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): Advanced Microsoft Excel: Expert in complex formulas, large workbooks, dynamic financial modeling, and data manipulation. Power Query: Strong experience using Power Query to transform, clean, and automate data workflows. Power BI: Hands-on experience developing, redesigning, and enhancing reporting dashboards. 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.