Lead Specialist, Finance Business Partner

Pearson

About The Position

We’re looking for a Lead Specialist, Finance Business Partner to provide strategic, commercial and financial leadership to the Product & Technology organisation within Pearson Virtual Schools. This is a highly visible role, partnering closely with senior leaders – including the Chief Technology Officer – and owning end‑to‑end financial performance and investment decision‑making across a $200M+ operating and investment portfolio. You’ll play a key role in shaping financial strategy, driving rigorous planning and forecasting, and enabling confident, data‑driven decisions. Working closely with embedded FP&A analysts within Pearson Finance Services (PFS), you’ll bring clarity, control and insight to a fast‑paced, evolving technology environment. This role suits a commercially minded finance leader who enjoys operating at senior level, influencing outcomes, and translating complex financial data into clear, actionable insight.

Requirements

Proven experience in a senior finance or finance business partnering role, supporting complex organisations and senior stakeholders
Strong financial and analytical capability, including advanced financial modelling, scenario analysis and investment appraisal
Ability to operate effectively in fast‑paced, ambiguous environments while balancing multiple priorities
Excellent communication and presentation skills, with confidence influencing at senior leadership level
Strong understanding of financial governance, controls and performance management
Experience driving process improvement, standardisation and operating model change
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting or a related field
Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills, with experience creating executive‑level financial insight

Nice To Haves

MBA, CPA, CFA or similar is a plus
Experience with enterprise finance systems such as Oracle, Hyperion/Essbase, SmartView or planning tools is highly desirable

Responsibilities

Lead financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and reporting for the Product & Technology organisation, aligned to strategic priorities and investment roadmaps
Own monthly performance oversight, including results, KPIs and key variance drivers, providing clear executive‑level commentary and forward‑looking insight
Act as a strategic partner to Product & Technology leaders, supporting data‑driven decision making across the portfolio
Lead the development and evaluation of business cases for new investments, partnerships and product initiatives, including scenario analysis and risk assessment
Identify and drive opportunities for cost optimisation, operating efficiency and revenue growth, turning insight into measurable outcomes
Ensure strong financial governance and control, in line with global finance policies, internal controls and capital approval standards
Drive implementation of global finance processes and the target finance operating model within the team
Present clear, compelling financial insights to senior leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders
Collaborate closely with Pearson Finance Services to enable efficient, scalable planning and reporting