Finance Business Partner

Role Summary

Will serve as a financial partner to the Central Technology leadership teams to ensure the financial, strategic, and operational objectives are met. Responsible for leading and delivering data–driven financial & investment analysis, data modeling, and forecasting & reporting. The role will rely on knowledge of digital technology services & systems, business requirements, and relevant quantitative and qualitative measurements to rationalize value. By rationalizing the commercial value of investments, this role will help leadership influence the adoption of strategic initiatives across the operating divisions and help ensure operating targets are achieved.

Collaboration, partnership and active stakeholder management are foundational to success in this role. Thriving in an evolving environment, working to drive innovation, and embed industry best practices to drive sustainable growth is key.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Analysis

• Monitors the finance progress against leadership team strategic goals and identifies bottlenecks to progress, identifying potential solutions, providing advice and escalating as needed to ensure goals are achieved.

• Applies common quantitative techniques such as discounted cash flow (DCF), ROI and other KPIs, fiscal and accounting impact of typical commercial activities, or standard financial structures and instruments.

• Provides analysis to support decision–making, including presenting economic outcomes, identifying the key value drivers, benefits, sensitivities and risks, accounting and fiscal implications.

• Can clearly articulate to leadership the overall business value of an investment using both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

• Prepares and analyses problems using sensitivity analysis and other techniques; reviews variance analyses and reconciliations and identifies significant items requiring the attention of higher–level management.

• Has experience working with multiple financial models.

Cost Management

• Applies a strategic planning approach, identifying tools, techniques and practices that are business enablers and enhance improvements in cost/performance or sustainability.

• Applies various techniques such as target costing, value analysis, and life cycle assessment.

• Prepares analysis and reports that enable the business management to effectively challenge costs and inform decision–making.

• Participates in cost efficiency efforts with the business to understand key drivers and cost reduction opportunities.

• Experience in budgeting and forecasting to measure and ensure success against financial targets

Investment Analysis & Allocation

• Applies a combination of quantitative methods, qualitative judgment and forward estimates in the development of sophisticated capital investment analysis.

• Assures the analysis and planning beyond the scope of capital spending to the wider expenditure (R&D, marketing, talent, etc).

• Communicates investment analysis criteria to non–finance professionals in a clear and concise manner to support decision–making, utilizing resources that drive revenue growth or cost efficiencies.

Leadership Capabilities:

• Ability to Influence Others – Identifies the agendas, concerns, and motivations & interests of others, and is persuasive when positioning ideas and arguments to address them. Proactively cultivates networks with key individuals across functions to gain support for ideas, creating a foundation for future influence. Ensures that all proposals or arguments are fully supported by strong logic and a compelling business case, addressing all relevant factors.

• Communication – Communicates financial information and concepts in a clear, precise, thorough manner to meet the needs of both finance and non–finance audiences.Ensures that own positions effectively address others' needs and priorities, and that concerns are openly discussed and addressed. Projects self–assurance and unshakable confidence to influence outcomes with persuasiveness and candor. Appreciates the diversity of stakeholder interactions and adapts personal style as well as approach accordingly.

• Strategic Decision Making – Critically and logically evaluates potential short– and long–term costs, risks, and benefits of alternatives before making key decisions. Critically and logically evaluates the costs, risks, and benefits of alternatives before making decisions.

• Accountability and Ownership – Prioritizes and balances, organizes, and allocates time, actions, and resources to generate significant positive results and achieve critical goals, even in fast–moving or uncertain situations. Anticipates and decisively intervenes, addressing and removing obstacles, and redirects efforts to accelerate work; improves quality, moves the work forward, and/or gets efforts back on track.

• Collaboration and Partnering – Identifies opportunities and takes actions to build relationships between own area and other teams/departments to help achieve business goals.

• Change Management Capability – Understands the change management process. Able to influence and lead others to embrace change positively in support of organizational objectives.

• Prioritization – Juggles many priorities and competing demands for one's time. Understands the importance of materiality when prioritizing work.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting or related subject

• MBA a plus

• 5 + years of relevant financial experience

• Track record of partnering & collaborating in both teams and one–to–one environments

• Experience in supporting digital technology environments is a plus

Learning is the most powerful force for change in the world. More than 20,000 Pearson employees deliver our products and services in nearly 200 countries, all working towards a common purpose – to help everyone achieve their potential through learning. We do that by providing high quality, digital content and learning experiences, as well as assessments and qualifications that help people build their skills and grow with the world around them. We are the world's leading learning company. Learn more at pearsonplc.