Senior Analyst - Financial Planning & Analysis

Appcast; Newton (MA); On-site; USD 81,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Appcast Inc is seeking a Senior Analyst – Financial Planning & Analysis to join our Finance team in Newton, MA. This role partners with Finance leadership and business teams to drive accurate forecasts, robust reporting, and strategic decision support.

The ideal candidate combines strong analytical skills with clear communication and proactive problem-solving in a fast-paced environment. You will own corporate planning processes, lead headcount and expense forecasting, develop insightful

Qualifications

• Proficient in advanced Excel with scenario analyses.
• Solid understanding of GAAP principles.
• Experience in data mining and developing analytical models.
• Ability to distill complex data into clear, concise findings.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Proactive problem-solving in fast-paced environments.
• Attention to detail in large datasets.
• Cross-functional collaboration across teams.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to monthly financial forecasts and assist with corporate forecast consolidation.
• Lead headcount planning and workforce expense forecasting with People Team partners.
• Conduct variance analyses, profitability trends, and cost management evaluations.
• Support financial reporting package, dashboards, and presentations.
• Collaborate during month-end close for accurate reporting.
• Assist in annual operating plan and long-range planning processes.
• Provide insights to stakeholders and train teams on forecasting tools.
• Lead ad-hoc analyses for evolving business priorities.

Skills

Advanced Excel

GAAP knowledge

Data mining

Analytical modeling

Communication

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

Tools

TM1

Anaplan

Workday Adaptive Planning

Oracle Hyperion

Job description

• Legal Entity: Appcast Inc
• Compensation: USD 81,000 - USD 135,000 - yearly

Company Description

Appcast is the global leader in programmatic recruitment advertising technology and services. With advanced technology, unmatched market data and a team of the industry’s best recruitment marketers, Appcast’s technology and services manage job advertising annually for enterprise clients across industries. Headquartered in Lebanon, N.H. with offices in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Appcast is part of the Stepstone group, a leading digital recruitment platform that connects companies with the right talent and helps people find the right job.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Analyst – Financial Planning & Analysis to join our Finance team. This role will play a critical part in supporting corporate financial planning, corporate reporting, decision making, and G&A business partnering.

The Senior Analyst – Financial Planning & Analysis will work closely with Finance leadership and cross-functional business partners to drive financial accountability, improve forecasting accuracy, and provide meaningful insights that support strategic decision‑making. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical capabilities, financial acumen, and communication skills with a proactive approach to problem‑solving in a fast‑paced environment.

Job Responsibilities

Corporate Planning & Reporting

• Contribute to the development and refinement of monthly financial forecasts, support consolidation of corporate forecasts, ensuring precision and timely updates.
• Lead corporate headcount planning and workforce expense forecasting, partnering with the People Team and business leaders to monitor hiring plans, vacancy assumptions, organizational changes, and personnel‑related spending to ensure alignment with financial plans and company objectives.
• Conduct comprehensive financial analyses, including variance assessments, profitability trends, margin evaluations, and cost management, to identify key performance drivers.
• Create and support the delivery of the company’s financial reporting package, presentations, and dashboards.
• Partner with Accounting during month‑end close to ensure accurate financial reporting and understanding of business performance.
• Support the annual operating plan (AOP), budget, and long‑range planning processes.
• Foster clear communication and collaboration with all relevant stakeholders.
• Review and analyze monthly financial reports to identify discrepancies and ensure accuracy.
• Compare monthly results with budgeted figures and forecasts, performing variance analysis to provide actionable insights for performance optimization.

Finance Business Partnering

• Serve as a finance business partner for assigned functions, including departments such as People Team, IT, Legal, Finance, Facilities, and Corporate Operations.
• Provide functional leaders with insights related to spending trends, headcount planning, resource allocation, and investment decisions.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and optimize budget utilization.
• Build strong working relationships across the organization and act as a trusted financial advisor to business stakeholders.
• Train client teams in the use of forecasting tools and reporting systems, proactively addressing challenges and creating educational materials to support their success.
• Lead and manage ad‑hoc projects to address specific business needs and challenges.
• Support the annual budgeting process to ensure alignment with strategic goals.
• Deliver concise and impactful recommendations to senior leadership based on quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Perform ad hoc analyses to support evolving business priorities.

Process Improvement & Finance Transformation

• Identify and implement continuous improvement of reporting capabilities to enhance scalability, efficiency, and decision‑making.
• Explore and leverage emerging technologies, including AI‑enabled tools, to improve financial analysis, reporting efficiency, forecasting accuracy, and business insights.
• Identify opportunities for automation and reporting simplification to increase efficiency and scalability.
• Assist in the integration of new systems and analytical tools to improve financial processes.
• Help establish FP&A best practices and improve financial discipline across the organization.

Qualifications

• Proficient in advanced Excel, with expertise in constructing scenario analyses to inform strategic decisions.
• Solid understanding of GAAP principles, ensuring adherence to accounting standards.
• Experienced in data mining and developing analytical models to drive actionable insights.
• Skilled in distilling complex data into clear, concise information that supports effective decision‑making.
• Driven by a strong passion for problem‑solving, with a proactive approach to tackling new challenges.
• Exceptional critical‑thinking abilities, capable of analyzing data from multiple perspectives.
• Meticulous attention to detail, with a keen ability to identify trends and inconsistencies in large datasets.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly present findings to stakeholders at all levels.
• Thrives in fast‑paced, high‑pressure environments, excelling in cross‑functional collaboration.
• Self‑motivated, consistently generating valuable business insights and taking initiative to drive improvements.
• Adaptable and independent, with a flexible mindset that enables success in dynamic work settings.
• Experience working with financial planning and reporting systems, such as TM1 (Planning Analytics), Anaplan, Workday Adaptive Planning, Oracle Hyperion or similar FP&A platforms.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a fast‑paced environment.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field is required.
• 5+ years of experience in Finance or Accounting.
• 1–2 years of experience as a finance business partner working with senior management and presenting financial insights and recommendations.

Travel Requirements

Travel for this position may include quarterly travel to attend internal and external meetings; however, this may vary based on business needs and opportunities.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position will not supervise others.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Appcast is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This employer participates in E-Verify. The employer will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This employer does not use E-Verify to pre‑screen job applicants and will not discriminate based on national origin, citizenship, or immigration status.