Lead Specialist, Finance Business Partner

Role Description

We’re looking for a Lead Specialist, Finance Business Partner to provide strategic, commercial and financial leadership to the Product & Technology organisation within Pearson Virtual Schools. This is a highly visible role, partnering closely with senior leaders – including the Chief Technology Officer – and owning end‑to‑end financial performance and investment decision‑making across a $200M+ operating and investment portfolio.

You’ll play a key role in shaping financial strategy, driving rigorous planning and forecasting, and enabling confident, data‑driven decisions. Working closely with embedded FP&A analysts within Pearson Finance Services (PFS), you’ll bring clarity, control and insight to a fast‑paced, evolving technology environment.

This role suits a commercially minded finance leader who enjoys operating at senior level, influencing outcomes, and translating complex financial data into clear, actionable insight.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and reporting for the Product & Technology organisation, aligned to strategic priorities and investment roadmaps.
• Own monthly performance oversight, including results, KPIs and key variance drivers, providing clear executive‑level commentary and forward‑looking insight.
• Act as a strategic partner to Product & Technology leaders, supporting data‑driven decision making across the portfolio.
• Lead the development and evaluation of business cases for new investments, partnerships and product initiatives, including scenario analysis and risk assessment.
• Identify and drive opportunities for cost optimisation, operating efficiency and revenue growth, turning insight into measurable outcomes.
• Ensure strong financial governance and control, in line with global finance policies, internal controls and capital approval standards.
• Drive implementation of global finance processes and the target finance operating model within the team.
• Present clear, compelling financial insights to senior leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Collaborate closely with Pearson Finance Services to enable efficient, scalable planning and reporting.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior finance or finance business partnering role, supporting complex organisations and senior stakeholders.
• Strong financial and analytical capability, including advanced financial modelling, scenario analysis and investment appraisal.
• Ability to operate effectively in fast‑paced, ambiguous environments while balancing multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with confidence influencing at senior leadership level.
• Strong understanding of financial governance, controls and performance management.
• Experience driving process improvement, standardisation and operating model change.
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting or a related field (MBA, CPA, CFA or similar is a plus).
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills, with experience creating executive‑level financial insight.
• Experience with enterprise finance systems such as Oracle, Hyperion/Essbase, SmartView or planning tools is highly desirable.

Compensation

• The minimum full-time salary range is between $125,000 – $145,000.
• This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume and a cover letter outlining their qualifications and experience to .

Application Deadline

Applications will be accepted through May 15th, 2026. This window may be extended depending on business needs.