Senior Specialist: Financial Planning & Analysis. at Cellulant Corporation

JOB DESCRIPTION

• As a senior specialist in the Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) team, you will perform various tasks, such as analyzing financial data, creating reports, and providing insights to support decision-making. You will work on budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis to help the organization understand its financial performance and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, you will collaborate with different departments to gather data, develop financial models, and assist in strategic planning initiatives. Your role is critical in providing valuable financial insights that aid in making informed business decisions and you should therefore be comfortable with stakeholder management, working with people at all levels in the organization and adept at forming trusted and collaborative relationships.
• Key Relationships: You will work closely with Group/Business Functional Leaders, Country General Managers, Finance Managers & CFO.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Tracking and Analysis:

• Monitor and analyze key performance indicators to assess the company's financial health and performance.
• Prepare comprehensive reports and presentations to communicate KPI trends and insights to stakeholders.

Revenue and Cost Analysis:

• Conduct thorough revenue and cost analysis to identify trends, drivers, and areas for improvement.
• Collaborate with relevant departments to optimize revenue streams and cost efficiencies.

Dashboard Development:

• Design and create interactive dashboards to present business performance and highlight new initiatives.
• Utilize data visualization tools to provide clear and insightful information to management.

Business Case Development:

• Collaborate with the Business team to understand investment opportunities and large customer prospects.
• Develop robust business cases that enable informed decision-making and pricing strategies.

Customer, Product, and Market Profitability Analysis:

• Analyze customer, product, and market data to assess profitability and inform strategic decisions.
• Provide recommendations for improving profitability and optimizing resource allocation.

Unit Economics and Pricing:

• Assess unit economics to evaluate the financial viability of individual products or services.
• Participate in pricing strategies to ensure competitive positioning and maximize profitability.

Market Insights:

• Research and provide relevant market insights to support data-driven decision-making.
• Keep abreast of industry trends and developments to inform strategic initiatives.

Trusted Business Partner:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and act as a trusted partner, providing financial expertise and support.
• Communicate financial insights in a clear and concise manner to diverse stakeholders.

Budget Coordination:

• Oversee and coordinate the budgeting process across different markets, business units, and cost centers.
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to ensure accurate and timely budget submissions.

Rolling Forecasts:

• Develop and maintain rolling forecasts to provide ongoing financial projections for the business.
• Continuously update forecasts to reflect changing business conditions and emerging trends.

Budget Availability Advisory:

• Advise management on the availability of budget allocations for both operational and capital expenses.
• Review and assess budget reallocation options to optimize resource allocation and drive efficiency.

Budget Vs Actual Performance Analysis:

• Monitor and track actual financial performance against budgeted targets on a regular basis.
• Analyze year-to-date variances and identify key drivers contributing to deviations.

Performance Projection:

• Utilize historical data and current trends to project expected actual performance for the remainder of the budget period.
• Provide management with insights to support strategic decision-making based on performance projections.

Adverse Variance Highlighting:

• Identify and flag adverse variances that require immediate attention from management or leadership.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to proactively address challenges and drive performance improvements.

Ad-hoc Financial Projects:

• Support ad-hoc financial projects and special initiatives as assigned by the management team.
• Demonstrate flexibility & adaptability to work on diverse projects, contributing to the company's financial objectives and strategic goals.

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Must-Have Experience:

First-Class Financial Modelling Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in financial modeling techniques, including building complex financial models from scratch.
• Proficiency in creating detailed financial forecasts, sensitivity analyses, and scenario planning to support strategic initiatives.
• Ability to model various financial scenarios and assess their impact on key performance indicators.

Business Partnering:

• Proven experience in collaborating with business units and stakeholders to provide financial insights and guidance.
• Ability to work closely with non-finance teams, understand their needs, and align financial analysis with business objectives.
• Strong communication skills to effectively translate financial data into actionable insights for decision-makers.

Understanding Complex Business Opportunities:

• Track record of analyzing and evaluating complex business opportunities, including mergers and acquisitions, new market entries, and strategic investments.
• Experience in conducting financial due diligence and assessing the financial viability of potential opportunities.

Pricing and Unit Economics:

• Comprehensive understanding of pricing strategies and their impact on unit economics and overall profitability.
• Ability to analyze pricing models, assess price elasticity and make data-driven recommendations to optimize pricing strategies.

High Level of Competence in Accounting Systems/ERP/CRM:

• Proficiency in working with accounting systems, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, and customer relationship management (CRM) tools.
• Experience in extracting, manipulating, and analyzing financial data from these systems to generate meaningful insights.

Experience That Will Count In Your Favor: 

• Industry Experience: Prior industry experience in Payments/Fintech would be a plus.
• Continent Experience: African experience across multiple markets.

Nice To Have Experience:

• Commercial Negotiation: Support the negotiation process by providing relevant analysis, insights, and data-driven recommendations to the negotiation team or stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, and or a related field.
• 5-6 years of relevant experience in financial planning and analysis or a similar role.
• Proven experience in financial planning, budgeting, and performance analysis.
• Advanced knowledge of financial modeling techniques and tools.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a keen eye for detail.
• Ability to work independently, manage priorities, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to connect financial analysis with broader business strategies.
• Professional certifications such as CFA, CPA, or equivalent are a plus.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey financial insights to diverse stakeholders.
• Analytical thinker with attention to detail, able to identify trends, patterns, and potential areas for improvement.

Skills;

• Superior financial modeling, deep accounting knowledge, expert in developing and delivering executive presentations.

Attributes;

• Proven commercial acumen, a natural business partner, very engaging, a great communicator, can quickly earn the respect of senior business colleagues, a collegiate approach, an ambitious and driven professional.