.
Knowledge Application Complexity Scope
REQUIRED For Director Level and Above. Capture the regions for which this role has responsibility.
Knowledge Application Complexity Scope
- Applies advanced corporate finance, financial modeling, capital budgeting, and business case development expertise across strategic projects spanning multiple business lines, functions, and geographies within the Energy Division.
- Scope includes structuring CERs and investment proposals, designing multi-scenario and sensitivity-driven models, developing and defending detailed assumptions, and evaluating returns, risk, and trade-offs.
- Requires the ability to interpret complex financial and operational data, assess market and business drivers, and convert analysis into clear, executive-ready recommendations that inform major capital and strategic decisions.
Other details:
- Role carries significant cross-functional visibility and exposure across the Energy Division and to energy and executive leadership.
- Regularly partners with Finance, Operations, Commercial, Engineering, Strategy, and functional teams to source inputs, validate assumptions, and align on business cases.
- Requires strong judgment, executive presence, and the ability to influence decisions without direct authority.
- As a contract engagement, the role may flex across multiple projects, business lines, and investment priorities based on the Division's evolving pipeline.
Team Complexity
REQUIRED
Team Complexity
- Operates primarily as an individual contributor on a contract basis, leading complex business case and CER workstreams while coordinating matrixed contributors across finance, operations, commercial, and project teams.
- Complexity includes balancing multiple concurrent strategic projects, reconciling competing assumptions and inputs from diverse stakeholders, and maintaining analytical rigor and consistency under executive timelines.
- Success depends on the ability to influence, align, and guide cross-functional partners toward decision-ready, defensible financial analysis.
Experience
REQUIRED
- 10 or more years of progressive finance experience, with a strong emphasis on financial modeling, business case development, capital budgeting/CERs, and investment analysis for strategic projects.
- Demonstrated expertise building advanced, decision-grade models with scenarios and sensitivities, developing and defending detailed assumptions, and evaluating returns and risk (e.g., NPV, IRR, payback, ROIC).
- Proven track record communicating complex financial analysis to and influencing executive decision-makers.
- Experience in the energy, utilities, marine, logistics, or other capital-intensive sectors, and familiarity with accounting principles and financial systems, preferred.
Education
REQUIRED
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of post high school education and relevant experience may be substituted for education.
Technical Proficiencies
REQUIRED
- Expert-level financial modeling skills in Microsoft Excel, including multi-scenario and sensitivity analysis, dynamic assumption management, and valuation/return calculations.
- Proficiency in PowerPoint to translate models into clear, executive-ready business cases and CER presentations.
- Strong working knowledge of financial planning, ERP, data visualization, and business intelligence tools.
- Demonstrated capability in building transparent, well-documented, and auditable models with clearly stated assumptions and reasoning.
Other
Contract engagement with an initial term of 90 days, with the possibility to extend based on business needs and performance.
MBA, CPA, CFA, or similar advanced finance credential preferred.
Job Scope
REQUIRED
Position directly influences capital allocation, investment decisions, project prioritization, and the quality and credibility of business cases presented to energy and executive leadership across the Energy Division. Strong analysis and clear financial communication improve the speed, rigor, and confidence of major strategic decisions.
Working Conditions
REQUIRED
Normal office environment with little exposure to excessive noise, dust, temperature and the like. Extended use of a computer keyboard, viewing of a computer monitor and the ability to sit for long periods of time.
Competencies
REQUIRED
- Ability to build and interpret complex financial models incorporating scenarios and sensitivities, with thoughtful, well-documented assumptions and reasoning.
- Ability to communicate the financial aspects of a project or business case clearly and persuasively to executive decision-makers and non-financial audiences.
- Ability to structure and lead business cases and CERs from concept to approval.
- Ability to establish trusted partnerships and influence decisions across functions without direct authority.
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and executive deliverables under tight timelines.
- Strong knowledge of capital budgeting, valuation techniques, investment analysis, scenario planning, and risk assessment.
- Demonstrates strategic thinking, business acumen, executive presence, analytical rigor, sound judgment, intellectual honesty, and a continuous improvement mindset.
Never miss an opportunity! Create an alert based on the job you applied for.
