Senior Financial & Reporting Analyst

El Pollo Loco•Costa Mesa, CA

About The Position

The Senior Financial and Reporting Analyst is responsible for delivering accurate, timely financial analysis and reporting to support business decision-making, regulatory compliance, and executive leadership. This role partners with cross-functional teams to interpret financial results, enhance reporting processes, and provide insights that drive performance and strategic planning.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree (BS/BA) in Systems Engineering, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Economics or a related field is required.
Minimum of 5 years in FP&A or multi-unit retail/restaurant finance, or hospitality analytics in a medium-to-large organization.
Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of required education.
Knowledge of data extraction, organization and reporting is the primary skill set required for this position along with ability to perform these procedures efficiently and present results of the work.
High level of proficiency with technology, including Microsoft Office Suite applications, Adobe Acrobad, customized data applications and internet research tools.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (financial modeling, pivot tables, complex formulas).
Ability to navigate and work with hundreds of thousands of rows of data in Excel and strong knowledge of financial modeling, pivot tables, complex formulas.
Exposure to enterprise planning and/or business intelligence software.
Ability to quickly adapt to change and adjust priorities to meet the organization’s needs.
Strong analytical skills and a problem-solving mindset with meticulous attention to detail to draw meaningful conclusions.
Excellent oral and written communication skills needed.
Must possess professional interpersonal skills, maintain a positive attitude, be flexible and self-directed, and work well with team members.
Ability to effectively speak with internal customers, external customers, vendors and franchisees.
Must be decisive and make fact-based decisions.
Ability to work weekends and extended work schedules as needed.
Strong attention to detail with the ability to meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Work experience in the QSR industry is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Monitors, analyzes and interprets key metrics and financial results; highlights trends and causal factors; and develops and prepares key financial line item.
Own and analyze restaurant-level and corporate P&Ls, including sales, labor, food & beverage costs, and operating expenses.
Enhances and executes annual, quarterly, monthly and weekly planning processes with business partners for forecasting of key P&L line items which may include but not be limited to cost of sales, capital investments, occupancy, sales, labor, etc.
Prepares, reports, and analyzes key operations and performance metrics for the company and franchise portfolio, including, but not limited to sales, COGs, labor, other controllables.
Hands-on experience with assisting accounting with period-end close and variance analysis
Ability to analyze large datasets, ensure data integrity, and translate financial results into clear insights.
Assists fully in the development of the annual and strategic plan including the annual planning applications, development of initial target models and preparing the presentation for the Board of Directors approval.
Engages in special projects and prepares presentations to management as assigned.
Interacts professionally and ethically, constructively participating as a collaborative team member or leader in pursuit of common goals.
Assist with ad hoc analyses related to growth initiatives, vendor negotiations, and capital investments.