Principal Financial Analyst

Fredericksburg, Virginia, The Principal Financial Analyst is the senior-most individual contributor on the Finance team and serves as the organization’s subject matter expert for financial analysis, forecasting, and financial modeling. This position leads the Cooperative’s most complex and high-impact analytical work, including long-range financial planning, capital and financing strategy, and supports rate and pricing analysis, and translates the results into clear, actionable recommendations for executive leadership and the Board of Directors. Working with a high degree of autonomy and broad organizational impact, the Principal Financial Analyst establishes analytical standards and best practices, drives enterprise-wide process improvement and automation, strengthens internal controls, and mentors and develops Financial Analysts, Financial Budget Analysts, and other members of the Finance Team. This position partners with accounting, treasury, and operational leaders to support sound, mission-aligned decision-making that serves the Cooperative’s members and maintains compliance with relevant regulations, lender requirements, and internal policies. Role and Responsibilities Lead the Cooperative’s most complex financial analyses, identifying trends, variances, risks, and opportunities, and deliver clear, well-supported recommendations to executive leadership and the Board of Directors. Lead the annual budget and multi-year financial forecasting processes, coordinating inputs across the organization, setting assumptions, and ensuring plans align with strategic priorities and financial targets. Design, build, and maintain enterprise financial models, including long-range financial plans, scenario and sensitivity analyses, and stress tests, to evaluate capital investments, financing strategies, rate and pricing proposals, and other strategic initiatives. Analyze the financial impact of strategic decisions, major projects, and changes in the operating or regulatory environment, and advise leadership on risks, trade-offs, and long-term financial sustainability. Prepare, review, and present accurate financial reports and analyses for internal and external stakeholders, including executive leadership, the Board of Directors, lenders, and rating agencies. Monitor key financial metrics and performance indicators, such as margins, liquidity, leverage, and debt service coverage, and recommend corrective actions to keep the Cooperative within its financial targets and covenants. Establish and maintain analytical standards, model governance, documentation, and review protocols to ensure the accuracy, consistency, and integrity of financial analysis and reporting. Serve as a technical resource and escalation point for Financial Analysts and Financial Budget Analysts; review their work and provide coaching, training, and mentoring to build the team’s analytical capabilities. Collaborate with accounting, treasury, and operational leaders to improve financial performance and to ensure financial data, assumptions, and forecasts are consistent across the organization. Design and maintain executive dashboards and key performance indicator frameworks that enable leaders to monitor performance and make timely, data-driven decisions. Lead enterprise-wide process improvement and automation initiatives that streamline accounting operations, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting. Lead audit and compliance activities, including preparing documentation and responding to auditors and regulators, and develop and continuously strengthen internal controls over financial analysis and reporting. Resolve complex, non-routine, and ambiguous financial issues, and lead cross-functional special projects as assigned by the CFO organization. Partner with operational organizations to provide education and insight to promote organizational understanding of financial outcomes for operational decisions. Represent the Finance team on committees, project teams, and with internal and external partners as needed. Required Skills and Core Competencies Interpersonal Skills: Ability to maintain strict confidentiality when handling sensitive financial and organizational matters; exceptional collaboration and communication skills, including the ability to distill complex financial concepts for non-financial audiences and to present confidently to executive leadership and the Board. Technological Proficiency: Expert skill in Excel, financial modeling, and financial and reporting systems; skilled in leveraging digital tools, business intelligence platforms, and automation to manage and streamline accounting processes, internal controls, and external reporting. Decision-Making: Superior critical thinking and analytical skills; exercises sound independent judgment on highly complex, ambiguous, and non-routine matters, anticipates risks, and develops strategic recommendations that create lasting operational efficiencies. Organizational Skills: Exceptional ability to prioritize tasks, lead multiple concurrent projects and competing deadlines with minimal oversight, and maintain accuracy and integrity in financial data and reporting. Leadership: Proven ability to influence without formal authority, set direction for peers and colleagues, mentor and develop others, model organizational core values, foster a culture of accountability, and provide effective coaching and feedback for professional growth. Strategic Vision: Capability to connect financial analysis to the Cooperative’s mission and long-term goals, support resource management, and contribute to strategic decision-making as a trusted advisor to the CFO and executive leadership. Internal Control Expertise: Experience in developing, implementing, and continuously improving internal control frameworks and best practices in collaboration with accounting team and senior management. Process Improvement: Track record of leading and delivering enterprise-wide initiatives that enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and integrity of financial data and reporting. Mission Orientation: Commitment to the cooperative model and to serving members with integrity, transparency, and sound stewardship of the Cooperative’s financial resources. A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or a closely related field is required. A master’s degree, such as an MBA or Master of Accounting, and professional certification, such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), or Certified Management Accountant (CMA), are strongly preferred. Candidates must have a minimum of 8 to 10 years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, finance, financial planning and analysis, budgeting, or internal controls, including significant experience building enterprise financial models and presenting to executive leadership or a board of directors. Experience in a utility or cooperative environment is preferred. Expert knowledge of financial processes, key financial formulas, financial modeling techniques, and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) is required. Working knowledge of utility or cooperative financial concepts, including rate design, margins and patronage capital, and lender covenants, is preferred. Candidates must demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional learning through annual conferences, workshops, or industry seminars to maintain and enhance their expertise and share knowledge with the team. This position primarily involves desk and office work and requires the ability to work in person at the Fredericksburg, Virginia, office when requested by leadership. A hybrid work schedule may be considered. The standard workweek is generally 40 hours, with some overtime required to meet deadlines and reporting needs. Attendance at multiple conferences throughout the year may be required, including overnight travel. The position also requires 24/7 on-call availability to support all major storm activity.