ZS Associates

Finance Specialist - Finance Business Partnership

ZS Associates$80K — $110K *
Finance & Insurance
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field; MBA/CPA beneficial but not required.
  • 5-7 years in commercial finance, FP&A, consulting or similar finance business role.
  • Strong financial skills including P&L management and variance analysis.
  • Experience working with senior stakeholders to influence decisions.
  • Advanced Excel, Power BI, and PowerPoint proficiency; skilled in financial reporting tools.
  • Excellent communicator, able to clarify complex financial concepts for business audiences.
  • Highly driven with robust task management and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

  • Act as finance partner to senior leaders, offering financial insights for decision making.
  • Identify risks and opportunities to influence revenue and resource allocation outcomes.
  • Support pricing, deal structuring, and ensure alignment with financial objectives.
  • Lead budgeting and forecasting processes for effective business planning.
  • Monitor financial performance, providing explanations and recommendations on variances.
  • Produce management reports including P&L analysis and investment tracking.
  • Mentor junior analysts and finance partners for skills development and stakeholder engagement.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive total rewards package focused on health, financial future, and professional growth.
  • Robust skills-building programs and multiple career progression paths.
  • Hybrid working model to balance remote and on-site work.
  • Travel for client-facing roles to enhance professional experience and client relationships.
  • Commitment to inclusion and support for diverse backgrounds and personal experiences.
Full Job Description
Responsibilities: • Act as a trusted finance partner to senior business leaders, supporting account, practice, or portfolio level decision making with clear financial insights and perspectives • Influence commercial outcomes by proactively identifying risks, opportunities, and trade offs related to revenue, margin, investment, and resource allocation. • Directly support pricing, deal structuring, and commercial evaluations, ensuring alignment with firm financial objectives and risk thresholds. • Lead forecasting, budgeting, and scenario analysis processes to support short and long term business planning • Monitor financial performance versus plan, identify variances, and provide clear explanations and recommendations to leadership. • Develop and deliver meaningful management reporting, including P&L analysis, margin drivers, and investment tracking. • Serve as a mentor and coach to junior Finance Business Partners and analysts, responsible for helping them develop their technical skills, business acumen, and confidence in stakeholder engagement. • Ensure strong financial hygiene across project and account level reporting, including forecast accuracy, committed spend visibility, and financial controls. • Partner with cross functional teams to support procurement, investment tracking, and compliance with finance processes. • Support month end, quarter end, and year end close activities, ensuring data integrity and timeliness. • Serve as a subject matter expert within Finance Business Partnering, supporting best practices, training, and knowledge sharing. • Actively contribute to continuous improvement of finance tools, processes, and reporting standards. • Act as a role model for effective business partnership, professionalism, and financial rigor, helping raise the overall maturity and effectiveness of the team Qualifications: • Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field; MBA/CPA, other designations a plus, but not required. • 5-7 years of progressive experience in commercial finance, corporate finance, financial planning & analysis (FP&A), consulting, or similar finance business partnering role. • Strong financial acumen, including P&L management, forecasting, variance analysis, and commercial modeling. • Proven experience partnering with - and presenting to - senior stakeholders in order to influence decision making. • Advanced proficiency in Excel, Power BI, and PowerPoint and financial analysis skills; strong proficiency in financial systems and reporting tools. • Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex financial concepts into clear, business relevant insights and recommendations. • Sound judgment to constructively challenge stakeholders while also supporting business needs • Highly motivated with a strong work ethic, ownership, and personal initiative • Excellent organizational and task management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities • Fluency in English • Client-first mentality • Intense work ethic • Colllaborative spirit and problem-solving approach How you'll grow: • Cross-functional skills development & custom learning pathways • Milestone training programs aligned to career progression opportunities • Internal mobility paths that empower growth via s-curves, individual contribution and role expansions Perks & Benefits: At ZS, your growth matters. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package that supports your health and well-being, financial future, time away, and professional development. With robust skills-building programs, multiple career progression paths, internal mobility, and a deeply collaborative culture, you'll have the opportunity to do meaningful work, expand your capabilities, and thrive as part of a global community. For details on total rewards in United States, visit ZS US office locations | Where we work | ZS. Hybrid working model: We are committed to giving our employees a flexible and connected way of working. A flexible and connected ZS allows us to combine work from home and on-site presence at clients/ZS offices for the majority of our week. The magic of ZS culture and innovation thrives in both planned and spontaneous face-to-face connections. Travel: Travel is a requirement at ZS for client facing ZSers; business needs of your project and client are the priority. While some projects may be local, all client-facing ZSers should be prepared to travel as needed. Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures. Considering applying? At ZS, we honor the visible and invisible elements of our identities, personal experiences, and belief systems-the ones that comprise us as individuals, shape who we are, and make us unique. We believe your personal interests, identities, and desire to learn are integral to your success here. We are committed to building a team that reflects a broad variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Learn more about our inclusion and belonging efforts and the networks ZS supports to assist our ZSers in cultivating community spaces and obtaining the resources they need to thrive. If you're eager to grow, contribute, and bring your unique self to our work, we encourage you to apply.

About ZS Associates

ZS is a professional services firm that works side by side with companies to help develop and deliver products that drive customer value and company results. From R&D to portfolio strategy, customer insights, marketing and sales strategy, operations and technology, we leverage our deep industry expertise and leading-edge analytics to create solutions that work in the real world. Our most valuable asset is our people?a fact that?s reflected in our values-driven organization in which new perspectives are integral and new ideas are celebrated. ZSers are passionately committed to helping companies and their customers thrive in industries ranging from healthcare and life sciences, to high-tech, financial services, travel and transportation, and beyond.
Learn more about ZS Associates
Size
10,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1983

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