Senior Financial Analyst - Technology FP&A

Northwestern Mutual

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

About the Job: Support the Company's overall expense management process, focusing on ensuring optimal use of Company resources and ultimately protecting or maintaining product value and financial strength either at the corporate level or for an assigned function/department within the Technology function. Develop timely and accurate expense reporting and provide value-added expense management consultation and analysis. This includes consulting with business partners and building financial models to evaluate strategic decisions, providing complex financial analysis, developing forecasts and budgets, comparing expectations to peers and/or internal expectations, evaluating and presenting options and prioritizing solutions across the company. What You'll Do: Interacts with executive officers, department heads, and other members of senior management to provide meaningful expense management consultation and analysis and presents recommendations to aid in decision-making. Proactively identifies issues and facilitates discussions to resolve those issues across functions and departments. Independently meets with managers and directors to understand department operations and resulting cost structure. Coordinates monthly reporting of all tech expenses and allocations to meet financial reporting needs of the department. Monitors spend, develops forecasts and budgets and analyzes expense results. Applies creativity and innovation in identifying process improvements and other opportunities for the function/departments to better manage expenses or reduce spend. Responsible for building complex financial models to predict and understand the business as well as actual results. Understand cost drivers, internal metrics, unit costs and benchmarking for tracking and comparing results. Challenge assumptions made in forecasts and projections. Make connections to understand and integrate internal best practices to best support overall business objectives. May be responsible for developing strategies to best utilize systems (Such as PeopleSoft, IBM TM1 Planning Analytics and Jira/Jira Align). May be responsible for inputs to corporate expense projections, metrics, fixed assets and intercompany charges between NM and its subsidiaries, or other corporate processes. Leads special projects and assignments related to expense management, product line allocations, financial reporting, process improvements, or other projects as requested by division leaders. What Experience You'll Bring: Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or related degree. Typically, 5 or more years of financial management experience and/or financial planning and analysis experience. Strong analytical, planning, organization, budgeting, problem solving, negotiation, oral and written communication skills are essential to this role. Ability to develop and interpret financial models for complex analysis. Demonstrated ability to make effective decisions and influence without authority at all levels of leadership. Ability to maintain confidentiality and manage multiple assignments concurrently while effectively prioritizing. Ability to develop and present recommendations to management. Ability to build rapport and acceptance at different levels of management and across various departments. Previous experience within finance team supporting a technology organization is preferred but not required.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or related degree.
Typically, 5 or more years of financial management experience and/or financial planning and analysis experience.
Strong analytical, planning, organization, budgeting, problem solving, negotiation, oral and written communication skills are essential to this role.
Ability to develop and interpret financial models for complex analysis.
Demonstrated ability to make effective decisions and influence without authority at all levels of leadership.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and manage multiple assignments concurrently while effectively prioritizing.
Ability to develop and present recommendations to management.
Ability to build rapport and acceptance at different levels of management and across various departments.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience within finance team supporting a technology organization is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Interacts with executive officers, department heads, and other members of senior management to provide meaningful expense management consultation and analysis and presents recommendations to aid in decision-making.
Proactively identifies issues and facilitates discussions to resolve those issues across functions and departments.
Independently meets with managers and directors to understand department operations and resulting cost structure.
Coordinates monthly reporting of all tech expenses and allocations to meet financial reporting needs of the department.
Monitors spend, develops forecasts and budgets and analyzes expense results.
Applies creativity and innovation in identifying process improvements and other opportunities for the function/departments to better manage expenses or reduce spend.
Responsible for building complex financial models to predict and understand the business as well as actual results.
Understand cost drivers, internal metrics, unit costs and benchmarking for tracking and comparing results.
Challenge assumptions made in forecasts and projections.
Make connections to understand and integrate internal best practices to best support overall business objectives.
May be responsible for developing strategies to best utilize systems (Such as PeopleSoft, IBM TM1 Planning Analytics and Jira/Jira Align).
May be responsible for inputs to corporate expense projections, metrics, fixed assets and intercompany charges between NM and its subsidiaries, or other corporate processes.
Leads special projects and assignments related to expense management, product line allocations, financial reporting, process improvements, or other projects as requested by division leaders.