Senior Financial Analyst Job Description: Financial Planning Lead

The Senior Financial Analyst role is for experienced finance professionals who provide in-depth financial analysis, support budgeting and forecasting cycles, and partner with business stakeholders to inform commercial decisions. Suitable candidates will have strong analytical skills, commercial awareness and the ability to present clear insights to senior management.

Senior Financial Analyst Job Profile

The Senior Financial Analyst is responsible for delivering timely, accurate financial information that supports operational performance and strategic planning. This role focuses on financial planning and analysis, management reporting, scenario modelling and identifying opportunities to improve financial performance.

The purpose of the role is to translate financial data into actionable insight, support the budgeting and forecasting process, and ensure robust financial controls. The post-holder will act as a business partner to functional managers and contribute to longer term financial strategy.

Senior Financial Analyst Job Description

The Senior Financial Analyst prepares monthly management accounts and analysis, drives the forecasting and budgeting process, and produces variance explanations and trend reports for senior stakeholders. The role requires regular liaison with commercial and operational teams to understand drivers of performance and to model the financial impact of business decisions.

Work is performed in a structured finance environment with defined reporting deadlines and a requirement to maintain accurate financial records and reconciliations. The role involves presenting findings to finance leadership and non-finance stakeholders, recommending corrective actions and supporting implementation of efficiency initiatives.

In addition to core reporting duties, the role is expected to lead ad hoc projects such as business cases, capital appraisal and scenario analysis, and to mentor junior analysts to improve team capability and consistency of output.

Senior Financial Analyst: Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepare and review monthly management accounts, including detailed variance analysis and commentary for senior management.
• Lead the annual budgeting process and periodic reforecasts, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and operational plans.
• Develop and maintain financial models to support forecasting, scenario planning and decision making.
• Analyse revenue, margin and cost drivers to identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Prepare management reports and presentations that translate financial data into clear recommendations.
• Support capital expenditure evaluation and business case development, including payback and sensitivity analysis.
• Perform cash flow analysis and short term liquidity planning to support treasury and working capital decisions.
• Conduct period end reconciliations and ensure accuracy of financial records and balances.
• Provide financial input to commercial contracts, pricing reviews and cost control initiatives.
• Partner with operational teams to embed financial discipline and improve forecasting accuracy.
• Support internal and external audit processes by preparing schedules and responding to queries.
• Lead or contribute to process improvement projects to increase efficiency and accuracy of financial reporting.
• Mentor and coach junior analysts, review their outputs and promote best practice financial analysis.
• Undertake ad hoc analysis and special projects as requested by finance leadership.

Senior Financial Analyst: Requirements and Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in finance, accounting, economics or a related discipline; postgraduate qualification desirable.
• Professional accounting qualification preferred such as ACCA, CIMA or ACA, or equivalent experience.
• Substantial relevant experience in financial planning and analysis, typically five years or more at a senior analyst level.
• Advanced spreadsheet and data analysis skills with the ability to build and maintain robust financial models.
• Strong understanding of accounting principles and financial reporting requirements.
• Proven experience producing management accounts, variance analysis and management reporting packs.
• Excellent numerical ability, attention to detail and a methodical approach to reconciliations.
• Effective communicator with experience presenting financial information to senior and non-financial stakeholders.
• Demonstrable commercial awareness and the ability to translate data into business insight.
• Experience supporting budget and forecast cycles and delivering against tight reporting deadlines.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently and lead small projects or workstreams.
• Analytical mindset with strong problem solving skills and a commitment to continuous improvement.