Senior Financial Analyst

Job Description

Senior Financial Analyst

Description

At Pearson, we’re committed to a world that’s always learning and to our talented team who makes it all possible. From bringing lectures vividly to life to turning textbooks into laptop lessons, we are always re-examining the way people learn best, whether it’s one child in our own backyard or an education community across the globe. We are bold thinkers and standout innovators who motivate each other to explore new frontiers in an environment that supports and inspires us to always be better. By pushing the boundaries of technology — and each other to surpass these boundaries — we create seeds of learning that become the catalyst for the world’s innovations, personal and global, large and small.

We are recruiting this role within Pearson Finance Services (PFS) to support the provision of a consolidated view of financial business performance and planning to business partnering teams across Pearson. This role will prepare and deliver financial planning and analysis to business areas enabling effective business decision making. This role will also be expected to contribute to aspects of the budgeting and forecasting cycle.

To undertake this role the following will be required:

• Complete all deliverables in a timely, efficient and accurate manner
• Understand data sources and data flows and how financial and non-financial data is presented
• Apply judgement and analytical skills to ensure the accuracy and relevance of outputs needed by the business
• Contribute to team effort and assist co-workers across PFS and all business divisions as needed to enable effective delivery.
• Help to create a work atmosphere conducive to collaborative working
• Maintain customer satisfaction by promptly following up on customers’ requests for information
• Identify opportunities for continuous process improvement and innovative solutions and communicate these to your line manager

Activities / Tasks

• Take ownership of the budget and forecasting process for one or more sub-divisions within the Global Operations division of Pearson, including meeting with the business to agree compensation, discretionary and capital expenditure plans.
• Prepare forecast summary reporting packs for the business with analysis and commentary.
• Input into the annual strategic planning process through preparation of analysis; sales margin plans and other information to enable collation of the plan.
• Prepare key month end management reporting packs for decision making / disclosure to market.
• Monthly and quarterly consolidation of management information packs across business areas and roll up to group level showing performance against budget, forecast and prior year
• Support local business partners in providing targeted quality commercial analysis
• Review of financial data during the month to provide timely corrections.
• Preparation of business cases utilising Pearson approved documentation along with workings files relevant to the business case. Support on collating the required data inputs for costs and benefit workings.
• Champion continuous improvement within PFS to deliver tangible benefits and engage in wider standardisation and streamlining initiatives.

Pearson is an equal opportunities employer. We do not discriminate against employees or job applicants and select the best person for each job based on relevant skills and experience.

We are also committed to building an accurate picture of the make-up of the workforce and encouraging equality and diversity.

The information you provide will stay confidential, and be stored securely. It will not be seen by those involved in making decisions as part of the recruitment process.

Qualifications

Skills / capabilities:

Strong accounting knowledge – holding a recognised accountancy qualification

Technical Skills: significant experience of planning, budgeting and forecasting and producing management information for decision making in a complex commercial environment. Ability to apply a range of budgeting and forecasting techniques to provide the business with the relevant financial information

Analytical skills: Well developed analytical/variance analysis skills, proven ability to review and analyse financial data and explain results to senior management. Provide analysis to support decision making, including presenting economic outcomes, identifying key value drivers, benefits, risks and accounting implications

Advanced user of Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel (v-lookups, sum-ifs, pivot tables etc.)

Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to effectively communicate with both finance and non-finance professionals

Experience of finance ERP systems (Oracle preferred but not essential)

A self-starter who is motivated to work under own initiative when required demonstrating initiative and sound judgement;

Ability to work as part of a team, identifying and providing support to colleagues

Ability to work to strict deadlines and to be able to prioritise to meet those deadlines

Experience working with and partnering and presenting to senior stakeholders in multiple geographical locations and time zones;

Commercial focus, and the ability to apply business acumen to innovate, solve problems and achieve results;

Ability to multi-task; coordinating the delivery of multiple priorities in parallel across disparate teams and locations

The great benefits Pearson employees include;

• 1 day per week ad-hoc remote working & flexible start and finish times
• Private Healthcare, Dental care, Eyecare, Employee assistance programme
• Pearson pension (double matched up to 8% dependent on age)
• Annual incentive plan bonus (dependent on grade)
• 25 days annual leave. Additional annual leave day for each year of service - up to 30 days Buy and sell annual leave - up to 5 days
• Childcare vouchers, Bikes for work, Annual travel loan – Abellio; Discounted gym memberships
• Worldwide Save for Shares in Pearson
• Paternity leave - 4 weeks full pay, Maternity leave - 52 weeks total 4 weeks full paid 3/5s phased return to work, Shared parental leave
• GEMS Awards - Going the extra mile recognition scheme for colleagues
• Volunteering days - 3 days paid per year

#LI-POST

Primary Location: GB-GB-Belfast

Work Locations: GB-Belfast-Millennium House Millennium House, 1st Floor Great Victoria Street Belfast BT2 7AQ

Job: Finance

Organization: Finance

Employee Status: Regular Employee

Job Type: Standard

Shift: Day Job

Job Posting: Nov 18, 2019

Job Unposting: Ongoing

Schedule: Full-time Regular

Req ID: 1915291

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and a member of E-Verify. All qualified applicants, including minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.