Role Description

The Financial Planning Accountant is responsible for performing budgeting, forecasting and analysis that supports major corporate decisions of the divisional manager of a portfolio business. This role is focused on examining, analyzing and evaluating financial activities and mapping the company’s financial future.

While this role is part of the finance department, the seat is at the portfolio business with a reporting line to most senior finance role at the portfolio business (typically a Manager or Financial Controller).

Duties and Responsibilities:

Cost Modeling

• Prepare and review quotations for prospective and existing clients
• Identify service needs and requirements then work with other departments to determine the related costs
• Model costs for various scenarios in Microsoft Excel and analyze the impacts of each
• Analyze the modelling process and work to eliminate inefficiencies and reduce cost to maximize profit and provide competitive quotations
• Develop, maintain, update and use a template to ensure consistency across quotations
• Identify areas for operational or procurement improvement
• Present to relevant parties and discuss issues related to quotations

Forecasting, Budgeting & Planning

• Execute the budget development process based on a zero-based budget approach
• Prepare monthly forecasts based on changes to the business, the market and the operating environment
• Prepare rolling forecasts quarterly or more frequently if needed to help management make better decisions in order to reach their goals
• Assist with developing business case proposals and plans for expansion projects and new opportunities

Management Reporting

• Assist the FP&A manager to prepare a monthly reporting package to be presented during the management meeting.
• Track performance through charts, graphs and tables monthly or more frequently if the portfolio business requires
• Analyze the portfolio business’s revenue mix and profitability by department, customer, industry or through a grouping that provides insights to the business.  Monitor trends over time and proactively investigate any areas that stand out
• Track performance management by reviewing KPIs
• Track the variance of actual operations against the budgets and forecasts. Investigate large or unusual variances in order to improve future forecasting and to safeguard the business

Decision Support

• Analyze historical financials by reviewing key financial ratios and tracking trends over time and against industry averages
• Track trends over time, identify outliers and work to improve the portfolio business’s operating efficiency
• Monitor financial expenditures throughout any projects

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance
• Accounting certifications (CPA, ACCA or CIMA) highly preferred
• 3+ years of progressive accounting experience
• Fluent in English
• Extremely organized and attentive to detail
• Strong with numbers
• Thorough understanding of accounting and financial reporting principles and practices
• Excellent verbal and written skills
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel and Word
• Familiarity with Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) software systems