FP&MI Finance Manager

Pearson Education; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational organization in the United Kingdom is seeking a Finance Manager to join its Group Planning and Management Information team. This role involves providing critical financial insights for informed decision-making at the senior levels, preparing management reports, and delivering robust financial forecasts. Candidates should have a recognized accountancy qualification and at least 2 years of post-qualification experience. Strong attention to detail and excellent communication skills are essential. This position offers a dynamic environment with significant visibility across the organization.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to extract insight from financial data.
• Excellent narrative tailoring for senior audiences.
• Confidence to challenge constructively in stakeholder interactions.

Responsibilities

• Deliver monthly internal management reporting templates.
• Review monthly results and follow up variances.
• Support preparation of Group Prelims and Annual Report.
• Work closely with stakeholders across Finance.

Skills

Attention to detail

Commercial mindset

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Organisational skills

Education

Recognised accountancy qualification (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or MBA

2+ years PQE

Tools

Excel modelling

Data visualisation tools

Oracle/Hyperion

Job description

Job Description

About the Role

We're looking for a Finance Manager to join Pearson's Group Planning and Management Information team. In this role, you'll provide critical financial insight to the CFO, Deputy CFO, Executive Team, and Board, enabling informed decision-making across the business.

You will prepare accurate management reporting, deliver robust forecasts, and support the verification of key external financial communications. This is a high-impact role with visibility at the most senior levels of the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Management Reporting & Analysis

• Deliver monthly internal management reporting templates, including divisional trading packs, group management packs, and Board reports
• Review monthly results, identify anomalies, and follow up variances with business units
• Prepare Group month-end results and monthly management reporting for Board and Executive review
• Provide ad hoc analysis to support leadership decision-making

External Reporting & Verification

• Support preparation of Group Prelims, Interims, and Annual Report, including relevant disclosures (e.g., WACC)
• Provide ad hoc support to Investor Relations
• Verify accuracy of financial and operational data included in external announcements, presentations, and annual reporting

Financial Planning

• Support group consolidations and reporting
• Review divisional and group plans, highlight anomalies, and follow up as required

Collaboration & General Activity

• Work closely with colleagues across Finance, including BPM, PFS, Group Reporting, Financial Control, GPO, and Centres of Excellence
• Partner with teams such as Investor Relations, Reward, and Group Strategy
• Participate in the Financial Planning & Reporting community, including monthly FP&R meetings

Essential Skills

• Exceptional attention to detail
• Strong commercial mindset - able to extract insight from financial data
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills; able to tailor narratives for senior audiences
• Broad finance understanding with the ability to identify when to draw on specialist expertise
• Strong stakeholder management with confidence to challenge constructively
• Highly organised, adaptable, and accountable; able to work effectively in fast-changing environments

Qualifications & Experience

• Recognised accountancy qualification (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or MBA
• 2+ years PQE
• Complex Excel modelling capabilities
• Experience with data visualisation tools or techniquesExperience with group reporting/consolidation systems (Oracle/Hyperion preferred)

About the Team

The Group Planning and Management Information team delivers internal financial reporting, forecasting, and planning for Pearson's Board and senior leadership. The team defines reporting requirements, oversees planning processes, prepares group-level outputs, and verifies financial information used in external communications.

The team works closely with Pearson Financial Services (PFS) in Belfast and collaborates with the Group Financial Reporting team and other finance partners across the organisation.