Financial Analyst

Liaison; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Liaison, based in Boston, MA, seeks a Financial Analyst to join the Finance team and partner with leadership to drive profitable growth, improve forecasting, and optimize costs across the organization.

The ideal candidate is analytical, commercially minded, and capable of translating complex financial data into actionable insights while communicating clearly with cross-functional partners.

Qualifications

• BS degree in Finance or Accounting.
• 3-5 years of progressive accounting/finance background in a rapidly growing High Tech or Private Equity environment with emphasis on financial systems, KPIs, and modeling.
• Strong understanding of financial principles, financial statements, business performance metrics, and quantitative analysis.
• Advanced MS Excel skills are required with overall strong modeling capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear business insights and actionable recommendations.
• Comfortable in an environment with change.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills are essential.
• Demonstrated initiative, strong work ethic, and a continuous-improvement mindset with strong emphasis on intellectual curiosity.
• Vena Solutions, Great Plains Dynamics software and Salesforce/CRM experience, a plus.
• Experience with leveraging AI in existing processes, a plus.
• An MBA or CPA, a plus.
• Candidates must be able to work onsite 2–3 days per week following training.

Responsibilities

• A key participant in the creation of the company’s annual operating plan that will provide management with analytical tools to establish goals and measure performance of the Company.
• Analyze and communicate historical and forecasted financial and operational performance, identifying key trends, variances, opportunities, and risks for senior management.
• Lead or support quarterly forecasting processes, including the income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, headcount, and other key financial and operating metrics.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual budget-to-actual analyses, investigate significant variances, and work with business leaders to understand drivers and identify corrective actions.
• Coordinate monthly expense and forecast reviews with assigned departments, partnering with budget owners to improve financial visibility, accountability, and performance.
• Assists in preparations of presentations for Company board meetings, company meetings, and monthly/quarterly management meetings.
• Assists in analyzing and reporting on the Company’s SaaS and services metrics, including recurring revenue, bookings, retention, churn, customer acquisition, gross margin, utilization, services revenue, and operating expenses.
• Improve the efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of FP&A processes and management reporting.
• Support M&A activities, including financial analysis, modeling, due diligence, valuation analysis, and integration-related projects as needed.
• Identify opportunities to leverage technology, including AI and automation, to improve financial analysis and productivity.
• Perform ad hoc financial and strategic analysis to support management decision-making and other high-priority company initiatives.

Skills

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Financial modeling

Forecasting

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting

MBA or CPA

Tools

MS Excel

Vena Solutions

Great Plains Dynamics

Salesforce/CRM

Job description

At Liaison, we’ve helped higher education institutions build better, more diverse classes for three decades. You may recognize us as the company behind the Centralized Application Service (CAS), Enrollment Marketing services and platform (EMP), SlideRoom, Time2Track, TargetX (CRM) and Othot.

Everything we do is focused on taking that proven success and expanding its scope and scale. Over 31,000 programs on more than 1,000 campuses see us as a forward-thinking partner integral to meeting their total enrollment goals — and we’re building the data- and mission-driven team that will reinforce our role for decades to come.

The Financial Analyst is a key member of the Finance team, partnering closely with company leadership and cross-functional teams to drive profitable growth, improve operational efficiency, optimize costs, and support strategic decision-making. This role will leverage Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) best practices to develop meaningful insights, monitor business performance, improve forecasting and planning, and translate financial and operational data into actionable recommendations.

The ideal candidate is a highly analytical, commercially minded finance professional who can work effectively across functions, communicate complex financial information clearly, and thrive in a fast-paced, continually evolving environment.

Responsibilities:

• A key participant in the creation of the company’s annual operating plan that will provide management with analytical tools to establish goals and measure performance of the Company.
• Analyze and communicate historical and forecasted financial and operational performance, identifying key trends, variances, opportunities, and risks for senior management.
• Lead or support quarterly forecasting processes, including the income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, headcount, and other key financial and operating metrics.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual budget-to-actual analyses, investigate significant variances, and work with business leaders to understand drivers and identify corrective actions.
• Coordinate monthly expense and forecast reviews with assigned departments, partnering with budget owners to improve financial visibility, accountability, and performance.
• Assists in preparations of presentations for Company board meetings, company meetings, and monthly/quarterly management meetings.
• Assists in analyzing and reporting on the Company’s SaaS and services metrics, including recurring revenue, bookings, retention, churn, customer acquisition, gross margin, utilization, services revenue, and operating expenses.
• Improve the efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of FP&A processes and management reporting.
• Support M&A activities, including financial analysis, modeling, due diligence, valuation analysis, and integration-related projects as needed.
• Identify opportunities to leverage technology, including AI and automation, to improve financial analysis and productivity.
• Perform ad hoc financial and strategic analysis to support management decision-making and other high-priority company initiatives.

Position Requirements:

• A BS degree in Finance or Accounting
• 3-5 years of progressive accounting / finance background in a rapidly growing High Tech or Private Equity environment with an emphasis on financial systems, KPIs, and modeling
• Strong understanding of financial principles, financial statements, business performance metrics, and quantitative analysis
• Advanced MS Excel skills are required with overall strong modeling capabilities
• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with senior leaders and cross-functional teams
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear business insights and actionable recommendations
• Comfortable in an environment with change. Rapid change cannot become a frustration – rather, an opportunity for constant and never-ending improvement
• Excellent oral and written communication skills are essential
• Demonstrated initiative, strong work ethic, and a continuous-improvement mindset with strong emphasis on intellectual curiosity
• Vena Solutions, Great Plains Dynamics software and Salesforce/CRM experience, a plus
• Experience with leveraging AI in existing processes, a plus
• An MBA or CPA, a plus
• Candidates must be able to work onsite 2–3 days per week following training.