VP, Strategic Planning & Economics
NextDecade · Houston Corporate
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JOB SUMMARY
Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Vice President, Strategic Planning & Economics serves as a key strategic and financial leader supporting the Company's long-range strategic planning model, project development, financing activities, commercial transactions, and broader business strategy. The role is responsible for corporate planning and financial modeling, capital allocation analysis, strategic planning support, project financing support, long-range financial forecasting, and financial evaluation of major commercial and investment decisions.
This position partners closely with the rest of the Finance department, E&C, Legal, Operations, Executive Leadership and others to provide rigorous financial analysis and decision support across major capital projects, financing transactions, SPA and commercial structures, strategic investments, and enterprise planning initiatives. The successful candidate will combine strong analytical skills, project finance expertise, strategic business acumen, and the ability to communicate complex financial concepts to executive leadership, investors, lenders, and business partners.
KEY RESPONSIBLITIES
STRATEGIC PLANNING & BUSINESS STRATEGY
- Design, build, and implement a single, integrated long-range corporate planning financial model to be used for cash flow and earnings forecasting, scenario planning, guidance modeling, and in support of project and corporate financings. Partner with the CFO, CEO, and executive leadership team in the development, evaluation, and execution of the Company’s long-term business strategy.
- Lead financial and economic analyses supporting strategic growth initiatives, project expansions, capital allocation decisions, portfolio optimization, and new business opportunities.
- Evaluate strategic alternatives through scenario modeling, sensitivity analysis, enterprise value assessments, and risk-adjusted return analysis.
- Support the development and maintenance of the Company’s long-range strategic plan, including growth objectives, financing requirements, risk assessments, and value creation initiatives.
- Provide financial insights and recommendations regarding strategic priorities, competitive positioning, commercial strategy, market opportunities, and macroeconomic factors impacting long-term enterprise value.
- Develop Board and executive-level materials supporting strategic decision-making, investment recommendations, financing plans, and major commercial approvals.
FINANCIAL MODELING & PROJECT ECONOMICS
- Lead the development and maintenance of integrated economic and financial models supporting LNG facilities, infrastructure projects, and other strategic investments.
- Evaluate project economics using project cost estimates, capital expenditure assumptions, operating cost forecasts, contract structures, financing assumptions, and return thresholds.
- Develop scenario analyses, sensitivities, and risk assessments to support capital allocation, investment decisions, and project execution planning.
- Partner with E&C, Commercial and Operations teams to assess project cost and production updates and evaluate the impact on project returns, liquidity, and financing requirements.
- Prepare economic analyses supporting Final Investment Decisions, project expansions, commercial commitments, and strategic transactions.
LONG-RANGE FINANCIAL PLANNING
- Interface with FP&A on the Company’s 5-year financial planning and forecasting process.
- Develop integrated corporate financial projections, including income statement, cash flow, liquidity, capital expenditure, financing requirements, and key performance metrics.
- Support annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, strategic plan refreshes, and variance analysis.
- Translate business assumptions, project milestones, commercial developments, and financing plans into clear financial projections for leadership review.
- Provide financial outlooks, executive summaries, and decision-support materials for the CFO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors.
COMMERCIAL & CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
- Lead the financial evaluation of LNG Sale and Purchase Agreements (SPAs), gas supply arrangements, transportation agreements, and other major commercial contracts.
- Develop and maintain financial modules that evaluate SPA pricing, volumes, timing, contractual commitments, sensitivities, and implications for project economics.
- Assess the financial impact of commercial terms on returns, financing capacity, liquidity, covenant considerations, and shareholder value.
- Partner with Commercial and Legal teams during negotiations and contract structuring activities to ensure commercial decisions are supported by robust economic analysis.
DEBT, EQUITY & INVESTMENT ANALYSIS
- Support debt financing, refinancing, equity investment, strategic investor, and joint venture activities through financial modeling and analytical support.
- Develop financing models, liquidity analyses, capital structure scenarios, and investor/lender materials used in transaction planning and due diligence.
- Evaluate alternative financing structures and provide recommendations on capital solutions that support project execution and long-term value creation.
- Support due diligence and information requests from lenders, institutional investors, strategic partners, rating agencies, and other financing stakeholders.
LEADERSHIP & CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION
- Serve as a trusted financial advisor to the CFO and executive leadership team.
- Build strong partnerships across Finance, Commercial, Development, Engineering, Treasury, Legal, Operations, and Sustainability teams.
- Mentor and develop financial analysts and other team members, as applicable.
- Communicate financial insights, risks, and recommendations clearly to senior management, Board committees, lenders, investors, and business partners.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Engineering, Business, or a related discipline.
- 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in corporate and strategic planning, project finance, corporate finance, strategic finance, energy economics, investment banking, infrastructure development, or a related field.
- Significant experience developing and managing complex financial models for capital-intensive projects or businesses.
- Experience supporting large-scale capital projects, financing transactions, commercial agreements, or strategic investment decisions.
- Strong understanding of debt financing, equity investment structures, project finance concepts, capital allocation, valuation, and long-range financial planning.
- Expert Excel and financial modeling skills, with the ability to translate complex assumptions into clear executive-level insights.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
- LNG, energy, midstream, infrastructure, industrials, or large capital project experience.
- MBA or equivalent
- Experience supporting project financings, strategic investors, joint ventures, commercial contract evaluations, or Board-level investment recommendations.
- Experience working with lenders, investors, rating agencies, commercial counterparties, and executive leadership teams.