Finance Manager - Business Support (Merrill Advisor Development Program BFO)

Bank of America; Pennington (AL); On-site; USD 118,000 - 168,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary incentive

Industry-leading benefits

Job summary

Bank of America is seeking a senior finance partner to drive forecasting, profitability analysis, and strategic financial planning for designated Lines of Business. The role leads budgeting, reporting, and value-creation initiatives while influencing executive stakeholders.

The position supports quarterly forecasting cycles, headcount planning, and regulatory considerations. Strong analytical skills and collaboration across teams are essential for success.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in finance or equivalent roles.
• Experience influencing executive-level partners.
• Strong forecasting and budgeting background.

Responsibilities

• Oversees financial analysis and reporting for LOBs and finance leadership.
• Provides strategic direction by highlighting trends and risks.
• Manages forecasting, budgeting, and performance against plan.

Skills

Financial analysis

Forecasting

Budgeting

Strategic thinking

Collaborations with executives

Data visualization

Decision making

Project management

Reporting

Analytical thinking

Cost management

Business acumen

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting / Finance

Tools

Co-Pilot (AI)

Job description

Job Description:

At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better through the power of every connection. We do this by driving Responsible Growth and delivering for our clients, teammates, communities and shareholders every day. Being a Great Place to Work and providing a culture of caring is core to how we drive Responsible Growth. We are intentional about fostering an inclusive workplace where every teammate has the opportunity to succeed, build a career and contribute to our shared success. This includes attracting and developing exceptional talent, recognizing and rewarding performance, and supporting our teammates’ physical, emotional, and financial wellness through affordable, competitive and flexible benefits. We value the unique perspectives individuals bring from all backgrounds and career paths - whether shaped by military service, community college education, or a wide range of work and life experiences. These journeys foster resilience, leadership and innovation, strengthening our workforce and positively impact the communities we serve.

Bank of America is committed to an in-office culture that supports collaboration, engagement, and career development. Our approach includes clear in-office expectations, while providing an appropriate level of flexibility based on role-specific responsibilities and business needs.

At Bank of America, you can build a successful career with opportunities to learn, grow, and make an impact. Join us!

Job Description:

This job is responsible for serving as a finance partner to specified Lines of Business (LOBs) and directing the day-to-day finance activities to manage strategic annual planning and implementation. Key responsibilities include performing forecasting, profitability analysis, expense efficiency, pricing, financial reporting, and overseeing value creation ideas and new investment business cases. Job expectations include supporting management in key decision making, and influencing and gaining support from financial analysts.

Additional Information

The Merrill Advisor Development Program (ADP), formerly known as the Trainee Program, was established more than 50 years ago with the primary objective of attracting and developing new licensed and unlicensed advisor talent. The program is designed to help participants acquire new clients, build assets, and grow their books of business, ultimately contributing to the long-term growth of Merrill’s Financial Advisor population and Assets Under Management (AUM). ADP participants represent approximately 20% of the total Merrill Financial Advisor population and are distributed across all markets nationwide. Advisors in the program will receive coaching, mentoring, and performance support for a period of 2 to 4 years before graduating and transitioning to Core Financial Advisor status.

Responsibilities:

• Oversees the financial analysis and reporting needed to provide Line of Business (LOB) and finance leadership with trends and comparisons on all financial matters, focusing on maximizing revenue growth, cost management, profitability, cash flow generation, and operational improvement
• Reviews LOBs financial performances and provides strategic direction to teams by assisting with synthesizing key trends, assessing current and future business risks, and preparing, analyzing, and reporting on financial results and key metrics
• Manages forecasting and/or budgeting and compares current performance against plan, prior periods, and forecasts to evaluate current and future performance trajectory
• Delegates and provides oversight to teams building financial management reports, presentations, and ad hoc analyses for LOBs and/or finance partners
• Implements new and ongoing projects and strategic initiatives by helping to create new processes to automate key reporting capabilities and delivering on process improvements and simplifications to enable increased focus on strategic priorities
• Builds, maintains, and manages partner relationships across the Finance division and implements policies and procedures that ensure integrity of the financials, sound controls, and effective procedures
• ADP BFO plays a key strategic role in workforce planning, forecasting, and regulatory support. The position is highly involved in the quarterly MLWM Baseline Forecast process, where ADP headcount and associated expenses represent a significant forecasting component. Additionally, the role is responsible for developing and submitting the Merrill trainee population forecast used in Enterprise Stress Testing (EST), supporting the firm’s regulatory, capital planning, and long-term workforce management objectives.

Required Qualifications:

• 10+ years Finance experience
• Prior experience working with and influencing executive level partners

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience using Co-Pilot (AI)
• Prior experience with developing forecasting/budgets
• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting / Finance

Skills:

• Business Process Analysis
• Collaboration
• Data Quality Management
• Financial Analysis
• Financial Management
• Analytical Thinking
• Critical Thinking
• Data Visualization
• Decision Making
• Prioritization
• Business Acumen
• Business Case Analysis
• Financial Forecasting and Modeling
• Project Management
• Reporting

Shift:

1st shift (United States of America)

Hours Per Week:

40

Pay Transparency details

US - NJ - Pennington - 1400 American Blvd - Hopewell Bldg 4 (NJ2140), US - NY - New York - 1100 Ave Of The Americas - Two Bryant Park (NY1540)

Pay and benefits information

Pay range

$118,000.00 - $168,000.00 annualized salary, offers to be determined based on experience, education and skill set.

Discretionary incentive eligible

This role is eligible to participate in the annual discretionary plan. Employees are eligible for an annual discretionary award based on their overall individual performance results and behaviors, the performance and contributions of their line of business and/or group; and the overall success of the Company.

Benefits

This role is currently benefits eligible. We provide industry-leading benefits, access to paid time off, resources and support to our employees so they can make a genuine impact and contribute to the sustainable growth of our business and the communities we serve.