Technology Planning Analyst II

Technology Planning Analyst II

JOB SUMMARY:   

This Technology Planning Analyst will support innovation, enhance reliability, and help drive constructive regulatory technology investments across Southern Company Gas (GAS) spanning for Local Distribution Companies (LDCs): Atlanta Gas Light, Chattanooga Gas, Nicor Gas and Virginia Natural Gas. 

At its core, this position works to ensure our technology investments (cost, people, and infrastructure) are optimal, adhere to standards and is aligned with GAS Technology Solutions and the business.  The Technology Planning Analyst is depended on to collaborate with others to provide technology direction and decisions based on emerging technologies, industry trends, best practices, and sound business processes. Planning and analysis responsibilities include defining and supporting investments that enable achievement of business objectives and advance the company’s capabilities to provide a competitive advantage. The position helps build and maintain strategic partnerships, clarifies and documents needs and business processes, elicit requirements as required, and supports business cases. The position may also lead the execution of technology projects, including requirements gathering, ideation, support business case development in partnership with multiple stakeholders and contractors, technology evaluation and acquisition, and overall planning and delivery activities. This position is responsible for promoting and supporting the realization of what is possible with technology.

This position reports to the Manager, Construction & Gas Ops Technology.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Education 

• BS or BA degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field is required or equivalent work experience.

Experience and Knowledge 

• 5 years of experience in portfolio management, business relationship management, business analysis/consulting.
• Demonstrated business acumen combined with expertise that establishes credibility.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships to apply knowledge of the business and appropriate technology for streamlining business processes, reducing costs, improve efficiency, and improving customer satisfaction. 
• Understand and articulate the mission, vision, goals, strategic and tactical initiatives of GAS Technology and the business teams; develop strategic technology plans with the business units on a company, team, or system-wide basis. 
• Understand and articulate the mission, vision, goals, strategic and tactical initiatives of the technology organization. 
• Anticipate and communicate the business unit's technology needs to the technology organization to ensure that technology priorities are established, prioritized, and driven by the business needs to maximize value of technology investments. 
• Communicate technology initiatives and updates and educate on technology capabilities and opportunities to the business unit and represent the business unit's interests/concerns/issues on these points. 
• Provide active support in the development, communication, and implementation of technology strategic plans and initiatives. Consults with business stakeholders on technology capabilities and on TO products and services.
• Facilitate a team of technology teammates, BOTS partners and business unit management to ensure appropriate handling of business partner strategic and tactical needs. 
• Support business case development, in conjunction with the BOTS organization, which clearly articulate business requirements, options for potential solutions, financial benefit, appropriate use of technology, and value added for supported business unit. 
• Provide coordination in vendor management activities, including Statement of Work, Supply Chain engagement, Requests for Proposals, vendor demonstrations, as well as assisting management with project budget planning.
• Provide support for budgeting of technology products and services to ensure a full understanding of technology costs within the business units. 
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships within GAS Technology effectively supporting the business. 
• Share technology best practices within business units, across business units, within Southern Company, and external companies. 
• Ensure that business unit understands the importance of common technology standards and the implications (including cost implications) of non-compliance. 
• Facilitate business unit prioritization of competing demands for technology resources
• Facilitate vendors and the business through the TVP/SRA/VRA/ES-ARB process.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES 

• Account management skills including managing multiple tasks/priorities, communication, teamwork, consulting, financial analysis, negotiating and influencing. 
• Outstanding credibility and ability to build strong relationships internally and externally to influence change.
• Team player with a collaborative approach to drive solutions for the good of Southern Company.
• Superior customer service skills that demonstrate initiative and follow through towards meeting customer commitments.
• Ability to influence others to embed AI into their processes and work
• Experience partnering with business leaders to develop technology roadmaps that achieves business goals and objectives.
• Proven analytical abilities, planning, project management, and problem-solving skills. 
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, exhibit breadth in vision and innovative thinking. 
• Demonstrated critical, independent thinking: demonstrated ability to conceive and present creative solutions.
• Ability to build, to maintain, and to influence relationships at all levels and within all organizations. 
• Strong knowledge of capabilities and viabilities of both current and emerging technologies used within Southern Company and externally. 
• Through insight into business needs, anticipate and provide suggestions for innovative solutions and uses for emerging technologies to improve productivity and achieve business goals. 
• Knowledge of Southern Company’s business functions, including economic and value drivers, and impact of external industry trends.
• Facilitation skills, listening, leadership, strong organizational, verbal and written communication skills.
• Flexible, can work under stress with changing direction and minimal supervision.
• Self-motivated, takes initiative, is proactive, and habitually removes obstacles for success.
• Demonstrate behaviors and evolve our culture to improve GAS and TO partnership, elevate value and grow talent
• Build relationships between GAS and TO that open opportunities to drive innovation, sustainability, and growth of the GAS business in ways that elevate the value of TO. 
• Anticipates future business challenges, opportunities and brings innovative technology tools and practices to bear at GAS to achieve more value.
• Influence GAS operations transformation through new data driven business capabilities leveraging AI technology where possible.
• Delivers data solutions that are common where possible and custom where it counts. 
• Partner with GAS regulatory, capital planning, budgeting, and finance to provide both long- and short-term technology plans to ensure appropriate funding to receive rate base recovery and provide transparency into operations and maintenance total cost management. 
• Ensure that the value of technology capital investment as well as operations and maintenance cost required for a reliable and secure technology environment at GAS is well understood.