Job brief
We are seeking a detail-oriented Financial Planning Analyst to join our high-impact Finance team and play a pivotal role in shaping our fiscal strategy. You will partner with business unit leaders to translate operational goals into accurate financial forecasts, providing the visibility needed to optimize our capital allocation and drive long-term profitability. This role is ideal for a numbers-driven professional who enjoys unraveling complex financial trends and transforming them into clear, actionable narratives for senior management. If you are passionate about financial modeling and want to contribute to an organization that values data-backed decision-making, we invite you to apply.
Key highlights
- Develop and maintain sophisticated three-statement financial models to support long-range planning, capital allocation, and valuation of new business opportunities.
- Execute monthly variance analysis by comparing actual financial performance against forecasted figures, identifying root causes for deviations and recommending corrective actions.
- Partner with department leaders during the annual budgeting and quarterly rolling forecast cycles to align resource allocation with company growth objectives.
- Produce high-level performance dashboards and executive-ready presentations that communicate financial insights, risks, and growth trends to the C-suite.
What is a Financial Planning Analyst?
A Financial Planning Analyst is a strategic finance professional who translates complex datasets into actionable business intelligence through rigorous financial modeling and performance tracking. By leveraging tools like Anaplan, Hyperion, or advanced Excel, a Financial Planning Analyst bridges the gap between raw ledger data and executive decision-making. Their work is essential for maintaining fiscal health, as they define the underlying assumptions for long-term growth and ensure the organization hits its revenue targets while controlling operating expenses.
What does a Financial Planning Analyst do?
A Financial Planning Analyst spends their time building dynamic P&L forecasts, reconciling actual results against budget expectations, and conducting deep-dive variance analysis to explain profitability shifts. They work alongside department heads to manage the annual budgeting process and support the CFO by creating sensitivity analyses that model various market scenarios and capital investment opportunities. Daily deliverables often include flash reporting on key performance indicators, deck creation for board-level presentations, and the maintenance of complex driver-based planning models within ERP environments like NetSuite or SAP.
Key responsibilities
- Develop and maintain sophisticated three-statement financial models to support long-range planning, capital allocation, and valuation of new business opportunities.
- Execute monthly variance analysis by comparing actual financial performance against forecasted figures, identifying root causes for deviations and recommending corrective actions.
- Partner with department leaders during the annual budgeting and quarterly rolling forecast cycles to align resource allocation with company growth objectives.
- Produce high-level performance dashboards and executive-ready presentations that communicate financial insights, risks, and growth trends to the C-suite.
- Perform rigorous market research and industry benchmarking to validate financial assumptions and identify competitive threats to our current business model.
- Manage cash flow forecasting processes, monitoring liquidity requirements to ensure optimal working capital efficiency across our multi-site operational footprint.
- Collaborate with Accounting teams to ensure data integrity within the General Ledger, supporting the month-end close process and annual external audit cycles.
- Identify and implement process improvements for financial data gathering and reporting automation using tools like Power BI, Tableau, or SQL.
Requirements and skills
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a quantitative discipline; MBA or CFA/CPA certification is highly preferred.
- 3+ years of professional experience in financial planning and analysis (FP&A), investment banking, or management consulting.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including complex formulas (XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH), pivot tables, and VBA for financial model automation.
- Proven experience with Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) software such as Anaplan, Adaptive Planning, or Oracle Hyperion.
- Deep understanding of GAAP/IFRS accounting standards and their impact on corporate financial reporting and statement analysis.
- Ability to communicate complex technical financial narratives to non-financial stakeholders in a clear, compelling, and professional manner.
- Experience using data visualization tools like Tableau or Power BI to translate massive data sets into intuitive, decision-focused dashboards.
- Strong analytical mindset with a history of identifying cost-savings opportunities or revenue-growth levers through quantitative rigor.
FAQs
What does a Financial Planning Analyst do on a daily basis?
A Financial Planning Analyst is responsible for the ongoing monitoring of a company’s fiscal health. Daily tasks include updating revenue forecasts, tracking departmental spending against budgets, and building financial models that simulate business outcomes. They act as the primary bridge between finance operations and executive strategy.
What are the most important Financial Planning Analyst skills?
The core skills include advanced financial modeling in Excel, proficiency in ERP/EPM systems like NetSuite or Anaplan, and strong data visualization capabilities. Beyond hard skills, an effective analyst must possess deep analytical problem-solving abilities and the capacity to explain complex financial trends to non-finance stakeholders.
Who does a Financial Planning Analyst work with?
They operate at the intersection of various teams, working closely with the CFO and executive leadership to guide strategic direction. They also collaborate frequently with accounting teams for accurate reporting, sales and marketing for revenue planning, and operations teams to manage departmental budgets and resources.
Why is the Financial Planning Analyst role important for business growth?
This role is critical because it provides the data-driven framework necessary for informed decision-making. By identifying inefficiencies, managing cash flow, and predicting future financial performance, a Financial Planning Analyst ensures the organization can scale profitably while mitigating potential market and liquidity risks.