Principal Financial Analyst

Cortex Consultants LLC; Pleasanton (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cortex Consultants LLC is seeking a Principal Financial Analyst in Pleasanton, CA, onsite. The role leads advanced FP&A efforts across SaaS and fintech metrics, with responsibility for forecasting, budgeting, and strategic analytics. You will drive Workday Adaptive Planning implementation and partner with multiple functions to align financial strategy.

You will mentor junior analysts and deliver board-ready insights, presenting financial narratives and performance drivers to senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in Finance, Accounting, Economics or related field.
• 6+ years of progressive FP&A/financial analysis experience.
• Experience with SaaS and/or payment processing metrics.
• Advanced financial modeling, forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, scenario planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead analysis of SaaS and payment processing metrics (MRR, ARR, churn, LTV, CAC, etc.).
• Lead forecasting, budgeting, and long-range planning; develop advanced financial models.
• Serve as Finance lead for Workday Adaptive Planning implementation and requirements.
• Support ongoing Workday Adaptive Planning administration and improvements.
• Develop financial reporting and analysis using Workday Adaptive Planning, NetSuite, Power BI, SQL, Excel.
• Collaborate with Accounting, Data, Payments, Sales, Product, Operations to align financial strategies.
• Prepare Board- and investor-ready materials and executive-level presentations.

Skills

SaaS metrics

Financial modeling

Forecasting & budgeting

Variance analysis

Workday Adaptive Planning

Power BI

SQL

Excel

Leadership without authority

Finance storytelling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting/Economics

Tools

NetSuite

Power BI

SQL

Excel

Job description

Principal Financial Analyst

Pleasanton, CA

5 days onsite

Position Summary

The Principal Financial Analyst serves as a senior individual contributor within the Finance team, providing advanced financial analysis, modeling, forecasting, and strategic support to senior leadership. The position leads complex financial initiatives, analyzes SaaS and payment processing (Fintech) metrics, and translates financial and operational data into actionable insights and recommendations that support business strategy and decision-making. The Principal Financial Analyst also serves as the Finance lead for the implementation of Workday Adaptive Planning and supports the continued development, standardization, automation, and optimization of the Companys financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, management reporting, and Board/investor reporting processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead analysis of SaaS and payment processing metrics, including MRR, ARR, churn, retention, LTV, CAC, payback, take rates, transaction volumes, processing costs, and other key performance indicators to identify trends, risks, variances, and business opportunities.
• Lead and support forecasting, budgeting, and long-range planning activities, including the development and maintenance of advanced financial models used to support strategic and operational decision-making.
• Serve as the Finance lead for the implementation of Workday Adaptive Planning, coordinating Finance requirements and partnering with Accounting, IT, implementation resources, and other stakeholders throughout the project.
• Lead Finance-related requirements gathering, model design, testing, data validation, user acceptance testing, documentation, and implementation activities for Workday Adaptive Planning.
• Support the ongoing administration, optimization, and adoption of Workday Adaptive Planning following implementation, including improvements to budgeting, forecasting, planning, management reporting, and financial reporting processes.
• Develop and maintain financial reporting and analysis using Workday Adaptive Planning, NetSuite, Power BI, SQL, Excel, and other financial systems and tools.
• Partner cross-functionally with leaders across Accounting, Data, Payments, Sales, Product, Operations, and other departments to align financial strategies with business objectives and investigate and reconcile differences between financial and operational reporting.
• Prepare Board- and investor-ready materials and executive-level presentations that provide clear insights into financial performance, revenue drivers, customer behavior, profitability, key performance indicators, variances, and business trends.
• Perform complex variance analysis, scenario planning, sensitivity analysis, and financial modeling to support business decisions, partnership economics, revenue-share structures, and investment trade-offs.
• Identify opportunities to improve, standardize, and automate FP&A processes, reporting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Provide functional guidance and mentorship to junior analysts and support the continued development of FP&A processes, tools, reporting standards, and analytical capabilities.
• Serve as a trusted financial advisor to senior leadership, using financial and business acumen to provide recommendations, communicate financial narratives, and influence business outcomes.
• Lead complex cross-functional Finance initiatives and strategic analyses from scoping through completion, coordinating stakeholders and deliverables without direct reporting authority.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
• 6+ years of progressive experience in financial analysis, FP&A, or a related finance function, including experience supporting complex financial and business decisions.
• Strong knowledge of SaaS and/or payment processing metrics and their impact on business performance.
• Advanced financial modeling, forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, and scenario-planning skills.
• Experience leading or supporting the implementation of financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, or FP&A systems.
• Advanced proficiency with financial and analytical tools such as NetSuite, Power BI, SQL, and Excel.
• Ability to translate complex financial and operational data into clear, actionable recommendations for senior leadership and non-financial stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects and cross-functional initiatives without direct reporting authority.
• Strong communication, presentation, and financial storytelling skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to provide functional leadership, guidance, and mentorship to other members of the Finance team.