Financial Analyst

Description Crain Communications seeks a highly analytical and business-focused Financial Analyst to join its Financial Services team. Reporting to the Manager, FP&A, this role supports budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and business analysis across multiple brands and corporate functions. The Financial Analyst will help transform financial and operational data into actionable insights that improve decision-making and business performance. This position offers exposure to senior leadership and the opportunity to contribute to the growth of Crain's subscription, advertising, events, digital, and data businesses. Financial Planning, Forecasting & Analysis Support annual budgeting, monthly forecasting, and long-range planning processes. Maintain financial models supporting revenue, operating expenses, profitability, and key business drivers. Analyze monthly financial results and prepare variance analyses against budget, forecast, and prior year performance. Support revenue forecasting through analysis of bookings, renewals, pipeline activity, and business trends. Develop scenario analyses and identify risks and opportunities impacting financial performance. Business Partnership & Decision Support Partner with business leaders to understand financial performance and operational drivers. Support business case development, ROI analyses, and profitability assessments. Provide financial support across subscription, advertising, events, digital, and corporate functions. Analyze customer, product, and revenue trends to identify growth and profitability opportunities. Deliver actionable insights and recommendations that support strategic decision-making. Reporting, Analytics & Process Improvement Prepare management reports, dashboards, and KPI reporting packages. Support the development and enhancement of financial and operational performance metrics. Identify opportunities to automate reporting and improve financial processes. Partner with Finance, IT, and Data & Analytics teams to improve reporting capabilities and data accessibility. Leverage technology, business intelligence tools, and AI-enabled solutions to improve analysis and decision support. Special Projects Support strategic initiatives, operational improvement efforts, and executive-level analyses. Perform ad hoc financial modeling and business analysis. Participate in cross-functional projects that support growth, profitability, and operational excellence. Basic Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related field. 2+ years of experience in FP&A, corporate finance, public accounting, consulting, or related analytical roles. Strong financial modeling and analytical capabilities. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel. Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills. Preferred Qualifications Experience with Workday Financials, Adaptive Planning, Power BI, or similar platforms. Experience working with large datasets and business intelligence tools. Experience supporting subscription, media, advertising, events, SaaS, or recurring revenue businesses. Location: Detroit preferred with Chicago or Manhattan offices also possible. In office 3 days per week. This position is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime pay. Pay Transparency Disclosure: The estimated salary range for this position is $80,000 to $110,000. The final salary offering will take into account a wide range of factors, including experience, accomplishments and location. The salary range provided should not be considered as a salary limit or cap. In addition to base salary, Crain also offers competitive benefits including retirement plan savings contributions and bonus opportunities based on individual and company performance. #LI-LV1 #LI-onsite #associate #finance #full-time About Crain Communications: Crain Communications is a leading business news and information company with a portfolio of 24 media brands that provide indispensable coverage and data for professionals globally and across sectors, including advertising, automotive, finance, healthcare, staffing, and workforce solutions. Many of Crain’s brands are the most influential media properties in the industries and communities they serve, including Ad Age, Automotive News, Pensions & Investments, Modern Healthcare, Staffing Industry Analysts, as well as Crain’s regional business brands. For more than a century, our dedication to deep sector expertise and journalistic integrity has enabled us to provide trusted insights across all our platforms, empowering today’s business leaders to make industry-shaping decisions. To learn more about Crain Communications, visit crain.com. Environmental Demands Where you work matters. The job posting will provide specific information on where and when your amazing work would be performed. Employee work location is determined by the needs of the specific team and may include on-site, hybrid or remote. Employee work location is subject to change. An “in-office” role would require the employee to come into the office most days with occasional flexibility to work remotely if tasks can be performed elsewhere and if the manager approves. A “remote” role would allow an employee to work from a home office that is in one of the states Crain does business in. We can only employ a remote / "work from home" employee if they reside in one of these states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NY, NC, OH, OR, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, and Washington, DC. A “hybrid” role would be a mix of in-office and remote work. There may be a specified schedule for coming into the office or it could be at the discretion of the employee with the manager’s approval, subject to change. Employees who live within a reasonable commute distance from a Crain office are expected to work on-site 3 days per week. Many positions will also include work done in “the field.” Depending on the role, this may include conducting in-person interviews, attending work-related events, meeting with sources or clients. Specifics will be noted in the job posting but are subject to change as a role evolves. Employees may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, specifically during field work. Other typical job functions are performed under conditions such as those found in general office work. Travel to cover news stories/events, meetings with clients, and to our geographically separated offices may be required. It is the nature of many positions to experience non-standard working hours and be on-call when needed for responding to email, meeting with clients, attending work-related events, story development or breaking news. Most employees perform work Monday through Friday, although early-morning, evening or weekend shifts may be required. Work schedule and travel requirements are subject to change as a role and needs evolve over time. Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of many Crain jobs and are subject to change. Physical activities will include frequent in-person or virtual interactions. For most positions, it is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods, perform computer-related tasks, and create/maintain documents within filing systems. Must have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing and analyzing reports and information, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, or extensive reading. The typical physical requirements are light work—exerting up to 25lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 10lbs of force frequently and may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion. Some positions will have additional physical requirements, including exerting up to 50lbs of force to move and/or carry equipment, supplies, files, or other materials as the role requires. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions and meet the environmental and physical demands of the role. Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c) Crain is one of the largest privately-owned business media companies with more than 20 leading business, trade and consumer brands in North America, Europe and Asia. Crain’s uncompromising journalists, industry experts and business insiders share one vision: to produce stories, communities and platforms that empower our audiences’ success. 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