Lead, Operational Accounting - Fixed Assets

Company Overview

At Spire, we believe energy exists to help people. To enrich their lives, grow their businesses, advance their communities. It’s a simple idea, but one that’s at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to understanding the needs of the homes and businesses we serve. That's why we're always looking for driven, collaborative people to join our team. Because we believe that offering our customers the best service means bringing together the best people.
  
And we find the best by hiring those who share our values of drive, safety, inclusion and integrity, and demonstrate our four essential behaviors that bring the Spire vision, mission and culture to life:
 
•    We make it happen: We are a company of go-getters, acting on every opportunity to help our company advance.
•    We collaborate: We put teamwork first, bringing in everyone’s ideas, because our collective energy makes us stronger.
•    We seek out perspective: We challenge ourselves to be open to different ways of doing things, because learning from each other leads to breakthroughs.
•    We care: We treat people how we want to be treated, listening closely and doing what’s right, even when it’s hard.
 
By living our values and behaviors every day, we strive to create an environment where every employee feels welcome, respected and valued.

Summary

Spire is seeking a Lead in Operational Accounting to work in the St. Louis, Missouri office. This position will be responsible for managing and overseeing the fixed Asset Management function company-wide, which is responsible for managing the end-to-end lifecycle for property, plant, and equipment, ensuring compliance with regulatory and internal accounting policies. 

Duties and Responsibilities

•    Lead Fixed Asset Accounting: Manage the end-to-end accounting lifecycle for property, plant, and equipment (PP&E), ensuring compliance with regulatory and internal accounting policies.
•    System Ownership & Optimization: Serve as the Finance owner of fixed asset-related systems, primarily PowerPlan. Maintain a strong understanding of system interfaces and ensure data integrity across connected applications.
•    Capital Work Order Expertise: Act as the company-wide subject matter expert on capital work order processes, ensuring alignment with accounting standards and operational requirements.
•    Process Improvement Leadership: Drive cross-functional initiatives to enhance data collection, coding accuracy, and workflow efficiency across departments involved in capital asset transactions.
•    Journal Entries & Reconciliation: Prepare and/or review monthly journal entries for property accounts, ensuring accuracy through detailed analyses and reconciliations.
•    Capital Unitization: Oversee the unitization process of capital additions, including review and allocation of construction work order costs to appropriate asset classes.
•    Asset Retirement Management: Review and process asset retirements for decommissioned property. Assist in the evaluation and accounting of Asset Retirement Obligations (AROs).
•    Project System Reconciliation: Monitor project status across multiple systems to ensure consistency and resolve discrepancies in a timely manner.
•    Depreciation Forecasting & Budgeting: Manage the annual depreciation budget and perform periodic forecasting based on capital plan updates and asset lifecycle assumptions.
•    Regulatory Support (Rate Case/FERC): Support regulatory filings by preparing workpapers, responding to data requests, and contributing to written testimony and compliance documentation.
•    Systems & Process Enhancements: Partner with IT, Operations, and Finance teams to implement and upgrade fixed asset systems and identify and execute related business process improvements.
•    Audit Coordination: Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external audits related to fixed assets, ensuring timely and accurate documentation and responses. Owner of Fixed Assets SOX narrative.
•    General Responsibilities: Analyze, review and approve work of team members. Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned in support of Finance and Capital Accounting goals.

Essential Characteristics and Competencies

• Ability to demonstrate the core and job category competencies: customer-focused, results-driven, teamwork, communications, adaptability, initiative, problem solving and quality
• Ability to lead by example in support of the Company’s essential characteristics and values: strong ethics and integrity, dedication to a safe work environment, commitment to a diverse workforce that recognizes and respects every individual’s unique skill and perspectives
• Recognize problems and respond, systematically gather information, sort through complex issues, understand consequences of decisions, seeks input from others, provide business leaders with actionable information
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and collaborate across departments

Supervisory Responsibilities

• While this job does not currently have direct supervisory responsibilities, it is heavily relied upon to provide leadership, coordination, and mentoring and to ensure the accuracy and quality of the department’s processes and output.  Successful candidates must be skilled in influencing without authority and experience working with cross functional teams and leadership.

Required Education (certifications, licenses)

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or similar business discipline

Required knowledge, skill and abilities

• 7+ years of relevant experience with demonstrated progression into roles of increasing responsibility
• Proficiency with ERP systems and fixed asset modules.  Experience working with PowerPlan and Oracle suite of modules strongly preferred
• Knowledge of GAAP, FERC accounting, and regulated utility accounting practices
• Advanced excel skills
• Excellent analytical, communication, and organizational skills

Physical demands, environment and schedule

• Shared office work environment
• Hybrid work schedule, typically 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Occasional travel possible

Posting Requirements

Spire accepts online applications through our career site at jobs.spireenergy.com

The above posting description is intended to describe the general nature of the level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty and responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Spire, Inc. and its subsidiaries are Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. 

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all areas, including but not necessarily limited to, recruitment, selection, training, education, compensation, benefits, promotion, job transfer, upgrading, separation, and recall regardless of the individual’s race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, and/or other protected categories under all Federal, State, and local laws. For more information, please view our Integrity and Inclusion pages of our career site.