Southern Power Company
Business Development Associate, Acquisitions
Job Description
The Business Development team drives Southern Power’s long-term growth strategy through disciplined acquisitions, development, origination, and strategic partnerships across the energy sector. The Acquisitions team is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and executing investments in power generation and energy infrastructure opportunities across technologies and markets throughout the continental United States. The team pursues opportunities through competitive and negotiated processes involving developers, utilities, financial sponsors, independent power producers, brokers, and other market participants.
The Business Development Associate plays a central role in advancing opportunities from initial evaluation through transaction execution and closing. Working closely with the Business Development Managers and cross-functional teams, the Associate independently owns assigned workstreams, coordinates due diligence activities, analyzes project economics and valuations, develops recommendations, prepares indicative bid proposals, tracks key milestones, and helps resolve commercial, financial, technical, and other transaction-related matters. The role is primarily focused on acquisitions and may also support origination, development, and strategic partnership opportunities that align with Southern Power’s strategy of owning and operating reliable, cost-effective energy solutions.
The Business Development Associate serves as a key contributor, collaborating with colleagues across Accounting, Finance, Financial Structuring, Project Development, Project Execution, Transmission, Siting, External Affairs, Engineering, Asset Management, Legal, and other disciplines supporting opportunity evaluation and negotiation. The role also proactively contributes to the modernization of Business Development workflows by building, leveraging, and maintaining approved AI, automation, and data tools to improve acquisition tracking, information management, analysis, reporting, and team productivity.
This position provides the opportunity to gain meaningful experience across the acquisition lifecycle while developing relationships with external counterparties and contributing to investment evaluation, indicative bid proposal preparation, due diligence, transaction negotiation, acquisition execution, and post-closing activities.
Major Job Responsibilities:
- Contribute to the successful execution of Southern Power's growth strategy, with a focus on acquisitions
- Identify, evaluate, and prioritize acquisition opportunities across multiple generation technologies, including renewables and natural gas
- Perform market research, screening, and competitive analysis to assess strategic fit, commercial attractiveness, and investment potential
- Lead assigned due diligence workstreams and contribute to negotiations, valuation analyses, and transaction structuring efforts
- Coordinate acquisition execution activities, monitor key milestones, and drive timely completion of due diligence requirements
- Independently analyze project matters, develop recommendations, and facilitate resolution with internal and external stakeholders
- Identify and implement improvements to the process, from deal sourcing to closing
- Contribute to Business Development initiatives that leverage approved AI-enabled tools to streamline recurring workflows, organize and synthesize diligence information, and support the preparation of deal summaries, presentations, and other work products
- Prepare and maintain deal status summaries and presentations for senior management
- Maintain acquisition pipeline and project data, improve data quality and consistency, and support dashboards, management reporting, and trend analysis
- Identify, develop, test, and document practical AI and automation use cases that enhance team productivity, while applying sound judgment, validating outputs, and protecting confidential information
- Develop and maintain productive working relationships with internal stakeholders and external counterparties to facilitate opportunity evaluation and transaction execution
Candidates with the following preferred qualifications are encouraged to apply:
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is required – i.e. Business, Engineering, Finance, etc.
- Master’s degree not required but may be a plus
Experience
- Experience with the power industry, particularly in acquisitions or project evaluation, is a plus
- Experience with the due diligence process, transaction execution, and/or contract negotiations is valuable
- Experience leading projects or workstreams that required coordination across multiple stakeholders, management of competing priorities, and successful deliverables is preferred
- Demonstrated initiative, adaptability, and the ability to contribute effectively in a fast-paced environment
- Experience leveraging AI-enabled tools, workflow automation, data visualization, CRM, or other business technology platforms to improve efficiency, analysis, reporting, or decision-making is a plus
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Working knowledge of technologies employed in natural gas and other thermal energy generating assets, as well as renewable energy
- Working knowledge of the wholesale energy market and electric system economics
- Working knowledge of wholesale power contracting principles, including power purchase agreement terms, conditions, and risks associated with contract obligations
- Basic or working knowledge of negotiating contracts
- Basic or working knowledge of financial principles
- Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to independently manage assigned workstreams, coordinate stakeholders, and successfully advance multiple projects and priorities simultaneously
- Preference for candidates with demonstrated ability to apply AI, automation, or data solutions to improve business processes, reduce administrative burden, and enhance team effectiveness
- Demonstrated ability to leverage AI, automation, and data tools to improve workflow efficiency, acquisition opportunity tracking, knowledge sharing, and management reporting
- Strong interpersonal skills with the desire and ability to develop relationships and work closely with cross-functional support teams
- Ability to develop and maintain credible professional relationships with a wide variety of external counterparties: partners, developers, financial firms, customers, vendors, competitors
- Excellent written and oral communication skills to communicate complex information clearly and concisely
- Analytical skills necessary to identify and understand key issues, investigate potential solutions, and recommend best course of action
- High degree of proficiency with standard business software
Southern Power , a subsidiary of Southern Company, is a leading U.S. wholesale energy provider meeting the electricity needs of municipalities, electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, and other energy customers. Southern Power and its subsidiaries own 55 facilities operating or under construction in 14 states with more than 12,500 MW of generating capacity in Alabama, California, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Washington.
Southern Company (NYSE: SO ) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com .
Southern Company invests in the well-being of its employees and their families through a comprehensive total rewards strategy that includes competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees and health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being. This position may also be eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s). A summary of the benefits offered for this position can be found here https://seo.nlx.org/southernco/pdf/SOCO-Benefits.pdf . Additional and specific details about total compensation and benefits will also be provided during the hiring process.
Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.
Job Identification: 21312
Job Category: Finance
Job Schedule: Full time
Company: Southern Power
