Strategic Financial Planning & Analytics Senior Associate at CBIZ in Chicago, Illinois

Strategic Fpa Practice

The Strategic FP&A practice is an advisory group within the larger CBIZ Private Equity Advisory practice. Our team specializes in optimizing business planning efforts and model development for middle-market companies. Our strategic engagements are often surrounding operational and financial reporting which commonly emphasizes forecasting, profitability analysis, process improvement and data analytics.

We have offices across the country, with our headquarters located in Philadelphia and a significant presence in the Chicago and Denver markets; however, our team members historically, and currently, are welcome to work remotely/virtually from anywhere in the U.S. provided a willingness to travel on-site to our various client locations on an as-needed basis.

You will develop collaborative, lasting professional and personal relationships with clients regardless of your level and provide valuable services as a genuine trusted advisor.

You will have the opportunity for substantial professional development. There will be variety in the clients and situations that you work with that will build upon your current experiences.

You will work in an environment and culture where your efforts matter to our team and clients. The work that you do is highly valued and appreciated by our clients.

We offer a unique and comprehensive compensation package, including a consistent track record of maximum bonus payout and an upside in compensation when our practice exceeds its annual financial goals.

Promotions and career advancement are based on ability and talent, not tenure - our merit-based promotions provide opportunity to accelerate your career trajectory.

Our unique approach to practice and client management offers opportunities for autonomy and predictability in schedule from week-to-week, as well as reduced travel compared to industry standard - allowing our people to better plan their work activities and personal lives.

We place significant emphasis on the value of personal time. We understand that professional opportunities and advancement are important to you, but that time for family, friends and personal pursuits are essential to your life and overall fulfillment. Making sure that team members have flexibility at work, opportunities to enjoy evenings and weekends and to truly disconnect for holidays and time off is critical to each team member's professional engagement and personal well-being.

When times get tough, we get tougher - and we stand by our people. We had extremely high retention during the pandemic - and we maintained our regular cycle of compensation increases and paid out substantially full bonuses to our team members throughout the uncertain time.

While we want our people to stay with our firm for their entire careers, we are also realistic. Though we hope that you continue to grow with our firm and progress through the leadership levels, we are equally committed to advancing your professional skills and career opportunities wherever they may lead which could include, but not limited to, a Controller or CFO role within a private equity business, a strategic M&A advisor, or finance operating partner within a private equity firm, etc.

If you are looking to join a talented, rapidly growing, entrepreneurially minded team where you can be your whole self, provide value to your clients, advance your skills and deepen your experiences, then consider joining our Strategic FP&A team at CBIZ Private Equity Advisory. The Associate will be a full-time permanent consultant helping to grow our Strategic FP&A practice. The Associate will support our clients, private equity backed portfolio companies, by implementing strategic FP&A initiatives. The Associate will facilitate proactive decision making through forecasting models and drive value with data and analytics during times of transaction and transition. We are seeking an individual with a strong background in data and analytics and a solid foundation in finance and accounting.

Essential Functions and Primary Duties

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Assist in development of core financial and operational reporting and strategic analysis in supporting decision-making for our fast-growing private equity backed companies;
• Contribute to design and implementation of reporting and forecasting models and analyses to instill ongoing performance management capabilities;
• Communicate and interface with key stakeholders including both company management (including C-suite) and private equity deal and operational teams to actively plan, manage, and execute on engagements;
• Support the development and deployment of actionable plans to achieve set expectations, and communicate results consistently to key stakeholders and the Project Lead;
• Take ownership of functional work, which could include but is not limited to:
  • Budgeting / forecasting
  • Financial and operational reporting
  • Profitability analysis
  • Developing business processes
  • Data management

Preferred Qualifications

• 1-3 years of experience in either:
  • Consulting/Advisory with a focus on finance effectiveness, strategy and operations, analytics, performance improvement or technology
  • Corporate FP&A or Sales/Ops Finance Analyst, preferably with a middle-market private equity backed company
• Intermediate knowledge of BI Tools or Data Analytics
• Strong working knowledge of finance / accounting concepts such as financial statement mechanics
• Demonstrated ability to present and support finance concepts to drive analysis and decisions (e.g., financial statement analysis, financial ratio application, and budgeting / forecasting)
• Advanced proficiency in Excel
• Strong business acumen and verbal / written communication

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required
• 3 years of experience in related field
• Must be able to work in a team environment
• Presentation skills mandatory
• Must possess analytical skills
• Proficient use of applicable technology
• Demonstrated ability to communicate verbally and in writing within all levels of an organization, both internally and externally
• Must be able to travel based on client and business needs

CBIZ, Inc. (NYSE: CBZ) is a leading professional services advisor to middle-market businesses nationwide. With industry knowledge and expertise in accounting, tax, advisory, benefits, insurance, and technology, CBIZ delivers actionable insights to help clients anticipate what is next and discover new ways to accelerate growth. CBIZ has more than 9,500 team members across 23 major markets coast to coast. CBIZ strives to be our team members' employer of choice by creating an environment where team members are appreciated, recognized for their contributions, and provided with opportunities to grow, both personally and professionally, throughout their careers. Together, CBIZ and CBIZ CPAs are ranked as one of the top providers of accounting services in the United States. CBIZ CPAs is an independent CPA firm that provides audit, review and attest services, while CBIZ provides business consulting, tax and financial services. In certain jurisdictions, CBIZ CPAs operates under its previous name, Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.