Financial Analyst

Job Title: Financial Analyst

Duration: 12 Months (Possible extension based on performance & business need)

Location: Mettawa, IL 60045

Work Schedule: Hybrid (Onsite: Tuesday-Thursday; Remote: Monday & Friday). Note: Flexibility is required to work onsite on Mondays or Fridays as needed for critical deadlines/projects.

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled and self-motivated Financial Analyst II to support the US Commercial Finance/FP&A organization during an intensive financial planning cycle. This position reports to the Senior Finance Manager and will support expense planning, financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and process automation/improvements while providing ad-hoc analysis and backup coverage for the team.

The ideal candidate possesses strong FP&A fundamentals, advanced systems skills (Excel, Power Query, Power BI), and a proactive mindset to streamline and rebuild complex financial reporting models.

Key Responsibilities:

• Process Improvement & Automation:
  
  • Take primary ownership of enhancing the structure, efficiency, and automation of core consolidation and planning files (GOAT files).
  • Conduct a comprehensive inventory of working papers to remove, modify, or add content (e.g., categorizing Impactable vs. Non-Impactable items).
  • Establish a standardized framework for spending categories across working papers to ensure clarity and consistency.
  • Implement automated data refreshes for SAP actuals directly within planning files and streamline underlying data tables.
  
  
  
• FP&A, Budgeting & Forecasting:
  • Assist with BPC data loads during Annual Plan, Latest Best Estimates (LBEs), and Long-Range Plans (LRP) cycles.
  • Track and analyze promotional, marketing, and sales force budgets; evaluate monthly actuals against benchmarks (Plan/LBEs) to highlight risks and opportunities.
  • Assist in monthly financial close activities, including headcount reporting, expense tracking, and variance analysis.
  • Prepare monthly executive presentation packages highlighting key business stories, drivers, and issues.
  
  
  
• Reporting & Collaboration:
  • Rebuild and redesign complex Excel models and Power BI dashboards to eliminate manual processes and improve usability.
  • Collaborate across multiple commercial finance stakeholders and provide flexible backup coverage for team members.
  
  
  

Required Qualifications & Experience

Basic Requirements:

• Education: Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Finance required.
• Experience: 4+ years of hands-on FP&A, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis experience.
• Industry: Prior experience in Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, or Healthcare industries is highly preferred for faster onboarding.
• FP&A Focus: Candidate should have direct FP&A experience rather than pure accounting/general ledger background.
• Technical Proficiency: Verified advanced skills in Excel, Power Query, Power BI, and SAP/BPC.

Technical Skills (Must-Have):

1. Advanced Microsoft Excel: Expert in complex formulas, large workbooks, dynamic financial modeling, and data manipulation.
2. Power Query: Strong experience using Power Query to transform, clean, and automate data workflows.
3. Power BI: Hands-on experience developing, redesigning, and enhancing reporting dashboards.
4. SAP & SAP BPC: Strong working knowledge of SAP; SAP BPC experience preferred for financial planning and forecast uploads.

Soft Skills & Capabilities:

• Self-Starter & Independent: Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results with minimal supervision in a fast-paced environment.
• Process Improvement Mindset: Proven track record of identifying inefficiencies and automating manual reporting processes.
• Communication & Business Partnership: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills to explain complex financial data clearly to non-finance stakeholders.