Financial Planning Analyst

We are seeking a skilled Budgeting & Forecasting Specialist to join a dynamic finance team remotely. This role focuses on financial planning and analysis (FP&A), including budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and variance analysis. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with finance leaders and department heads to develop accurate budgets and forecasts aligned with business strategies. This position requires working during U.S. client business hours and offers the opportunity to provide actionable insights that support strategic decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

- Lead the preparation of annual operating and capital budgets, consolidating financial inputs across departments and business units.
- Ensure budgets align with company goals, operational plans, and resource constraints by partnering with department leaders to validate assumptions and spending plans.
- Maintain rolling forecasts for revenue, expenses, and cash flow, updating them with actual results and revised assumptions.
- Build scenario and sensitivity analyses to evaluate potential financial outcomes and identify emerging risks and opportunities.
- Conduct variance analysis by comparing actual performance against budgets and forecasts, identifying key drivers, and preparing clear commentary for leadership.
- Develop 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 Excel functions such as nested formulas, pivot tables, macros, and data integrations to enhance modeling efficiency and accuracy.
- Prepare management reporting packages, dashboards, and visualizations that translate complex financial data into clear business insights.
- Present risks, opportunities, trends, and recommendations to leadership to support strategic and operational decision-making.
- Identify inefficiencies in budgeting and forecasting workflows, improve 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.
- Ability to prepare variance analysis and provide insightful commentary for leadership.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to build financial models from scratch.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Comfortable working 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 business intelligence platforms like Power BI, Tableau, or Looker.
- Advanced certifications such as MBA, CFA, or CPA.
- Industry experience in SaaS, real estate, or professional services.
- Background in 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 consistently updated.
- Providing leadership with clear, actionable financial insights.
- Improving forecasting cycle times through automation and process optimization.

If you are an FP&A professional who excels in budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and variance analysis, and you enjoy turning financial data into actionable business insights, this opportunity is an excellent fit. The role offers a fully remote work environment aligned with U.S. business hours, providing a collaborative yet independent setting to make a significant impact.