Business Unit Manager (Finance)
Job Title: Business Unit Manager - Protection & Controls
Location: Westchester, IL
Reports To: Director, Protection & Controls
Direct Reports: One Billing Specialist
Position Level: Member of P&C Department Leadership Team; Peer to the Operations Manager and the Training Manager
Job Summary:
The Business Unit Manager (BUM) for Protection & Controls (P&C) is responsible for the financial health, administrative efficiency, and overall business operations of the P&C department. This role ensures accurate billing, effective cost management, contract administration, and operational support to keep the department running smoothly. The BUM collaborates with Project Managers, the Operations Managers, and the Training Manager to ensure alignment with company goals while optimizing profitability and efficiency.
This is a highly socialized, visible role within the department, offering opportunities for in-person leadership engagement, industry networking, and field interactions. The BUM will participate in quarterly (or more frequent) leadership meetings, site visits, and recruitment efforts. This is a hybrid position, not fully remote, requiring periodic field visits to transmission and distribution substations to observe work progress and better support project and financial alignment.
Key Responsibilities:
Financial & Administrative Oversight
- Manage the department's financial performance, including revenue tracking, cost control, and profitability analysis.
- Oversee billing and invoicing processes, ensuring accuracy and timely submission to customers.
- Monitor and reconcile project budgets, expenses, and forecasts in coordination with Finance.
- Drive financial reporting and performance metrics to support business decisions.
- Develop and maintain administrative processes that improve efficiency and compliance.
- Act as the primary liaison between P&C and corporate finance, accounting, and HR teams.
- Support contract management, compliance tracking, and resolution of billing discrepancies.
- Optimize workflow processes for project setup, resource allocation, and administrative tasks.
- Ensure timely payroll processing and expense reimbursement for department personnel.
- Implement process improvements to enhance efficiency in day-to-day business operations.
- Play a key role in campus recruiting efforts, attending career fairs and networking events to identify top talent.
- Serve on the department's leadership team for hiring decisions, helping target and evaluate new candidates.
- Support onboarding and development programs in coordination with the Training Manager.
- Participate in quarterly or monthly leadership meetings, team-building activities, and industry events.
- Conduct periodic field visits to substations and project sites to observe work progress and align financial/administrative support with real-world operations.
- Build and maintain relationships with clients, vendors, and industry partners.
- Act as a key point of contact for financial and administrative escalations.
- Experience: 5+ years in business operations, financial management, or administrative leadership, preferably in an engineering, field services, or industrial environment.
- Strong understanding of billing, invoicing, and financial reporting in a project-based business.
- Proficiency in ERP systems, accounting software, and Excel for financial tracking and analysis. Able to type 60+ words per minute.
- Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.
- Ability to work cross-functionally and drive process improvements.
- Comfortable with hybrid work, travel to field locations, and in-person leadership participation.
- Highly visible leadership role with opportunities to engage directly with company leadership, project teams, and customers.
- Hands-on experience in both business operations and real-world field execution.
- Be part of a growing team, shaping the future of P&C services at Shermco.
- Competitive compensation, benefits, and career growth potential.
