Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for FP&A Analyst
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An FP&A Analyst performs Financial planning and analysis in order to monitor the financial health of businesses. They collect, compile, verify and analyze financial information and economic indicators and generate forecasts. In this blog post we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for FP&A Analysts.
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Main Responsibilities of FP&A Analyst
The following list describes the typical responsibilities of an FP&A Analyst:
Acquire
Acquire, filter, clean, and transform data as required.
Analyze
Analyze and consolidate financial forecasts and budgets.
Analyze current and past trends in key performance indicators.
Analyze data to facilitate understanding of drivers and identification of opportunities.
Analyze financial information for current and future acquisitions.
Analyze financial results, distill and synthesize key messages to business partners.
Analyze, interpret and communicate financial performance.
Analyze profit-and-loss income statements and prepares reports and recommendations to management.
Analyze, interpret and communicate cost and expense variances to management.
Anticipate
Anticipate actions and provide value add input to Business Partners and organization at large.
Apply
Apply creativity in generating solutions to problems.
Approve
Approve PO's and HC movements to ensure coding is correct.
Assist in / Assist with
Assist in capital spend analysis, providing detailed budget performance for Executives.
Assist in effort estimation, status reporting and project time tracking to refine estimation model.
Assist in evaluating Product deals and placements.
Assist in Merger & Acquisition Due Diligence activities.
Assist in monthly accounting close process.
Assist in the contractual relationships with vendors.
Assist in the month-end close process (reporting / consolidation activities).
Assist with ad-hoc analysis and presentation requests.
Assist with Business Process Controls system administration and maintenance.
Assist with industry comparative analysis and benchmarking on key SaaS metrics.
Assist with month-end and quarter-end close and reporting responsibilities.
Assist with monthly, quarterly, annual budget activities.
Assist with special projects as requested.
Assist with the development of the Annual Operating Plan.
Build
Build and analyze long term forecasting scenarios.
Build collaborative & inclusive relationships.
Build collaborative relationships to influence partners.
Build our Revenue and Contribution Margin pipeline.
Collect
Collect, compile, verify and analyze financial information and economic indicators.
Collect / Prepare monthly Area sales forecast / estimate by country.
Collect / prepare / submit both Plan and actual capital report to Division Headquarters.
Compare
Compare budget and actual results.
Compile
Compile the monthly banking compliance package for review and sign-off by CFO.
Complete
Complete job-costing analysis on an on-going basis to support the project management team.
Conduct
Conduct moderate to complex forecasting, financial analysis and performance reporting.
Conduct variance analysis and be able to explain the "why” behind trends.
Consider
Consider complex business issues and weigh-in on the right way to win.
Coordinate
Coordinate budget planning through dissemination of strategic guidance and targets.
Coordinate with managers to develop research and analysis initiatives specific to their needs.
Create
Create and maintain business KPI performance reporting, dashboards and value-added analysis.
Create financial models to improve operational budgeting and sensitivity analysis.
Create new product business cases.
Create supporting user documentation and technical training.
Define
Define frameworks for how we evaluate investments and resource allocation decisions.
Define standard financial reports of the approx.
Design
Design and develop financial models and reports to improve the forecasting and reporting processes.
Develop
Develop analytical frameworks to support AOP and LRP strategies.
Develop and implement actions to streamline the Operations Reporting processes.
Develop and implement annual budgets in line with global budgeting guidelines.
Develop and maintain business knowledge in order to respond to ad hoc reporting requests.
Develop and maintain standardized multi divisional monthly performance management report.
Develop and provide financial analysis support on all IX special projects as required.
Develop and update the company's annual strategic and financial plan.
Develop deep knowledge of businesses, including key levers driving performance and market conditions.
Develop financial models and analyses to support new strategic initiatives.
Develop proficiency in Tableau reporting tool.
Develop scalable reporting and analysis.
Develop, track and analyse key leading indicators and performance metrics.
Drive
Drive efficiencies in processes within and outside of the FP&A function.
Drive efficiencies in processes within and outside of the product and technology organization.
Drive for results mindset with the ability to multitask and navigate through ambiguity.
Drive process efficiency and quality on a lean FPA team.
Drive results - Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.
Drive the annual, quarterly financial planning process for the supported group.
Embrace
Embrace changes and open to new ideas and approaches.
Enable
Enable and challenge strategic initiatives through actionable insight.
Ensure
Ensure both financial and strategic goals are achieved from investments in capital.
Establish
Establish allocation keys for multi-dimensional analyses.
Establish and assures adherence to budgets, schedules, work plans, and performance requirements.
Execute
Execute business controlling tasks as defined in KONE Financial Control Models.
Explain
Explain reason instead of numbers, Propose solutions, and alternatives.
Facilitate
Facilitate productivity tracking.
Finance
Finance support for the Decision Management Suite Line of Business.
Handle
Handle ad-hoc queries from various stakeholders.
Help
Help create and maintain budget tracking for our engineering & product teams.
Help develop various metrics to monitor health of the business on a regular basis.
Help monitor, analyze and understand strategic initiatives.
Host
Host monthly R&D meetings with Executives.
Identify
Identify actionable expense optimization opportunities.
Identify and quantify financial / operational risks and opportunities for the business.
Identify areas where trends suggest further analysis is appropriate with the goal of adding value.
Identify, participate, contribute ideas related to transformation of the process.
Impact
Impact the direction and resource allocation for programs and services.
Implement
Implement and work with a Business Intelligence Tool and Dashboard reports.
Implement forecasting models.
Improve
Improve quality of business partnering.
Initiate
Initiate and drive CS material cost improvement projects.
Interpret
Interpret data to look at past and future trends.
Investigate
Investigate results, and recommend actions to management to improve operational performance.
Lead
Lead effort to develop greater financial acumen in business.
Lead preparation of monthly reporting and communications packages for leadership teams.
Liaise with
Liaise with the Corporate Finance and Business Development teams to satisfy their information needs.
Liaise with the Site Controllers and SME for the significant impact of the results.
Maintain
Maintain and improve scalable monthly expense reporting for internal Twitter business partners.
Maintain and improve spending reporting trackers for better support and control of actuals.
Maintain and update monthly and yearly cash-flow forecasting.
Maintain and update the equipment asset listing in our financial software program.
Maintain Business Intelligence and Modelling Tools.
Maintain current information on BD marketplace and prepare analysis to assist in forecasting.
Maintain databases for raw material pricing.
Maintain data fidelity in our financial databases.
Maintain, produces and communicates a relevant and impactful set of project and operational metrics.
Monitor
Monitor and drive production and profitability (production, UW, expenses).
Oversee
Oversee the preparation of weekly revenue forecasts for presentation to senior management.
Own
Own and modify Finance directive related to FCP for PH & SRC.
Own contractual relationships with vendors.
Participate in
Participate in establishing KPIs for the budgeting and forecasting processes.
Participate in the annual budgeting cycle.
Perform
Perform ad hoc analysis and projects as requested by management.
Perform ad hoc financial modeling and analysis to provide insight into critical initiatives.
Perform ad hoc financial planning and analysis and all other duties as assigned.
Perform analysis of P&L accounts, research, and drive resolution of all outstanding issues.
Perform economic research and studies of rates of return, depreciation and investments.
Perform financial analysis and modeling as directed.
Perform other related duties and responsibilities, on occasion, as assigned.
Perform sensitivity analyses to assess reasonable range of outcomes.
Prepare
Prepare ad hoc analysis as required.
Prepare ad hoc financial analysis as necessary.
Prepare ad hoc reports, value added analysis and variance analysis.
Prepare and deliver management decks with commentaries to HoF of Operations.
Prepare and maintain accuracy, accountability and effectiveness of reports.
Prepare and review the PnL for all Factories in Health Systems and SRC on monthly basis.
Prepare consolidated monthly highlights to be submitted to Division headquarters.
Prepare detailed analytical reviews on a monthly and quarterly basis vs.
Prepare financial plans and budgets.
Prepare forecasts on a 12-month rolling basis.
Prepare monthly analysis for audit compliance.
Prepare monthly and quarterly financial reports with accompanying presentation and dashboard.
Prepare monthly balance sheet.
Prepare monthly bank account reconciliations and other period and year-end financial working papers.
Prepare monthly reports, financial analysis and assist with special projects.
Prepare monthly work-in-progress project profitability analysis for review by the Executive Team.
Prepare operating performance analysis with high level of accuracy for effectively understanding.
Prepare periodic forecasts for region and company near-term planning purposes.
Prepare presentations for Board of Directors and Senior Management.
Prepare quarterly scorecard for Area DVP.
Prepare, attend, minute and keep track of follow ups regarding performance and strategy meetings.
Prepare specific analysis and special projects as required.
Prepare / support the Retail annual budget / planning process.
Prepare the annual budgeting process and quarterly rolling forecasts for various functional groups.
Prepare the annual Retail forecast.
Present
Present information in a concise, intuitive fashion.
Produce
Produce data-driven case studies as required.
Produce various ad hoc financial models and report presentations as required.
Provide
Provide analysis and assistance where needed with respect to monthly financial close.
Provide commentaries against LY / AOP and FC.
Provide financial / analytical support and financial expertise to the business primes.
Provide FP&A support to R&D, System Engineering, PLM, Quality, and Executive.
Provide monthly variance analysis of actuals to budget as part of the financial reporting package.
Provide oversight and mentoring to in-country business analysts.
Provide R&D investment decisions and review spend & headcount analysis.
Provide routine reports to leadership.
Provide spend and payment term visibility across teams.
Provide support in completing AR business case for capex.
Provide weekly, monthly and annual analysis on status of various initiatives.
Publish
Publish payment term / cash flow results monthly.
Publish raw material forecast monthly.
Refine
Refine existing Tableau reports and dashboards, and produce new reports on an ad hoc basis.
Report
Report monthly financial and non-financial performance of IX operations to management.
Research
Research economic progressions to assist the organization s financial planning.
Review
Review and analyse of all monthly p&l reporting vs budget and prior year.
Review and reconcile P / L, B / S and supplemental data with the corporate HFM system.
Share
Share best practices, identify gaps, lead change and help determine priorities.
Store
Store investment planning plan to analyse the profitability for supporting the business decisions.
Support
Support ad-hoc management reporting and analysis, as needed.
Support / assist in the preparation and management of ongoing forecast and budget cycles.
Support continuous improvements and standardization initiatives.
Support financial planning activities.
Support global repair strategy project, including preparation of business cases of repair vs.
Support government funded project claims and financial tracking.
Support internal control initiatives.
Support Investor Relations and Fundraising teams on investor requests.
Support make vs buy analysis for evaluation of different supply opportunities.
Support managers in forecasting the future results of their business.
Support Performance Review preparation including gathering standard inputs from various stakeholders.
Support projects that improve P&L accuracy and provide granular expense transparency.
Support Systems and Processes.
Support testing, reporting and governance for North America FP&A COE strategic projects.
Support the annual budgeting process and responsible for SG&A department budgets.
Support the capital planning process by gathering information, compiling data and analyzing trends.
Support the ongoing initiatives of the Corporate Finance team in systems and reporting improvements.
Support with the analysis and timely effort of work to drive an outcome.
Track
Track and provide insight regarding key operating metrics across the company.
Track and report company-wide MRO spend with primary supplier on a quarterly and YOY basis.
Track operating results, and articulate findings to key stakeholders.
Track, process and validate accruals for several cost centers & accounts.
Train
Train and develop junior staff.
Translate
Translate information into valuable insights and actionable recommendations.
Understand
Understand, clarify and analyze requirements.
Understand / explain business impact of new opportunities to corporate plan.
Use
Use market data to benchmark the company' s performance compared to our competitors.
Validate
Validate, analyze, and publish productivity results monthly.
Work with
Work closely with business managers to achieve results.
Work closely with Control to ensure all allocations and reclasses are done correctly.
Work cross functionally to ensure accurate reporting on all financial metrics and OKRs.
Work on special projects and other duties as assigned.
Work with CFO and VP, Finance on key operational and financial issues.
Work with executive team members to define and provide key information for decision making.
Work with R&D leaders to prepare financial forecasts (budget and outlooks).
Most In-demand Hard Skills
The following list describes the most required technical skills of an FP&A Analyst:
Forecasting
Analysis
Financial Modeling
Tableau
Financial Analysis
Collect Data
Most In-demand Soft Skills
The following list describes the most required soft skills of an FP&A Analyst:
Written and oral communication skills
Analytical ability
Interpersonal skills
Organizational capacity
Problem-solving attitude
Attention to detail
Time-management
Leadership
Multi-task
Define problems
Presentation
Work ethic
Achieve results in a deadline driven environment
High energy
Self-motivated
Work independently with little direction
Initiative
Flexible
Relationship building
Teamwork
Creative