Finance Analyst

Daniel J. Edelman Holdings; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 56,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition reimbursement

CPA licensing fee reimbursement

Job summary

Daniel J. Edelman Holdings is seeking a qualified financial professional for its Chicago-area finance team. The role focuses on month-end close, journal entries, forecasting and budgeting, with strong Excel and data-automation expectations.

You will collaborate with Payroll, HR and Compliance to resolve discrepancies, maintain forecasts for hires and compensation, and support non-salary budgeting. CPA candidates are a plus and tuition/licensing reimbursements are offered.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance; 2+ years of relevant experience.
• High degree of confidentiality and ability to manage sensitive data responsibly.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and automation tools including ChatGPT and Copilot.
• Demonstrated analytical ability and understanding of financial statements, budgeting, and forecasting concepts.
• Ability to organize and analyze detailed financial data and communicate findings clearly.

Responsibilities

• Preparing journal entries for month end close including expense accruals and reclassifications.
• Coordinating with Payroll and HR to resolve identified discrepancies.
• Updating forecast for hires, terminations, promotions, compensation changes, and other workforce activity.
• Maintaining supporting schedules used to forecast for salaries and other employee expenses.
• Partnering with the Controller and Employee Relations in review of the severance accrual.
• Preparing monthly forecast-to-actuals variance commentary.

Skills

Data analysis

Forecasting

Analytical ability

Confidentiality

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance

Tools

Excel

ChatGPT

Copilot

Workday

Adaptive

Job description

We are in relentless pursuit of an equitable and inspiring workplace that is respectful of all, reflects and represents the world in which we live, and fosters trust, collaboration and belonging. Consistent with this approach, we hire the best qualified candidates for all positions.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance with 2+ years of relevant experience. High degree of confidentiality and ability to manage sensitive data responsibly. Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and automation tools including ChatGPT and Copilot. Demonstrated analytical ability and understanding of financial statements, budgeting, and forecasting concepts. Ability to organize and analyze detailed financial data, identify inconsistencies, and clearly communicate findings with explanations and/or proposed solutions in a clean and timely manner.

Preferred Knowledge and Skills

Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills. Strong attention to detail and ability to manage recurring deadlines while responding to ad hoc requests. Consistently demonstrates curiosity, willingness to learn and sound judgment. Comfortable working with large datasets and developing repeatable analytical processes. Familiarity with Workday and Adaptive products a plus. CPA candidates a plus (role will be eligible for Edelman's tuition reimbursement program after 6 months of employment and CPA testing and licensing fee expense reimbursements, if desired).

Key Responsibilities

Salaries & Freelance Compensation

• Preparing journal entries for month end close including expense accruals and reclassification entries.
• Coordinating with Payroll and HR to resolve identified discrepancies.
• Updating forecast for hires, terminations, promotions, compensation changes, and other workforce activity.
• Maintaining supporting schedules used to forecast for salaries and other employee expenses.
• Partnering with the Controller and Employee Relations in review of the severance accrual.
• Preparing monthly forecast-to-actuals variance commentary.

Freelance Process

• Reviewing requests to engage freelance.
• Entering and reconciling purchase orders for agency freelancers.
• Monitoring freelance spend against forecast and approved budgets.
• Maintaining accurate freelance tracking and supporting schedules, including start dates, end dates, rates, expected costs, and organizational alignment.
• Partnering with Resource Management and Finance to reconcile the active freelance population and validate ongoing business need.

Other Employee Costs

In partnership with HR Compliance and Payroll, coordinate the budgeting and tracking of non-salary compensation and miscellaneous taxable fringe benefits including reimbursed office parking, statutorily required stipends and cash equivalent compensation (gift cards). Responsibilities include reviewing the ledger population for completeness and classification, investigating forecast to actual variances, quarterly compilation of data required by Payroll for processing, and periodic updating of policies and procedures. May also support in the budgeting of employer payroll taxes and pension plan contributions.

Other Budget Support:

• Making periodic updates to trackers to reflect actual spend per the GL
• Maintenance of project codes and providing transaction-level approvals within Workday as needed
• Assisting leaders in understanding available budgets, actual spending, forecast outlook, and budget purpose
• Researching and explaining forecast to actuals variances.
• Coordinating with budget owners to identify accruals and prepare needed monthly entries.
• Support the Finance Manager and Controller in other areas of budgeting, forecasting, accounting and ad hoc investigations from time to time, as needed.

$56,000 - $70,000 per year

An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, travel requirements, revenue-based metrics, any contractual agreements, and business or organizational needs. The range listed is just one component of DJEH's total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, a Paid Time Off policy, and region-specific benefits.

DJEH offers a wide range of benefits: medical and dental insurance, vision, 401K, life insurance, disability insurance, paid time off, travel assistance and wellness programing.

DJEH is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and believes in diversity, equity, and inclusion. We seek applications from all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, military and veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation in any part of the employment process, please let us know.