Senior Financial Consultant
About The Position
The Senior Financial Consultant is a key finance partner supporting the Regulatory, Audit, Communications & Quality Operations organization, with a primary focus on operating expense management, forecasting, reporting, and financial analysis. The role works closely with operational leaders to provide timely financial insights, support month-end close activities, and develop accurate forecasts that inform business decisions. It helps ensure financial transparency, identify risks and opportunities, and explain performance drivers across PBM operations. The role develops forecasts, budgets, and long-range planning assumptions; analyzes actual results and variances; prepares recurring reports and executive summaries; and partners with accounting and finance teams to support the integrity of financial results. It also builds financial models and scenario analyses, supports business cases and ROI analyses, and identifies ways to improve processes, reporting, and forecasting methodologies. The position is onsite at 1 Optum Circle, Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It is full time, Monday through Friday, with flexibility to work an eight-hour schedule during normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Occasional overtime may be necessary. On-the-job training is provided, with training hours based on the employee’s schedule or discussed on the first day.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
- At least 4 years of progressive finance, accounting, or financial planning and analysis experience.
- Experience supporting business partners in a complex, matrixed organization.
- Experience with financial forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis.
- Analytical and financial modeling skills.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, lookup functions, and financial modeling techniques.
- Ability to translate complex financial information into clear, actionable recommendations.
- Ability to work full time Monday through Friday, with flexibility to work an eight-hour schedule during normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; occasional overtime may be necessary.
- Strong communication and presentation skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Nice To Haves
- Healthcare, PBM, CMS, or operations finance experience.
- Experience supporting operating expense or SG&A management.
- Experience with workforce planning and labor expense modeling.
- Familiarity with PeopleSoft, Essbase, SmartView, or similar financial systems.
- MBA, CPA, or another advanced finance credential.
- Experience building dashboards and automated reporting solutions.
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain monthly forecasts, annual budgets, and long-range planning assumptions for Regulatory, Audit, Communications & Quality Operations expenses.
- Partner with business leaders to understand operational trends, workforce changes, and emerging risks and opportunities.
- Analyze financial performance and identify drivers affecting forecast accuracy.
- Support cost management initiatives and track the realization of savings opportunities.
- Lead month-end financial analysis and reporting, ensuring accurate and timely review of actual results.
- Analyze variances to forecast, budget, and prior-year results, and communicate key drivers to finance and operational leadership.
- Prepare recurring financial reporting packages and executive summaries highlighting operational performance and financial impacts.
- Partner with accounting and other finance teams to support the integrity of financial results.
- Build relationships with operational leaders and serve as a trusted financial advisor.
- Translate financial results into actionable insights and recommendations.
- Provide transparency into workforce-related expenses, vendor spend, and other operating cost drivers.
- Help business partners evaluate trade-offs and opportunities to improve efficiency and financial performance.
- Develop financial models, scenario analyses, and ad hoc reporting to support operational decisions.
- Perform trend analysis and identify emerging risks, opportunities, and operational efficiencies.
- Support development of business cases and ROI analyses for investments and strategic initiatives.
- Use data and analytics to improve forecasting assumptions and decision-making.
- Identify opportunities to streamline financial processes, improve reporting, and enhance forecasting methodologies.
- Develop and maintain tools, dashboards, and performance metrics that improve visibility into business results.
- Support implementation of best practices across Operating Cost Management and broader Finance teams.
Benefits
- Comprehensive benefits package
- Incentive and recognition programs
- Equity stock purchase
- 401(k) contribution
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
