Head of Financial Planning & Analysis, Asia

COGNITA ASIA HOLDINGS PTE. LTD.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

An international education group in Singapore is seeking a Head of FP&A to drive financial planning and analysis across their Asian schools. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in finance, leadership capabilities, and strong analytical skills. Responsibilities include overseeing financial reporting, supporting leadership decisions, and mentoring finance teams. This role offers an opportunity to impact financial performance in a multi-market environment.

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of relevant finance and accounting experience.
• 3-5 years of leadership and team management experience.
• Conversant in international accounting standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor the regional FP&A team.
• Oversee monthly financial reporting for compliance.
• Support the regional leadership in decision making.

Skills

Strong leadership skills

Analytical mindset

Effective communication

Experience with finance systems

Education

Degree in finance or accounting

CA/CPA certification

Tools

MS Excel

MS PowerPoint

Job description

About Cognita Asia

cognita asia currently operates 11 schools in 5 countries, with more than 16,000 students. while our schools are part of a group, they are unique in many ways. in cognita asia, we have a robust regional team that supports our schools. the team is based in singapore and provides centralized support across various functions. we are looking for dynamic individuals who thrive in a collaborative and inclusive environment.

About the Role

we are seeking a highly analytical and commercially minded head of fp&a to lead financial planning, forecasting, performance management, and financial business partnering across our portfolio of schools in asia.

the role will drive financial insight, enable data‑driven decisions, and ensure financial discipline in a complex, multi‑market environment.

we are looking for someone with a good mix of financial analysis, business planning, accounting, and commercial finance experience; who will serve as a key thought partner to senior regional leadership, driving regional financial performance while supporting local finance teams to embed fp&a best practices.

Responsibilities

Leadership

• lead and mentor the regional fp&a team
• serve as go‑to person for the local finance teams for fp&a and business partnering matters and drive a high‑performance culture across countries
• support career development opportunities and personal growth of members of the asia finance organisation
• act as the interface between the cognita group finance team and the asia regional finance team

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

• oversee the monthly financial reporting process (p&l and cash flow) and ensure compliance with internal and external requirements as well as forecast accuracy
• manage the annual budgeting, kpi setting and long‑term planning and support the local finance and school leadership teams during these processes
• support the asia leadership team in producing stakeholder materials and executive presentations, such as monthly business review documentation and board reports
• act as key contact for the cognita group team for the coordination on fp&a matters
• oversee the management of cashflow requirements, repatriation of funds and group borrowings between schools and group treasury

Business Partnering

• partner with the local finance teams, country and school heads, as well as the regional operation teams to support commercial decisions, such as pricing strategies, staffing planning, and cost optimisation
• collaborate with the finance and operation teams to support financial performance and delivery of kpi
• act as an advisor on both strategic and operational matters, challenging assumptions constructively and bringing financial rigor to decision‑making

Investment decisions & Growth

• support the regional leadership team in decision making by providing research and analytics
• support the evaluation of growth projects (e.g. school expansions or acquisition projects) through the development of business plans and sensitivity analysis
• analyse and track the financial performance of projects

The job holder’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom s/he is responsible, or with whom s/he comes into contact, will be to adhere to and ensure compliance with the relevant cognita safeguarding; child protection policy and procedures at all times. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the role, the job holder identifies any instance that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm either at school or at home, s/he must report any concerns to the school’s child protection officer/designated safeguarding lead or to the head or indeed to the regional ceo so that a referral can be made accordingly to the relevant third party services.

Position Requirements

Leadership

• strong leadership skills with an ability to motivate and coach teams across functions to achieve high performance
• effective communicator with strong written, verbal and presentation skills
• highly motivated and ready to go the extra mile when required
• able to manage stakeholder requirements and prioritise outcomes to meet deadlines
• proven track record of working in a fast‑moving and growing organization with an aptitude for change

Knowledge and Skills

• analytical mindset with an eye for details
• strong understanding of finance operations, compliance processes and monitoring
• experienced user of finance systems and technology
• advanced knowledge of ms office applications especially excel and powerpoint

Personal Qualities

• enjoys working in a multi‑cultural and cross‑functional environment
• organised and self‑motivated, keen to take‑on challenges and big projects
• open to learning, adaptable
• accountable and responsible

Qualifications

• degree qualified in finance or accounting with a ca/cpa
• 10‑15 years relevant experience in finance and accounting, with a regional or global exposure (ideally with a top tier professional services firm)
• 3‑5 years of leadership and team management experience
• conversant in international accounting standards and singapore financial reporting standards

Contacts

• asia cfo and regional office team
• heads of schools and school management
• school finance teams
• regional banks
• group finance team

for interested applicants, please submit your applications via the following link: https://cognitapeople.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/1931?c=cognitapeople&source=mycareerfuture