Financial Planning Analyst

A leading client is seeking a Budgeting & Forecasting Specialist to manage financial planning, forecasting, financial modeling, and variance analysis in a fully remote capacity. This role is hands-on within the FP&A function, focusing on creating accurate budgets and forecasts, analyzing business performance, and delivering forward-looking insights to support strategic decision-making. The specialist will collaborate closely with finance leaders and department heads to ensure financial plans are realistic, aligned with company goals, and reflective of operational priorities. The position requires working during U.S. client business hours.

Key Responsibilities

Budgeting & Financial Planning: Lead the preparation of annual operating and capital budgets by consolidating financial inputs from various departments and business units. Ensure budgets align with company objectives, operational plans, and resource constraints. Partner with department leaders to validate assumptions and spending plans.

Forecasting & Scenario Planning: Maintain rolling forecasts for revenue, expenses, and cash flow. Regularly update forecasts with actual results and revised assumptions. Develop scenario and sensitivity analyses to evaluate potential financial outcomes and identify emerging risks and opportunities.

Variance Analysis: Compare actual financial performance against budgets and forecasts. Identify key drivers behind variances and prepare clear, concise commentary for leadership. Recommend corrective actions based on performance trends.

Financial Modeling: Build dynamic financial models using Excel and Google Sheets, including discounted cash flow (DCF), return on investment (ROI), internal rate of return (IRR), break-even analysis, and scenario planning. Utilize advanced formulas, pivot tables, macros, and data integrations to enhance model accuracy and efficiency.

Reporting & Executive Insights: Prepare management reporting packages, dashboards, and visualizations that translate complex financial data into actionable business insights. Present risks, opportunities, trends, and recommendations to leadership to support strategic and operational decision-making.

FP&A Process Improvement: Identify inefficiencies in budgeting and forecasting workflows and implement improvements to planning cycles, data inputs, and reporting processes. Support the implementation or optimization of FP&A platforms such as Anaplan, Adaptive Insights, Workday, or Hyperion.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
- Minimum of 3 years’ experience in FP&A, budgeting, forecasting, or financial analysis.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and Google Sheets, including nested formulas, pivot tables, sensitivity modeling, and financial modeling.
- Proven experience building and maintaining budgets and rolling forecasts.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to build financial models from scratch.
- Experience preparing variance analysis and clear commentary for leadership.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Ability to work independently during U.S. business hours.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits

- Experience with FP&A tools such as Anaplan, Adaptive Insights, Hyperion, or Workday.
- Familiarity with data visualization tools like Power BI, Tableau, or Looker.
- Advanced certifications such as MBA, CFA, or CPA.
- Industry experience in SaaS, real estate, or professional services.
- Experience improving or automating forecasting processes.

Success in this role is demonstrated by maintaining forecast accuracy within ±5–10%, completing budgets accurately and on schedule, delivering variance explanations within 2–3 days of close, keeping financial models accurate and updated, providing leadership with clear and actionable insights, and improving forecasting cycle time through automation and process optimization.

The interview process includes an initial phone screen, a video interview, recruiter and client interviews, and a practical financial modeling and sensitivity analysis task, followed by offer and background verification.

This opportunity is ideal for FP&A professionals who excel in budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and variance analysis, and who are passionate about turning financial data into strategic business insights.