Financial Analyst

QA Higher Education; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading higher education institution in Birmingham seeks a Finance & Data Analyst to shape smarter, data-driven decisions. In this hybrid role, you will analyze financial trends, prepare important reports, and collaborate with various teams to ensure accurate and insightful reporting. Candidates should be qualified accountants with strong skills in Excel and financial analysis. Join us to make a significant impact in the financial landscape of education and enjoy professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Collaborative work environment

Diverse and inclusive workplace

Qualifications

• Experience in a finance role with exposure to financial analysis and reporting.
• Strong Excel skills with confidence in handling large data sets.
• Excellent attention to detail and proactive problem-solving approach.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evolve dashboards, reports, and KPIs.
• Analyse variances and trends for decision-making.
• Prepare month-end income reports with variance analysis.
• Deliver cash flow forecasts monitoring performance.
• Drive automation and process improvements in reporting tools.

Skills

Financial analysis

Excel (pivot tables, lookups)

Data reporting

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Education

Qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent)

Part-qualified finalist

Tools

Power BI

Microsoft Dynamics

Workday

Job description

🌟 Shape the Future of Finance with Data-Driven Decisions

Finance & Data Analyst

Location : Birmingham City Centre

Hybrid (2 days on-site per week) with occasional travel to London and Leeds

Organisation : QA Higher Education

Are you passionate about turning data into insight and driving financial excellence?

At QA Higher Education, we’re on a mission to deliver a first-class experience for our students—and that starts with robust financial and data analysis. We’re looking for a Finance & Data Analyst to join our dynamic Finance team and help shape smarter, data‑driven decisions across the business.

You will be a recently qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent) or a part‑qualified finalist, and you will have experience with taking data and turning it into both reports and insightful analysis. Study support will be provided for candidates still actively studying towards a recognised accountancy qualification.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Develop and evolve dashboards, reports, and KPIs as new data sets are added to our Data Warehouse.
• Analyse variances and trends, providing commercial insight to support decision‑making.
• Prepare month‑end income reports, including variance analysis, commentary, and KPI dashboards.
• Deliver bi‑monthly cash flow forecasts, monitoring actual performance against projections.
• Drive automation and process improvements in financial reporting tools and practices.
• Collaborate with FP&A, Income teams, and operational leads to ensure accurate, timely, and insightful reporting.

What You’ll Bring

• Experience in a finance role with exposure to financial analysis and reporting.
• Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, formula auditing) and confidence working with large data sets.
• Ability to meet tight deadlines and manage multiple priorities, especially around month‑end and forecasting cycles.
• Excellent attention to detail and proactive problem‑solving approach.
• Strong communication skills to present financial information clearly to non‑finance stakeholders.

Desirable: Familiarity with tools like Power BI, FluenceXL, and ERP systems (Microsoft Dynamics, Workday).

Why Join QA Higher Education?

• Be part of a collaborative and forward‑thinking team that values continuous learning.
• Make a real impact by shaping financial insight and operational improvement.
• Enjoy professional development opportunities and support for your growth.
• Work in a diverse and inclusive environment where your voice matters.

About QA Higher Education

QAHE partners with leading UK universities to deliver a wide range of programmes—from foundation to postgraduate level—across subjects like Business, Computing, Cyber Security, and more. We’re committed to widening access to higher education and creating a safe, inclusive learning environment for all.

Equal Opportunities

QA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.

Please note: The successful candidate will be required to complete a basic DBS check.

Ready to Turn Data into Insight?

Apply now and help us drive financial excellence at QA Higher Education.