Business Analyst - Crude Oil

Overview

Ergon Inc. seeks a full-time Business Analyst, Crude Oil to join our team. The Business Analyst, Crude Oil, plays a critical analytical and advisory role supporting Ergon's crude oil supply, logistics, and commercial activities. Reporting to the Vice President, Business Strategy & Optimization (IS&L), this position is responsible for delivering forward-looking insights, cost allocation and profitability analysis, supporting IT system implementations, leveraging emerging AI tools, and providing analytical support and advisory related to crude oil contracts.

The analyst will partner closely with Crude Oil Operations, Commercial, Accounting, IT, and Logistics teams to translate operational, commercial, and financial data into actionable insights that improve decision-making, financial transparency, and operational efficiency. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical skills with an understanding of crude oil operations and a curiosity for leveraging technology and AI-enabled tools to enhance business performance.

• Prepare clear, concise summaries and presentations for leadership that translate complex analysis into actionable insights.
• Business Foresight and Decision Support
• Develop forward-looking analyses to support crude oil sourcing, transportation, storage, and disposition decisions, including volume, margin, and scenario-based forecasting.
• Analyze market trends, operational data, and internal performance metrics to identify risks, opportunities, and optimization opportunities within crude operations.
• Provide ad hoc and recurring analytical support to operations and commercial leadership to enable timely, data-driven decision-making.
• Cost Allocation and Profitability Analysis
• Design, maintain, and enhance cost allocation models to accurately assign transportation, storage, and operational costs across crude oil movements, contracts, and counter parties.
• Analyze profitability by crude stream, contract, lane, and customer to support commercial strategy and performance management.
• Partner with Accounting and Operations to ensure cost methodologies are transparent, consistent, and aligned with financial reporting and management reporting needs.
• IT Systems Implementation and Enablement
• Serve as a business liaison for IT system implementations and enhancements impacting crude oil operations (e.g., ERP, CTRM, scheduling, measurement, or reporting systems).
• Gather and document business requirements, support system testing and validation, and ensure solutions meet operational, commercial, and analytical requirements.
• Support change management efforts by developing user documentation, training materials, and post-implementation performance assessments.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Advanced Analytics Enablement
• Support the development, testing, and adoption of AI-enabled tools and advanced analytics to improve forecasting accuracy, cost transparency, contract analytics, and operational decision-making.
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI, automation, and data science techniques to streamline analysis, reduce manual effort, and enhance insight generation.
• Partner with IS&L leadership, IT, and data teams to ensure AI tools are practical, well-governed, and aligned with business needs.
• Crude Oil Contract Analysis and Advisory
• Review and analyze crude oil purchase, transportation, and storage contracts to support operational execution, compliance, and financial analysis.
• Translate contract terms into analytical logic for pricing, cost recovery, margin analysis, and performance measurement.
• Provide advisory support to commercial and operations teams by identifying financial impacts, risks, and opportunities embedded in contract structures.
• Reporting and Performance Monitoring
• Develop and maintain dashboards, reports, and KPIs related to crude oil volumes, costs, margins, and operational performance.
• Ensure data accuracy, consistency, and transparency across reporting outputs, working closely with Accounting, IT, and Operations.

• Education
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations, Supply Chain, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Experience
• 4-8 years of experience in business operations, project coordination, or business analysis.
• Experience in cross-functional teams, process improvement, or ERP/business transformation projects preferred.
• Exposure to SAP or similar systems a plus.

• Education
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Economics, Engineering, or a related field.
• MBA or advanced coursework in analytics, finance, or operations is a plus but not required.

• Experience
• Proven experience in business analysis, financial analysis, operations analytics, or commercial support.
• Experience in oil and gas, crude oil operations, logistics, or commodities is strongly preferred.

• Technical Skills
• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills, including cost allocation, forecasting, and scenario analysis.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel; experience with ERP, CTRM, or…