Financial Analyst, EIU Consulting

As the research and analysis division of the Economist Group, The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) helps leaders prepare for opportunity, empowering them to act with confidence when making strategic decisions. The EIU is the global standard in providing quality, actionable intelligence to the public and private sector, assessing issues that impact the marketplace for over two hundred countries. 

The Financial Analyst, Consulting role will lead the financial planning and analysis efforts for our consulting area, which includes Public Policy Economics and Politics (PPEP), Healthcare, Canback and Consumer as well as any future practices by providing pertinent and timely analysis of the financial performance of the organization on a global basis and for each of our business units and functional areas. You will also provide management information including monthly KPI’s and analysis to the business. You will have the opportunity to lead the forecasting and budgeting process and work closely with the Group's other finance teams to prepare monthly reports for inclusion in management reports. The Analyst will also be responsible for the development of finance systems to increase efficiency and robustness of data. 

The ideal person for the role will be comfortable in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, and you will possess both a creative and logical approach to problem solving. This is a unique opportunity to deliver significant value by developing and enhancing our planning capabilities. This opportunity will offer high level exposure both nationally and globally, requiring you to develop a deep understanding of the business. 

How you will contribute:

• Take ownership of the business planning and forecasting processes for the consulting areas
• Prepare and consolidate the global forecast each month and maintain and improve the forecast models
• Proactively provide insights, identify known and unanticipated challenges as well as opportunities and have the ability to concisely communicate these
• Prepare the monthly results review presentation
• Prepare, consolidate and submit the monthly salary and headcount forecast
• Prepare the underlying budget models and presentation for the Consulting businesses. This will require close work with the business as well as the accounting team (both EIU and Group)
• Provide valued advice and direction to ensure the development of relevant business information, and timely financial, budgeting, long term modelling, business and operational analysis, and reporting
• Ensure that sound accounting principles and practices are maintained, in line with statutory requirement, and that adequate internal controls and accounting policies are in place

The ideal skills for this role are: 

• A university qualification and/or professional certification (CIMA/ACCA/or equivalent) is ideal
• Extensive FP&A/Commercial Finance experience, particularly focussed around planning, forecasting in an international/corporate environment with experience of dealing with executive management
• Strong financial modelling skills as well as a strong planning and control discipline advantageous
• Highly analytical and technically proficient skills, be operationally and business savvy, a strategic and independent thinker
• Business leadership experience with a proven ability to take on and create new solutions achieving effective results
• Demonstrated problem solving and root cause analysis skills, combined with proven ability to communicate those analysis
• The ability to deal with adversity and rapidly changing operating conditions while successfully driving complex and milestone driven projects
• Experience working with large-scale data mining and reporting tools and financial systems 

Additional experience and skills advantageous:

• Demonstrated ability to build and manage financial models for business forecasting, variance analysis, and problem solving with strong attention to detail
• A highly collaborative work style and the ability to work in a team environment
• Excellent analytical skillset - A passion for metrics and figures, and the ability to get into the details, while also seeing and understanding the big picture
• A passion for continuous improvement, a strong sense of accountability
• Experience working within a fast-paced growth and dynamic  environment is preferred
• Strong track record of process implementation and improvement