The Company
Our client is a technology driven energy company focused on optimizing renewable energy and grid-scale battery operations through advanced data analytics and machine learning.
Role Overview
Our client seeks an experienced accounting advisor for an hourly consulting assignment supporting its retail electricity business. Based on-site in Houston, this engagement requires Chief Accounting Officer–level expertise to improve accounting practices, financial reporting, and operational controls.
The consultant will partner closely with the Accounting Manager and existing staff to establish effective procedures, provide practical guidance, and prepare them to oversee the function independently. The assignment carries no direct reports or recruitment duties.
Candidates should bring substantial retail power accounting experience, preferably gained as a CAO, Controller, or comparable senior leader. Success requires both strategic insight and detailed execution - from advising executives on control structures to resolving invoicing, market settlement, and period-end accounting issues alongside the Houston team.
Duties & Responsibilities
Act as our client’s primary technical resource for retail electricity accounting, based at its Houston location
Establish a documented control structure for the retail business, covering operating guidelines, workflows, and checkpoints for invoicing, market settlements, and financial disclosures
Recommend updates to the parent company’s account structure, period-end timetable, and accounting standards to accommodate retail activities and continued expansion
Coach the Accounting Manager, developing the expertise needed to oversee accounting independently once the assignment concludes
Assist directly with customer invoicing, accrued and unbilled income, outstanding customer balances, supplier payments, intermediary fees, ISO/RTO transactions, and cash balancing
Facilitate coordination with independent auditors and help the Accounting Manager assemble supporting records and financial statements suitable for examination
Counsel the business on bank partnerships and readiness for future financing obligations, including covenant submissions, secured bonds, borrowing-base certifications, and collateral or margin requirements
Help deliver complete, accurate, and punctual regulatory submissions, tax returns, and other required filings in existing territories, including ERCOT and PJM, and anticipated markets such as ISO-NE and NYISO
Assess handoffs among accounting, finance, trading, retail operations, and settlement functions, and propose solutions for missing information or unclear responsibilities
Collaborate with trading, operational, and settlement colleagues to capture the underlying financial performance of the retail portfolio correctly
Evaluate enhancements to financial software, enterprise platforms, and customer billing tools that suit our client’s current needs and expected development
Produce practical reference materials and operating instructions that enable the internal team to maintain effective controls beyond the consulting assignment
Brief our client’s senior executives regularly on completed work, emerging concerns, and the effectiveness of accounting processes
Contribute to other retail finance and accounting initiatives as required
Qualifications
Extensive experience in accounting or finance, predominantly focused on retail electricity providers, with broader utility, trading, or corporate roles insufficient on their own
A track record of establishing control structures for retail power businesses and translating GAAP requirements into appropriate financial treatment, including revenue recognition, hedging, derivatives, physical and financial energy transactions, CECL and relevant state-level considerations, and renewable energy certificate obligations
Comprehensive knowledge of the retail electricity lifecycle across multiple markets, encompassing customer invoicing, financial…