Strategic Planning and Initiatives Lead

Lazard Careers • , NY

5d • $140,000 - $180,000

About The Position

Lazard is one of the world’s preeminent financial advisory and asset management firms. Our people and culture make the difference . While global in presence and reach, ours is a close, collaborative community of just over 3,000 professionals. Lazard is a place of continuous knowledge sharing, skill development and relationship building, where professionals grow and succeed together. Our entrepreneurial culture, flat structure and embrace of individual differences, allow creative ideas, original concepts, and unique perspectives to drive our business forward — and for careers to take flight. Lazard’s Corporate functions empower strategic decision-making and ensure continued success of our firm. From Finance & Tax to Information Technology and Human Resources, our colleagues around the globe support our financial advisory and asset management business lines in many ways. By utilizing the latest technology, these integral groups make sure our businesses are compliant, operationally efficient, and profitable. Reporting to the Head of Corporate FP&A, this individual will play a critical supporting role in executing the firm’s financial planning processes, leading special projects, and delivering analytical insights that inform strategic decisions and drive operational improvement. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical and modeling capabilities, excellent communication skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively across functions in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in financial planning and analysis, corporate finance, management reporting, or advisory/consulting, ideally within an investment bank, financial institution, or professional services environment.
• Undergraduate degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field with a strong academic record.
• Advanced financial modeling skills and the ability to synthesize complex data into clear, actionable insights.
• Strong command of accounting principles, financial statement analysis, and performance management frameworks.
• Experience with business intelligence tools and analytical technologies (Power BI a plus); strong proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and other MS Office applications
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to collaborate with and influence stakeholders across all levels of the organization.
• Highly organized, detail‑oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• A collaborative, proactive mindset with a demonstrated ability to improve processes and elevate the quality of financial insights.

Responsibilities

• Support the Head of Corporate FP&A in managing the annual budget process, quarterly forecasts, and long‑range planning cycles, helping to drive planning timelines, methodologies, and deliverables.
• Enhance FP&A reporting efficiency by optimizing data flows within the data warehouse and implementing automated dashboards and analytics through BI tools.
• Conduct detailed analysis of financial results and KPIs, providing data‑driven insights into performance drivers, variances, and opportunities for margin improvement.
• Partner with Controllership, Treasury, HR, Corporate Strategy, Technology and Business Unit Finance teams to gather inputs, validate assumptions, and ensure alignment across planning and reporting.
• Contribute to the management reporting process by preparing executive‑level reporting packages, dashboards, and commentary for senior leadership.
• Produce ad‑hoc financial analyses to support resource allocation decisions, strategic initiatives, and operational reviews
• Support firm-wide expense management by analyzing cost drivers, evaluating savings opportunities, and modeling the financial impact of cost‑optimization initiatives.
• Identify and recommend enhancements to financial processes, reporting capabilities, data quality, and systems to improve efficiency, accuracy, and standardization.

Benefits

• We strive to enhance the total health and well-being of our employees through comprehensive, competitive benefits.
• Our goal is to offer a highly individualized employee experience that enables you to balance your commitments to career, family, and community.
• When you work for Lazard, you are working for an organization that cares about your unique talents and passions and will continue to invest in the development of your career.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees