Senior Financial Analyst

Buckingham Search; Illinois; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Buckingham Search partners with a large, publicly traded organization in Chicago to place a Senior Financial Analyst on the corporate FP&A team. You will own budgeting, forecasting, and performance analysis for a substantial SG&A portfolio, collaborating with functional leaders and preparing executive-ready materials.

This role emphasizes building robust models, improving reporting accuracy, and utilizing automation and data tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field.
• 3+ years of progressive corporate FP&A experience.
• Experience analyzing SG&A expenses and managing costs in a complex organization.
• Advanced Excel or Google Sheets with complex financial modeling.
• Experience with large datasets and executive-level reporting.
• CPA, CFA, or relevant graduate degree is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead annual budgeting and rolling forecasts for corporate functions.
• Deliver monthly reporting, variance analysis, and actionable insights.
• Track SG&A cost drivers, headcount trends, and savings initiatives.
• Help redesign cost-allocation methodologies and improve reporting accuracy.
• Prepare executive-ready presentations, dashboards, and financial bridges.
• Partner with Accounting, Consolidations, FP&A, and functional leadership.
• Improve financial models, reporting tools, and validation processes.
• Use automation, AI, and advanced data tools to reduce manual reporting.

Skills

Budgeting & forecasting

Variance analysis

Advanced Excel/Google Sheets

Executive reporting

SAP / SAP Analytics Cloud

Communication with senior leaders

CPA / CFA (plus)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance/Accounting/Economics

CPA / CFA or relevant graduate degree (advantage)

Tools

SAP

SAP Analytics Cloud

Job description

We’re partnering with a large, publicly traded organization seeking a Senior Financial Analyst to join its corporate FP&A team in Chicago.

This role will own budgeting, forecasting, and performance analysis for a substantial portfolio of corporate SG&A expenses. The Senior Financial Analyst will work closely with functional leaders across the organization, provide insight into cost and headcount trends, and prepare polished financial materials for senior executives.

What You’ll Do

• Lead annual budgeting and rolling forecasts for corporate functions
• Deliver monthly reporting, variance analysis, and actionable insights
• Track SG&A cost drivers, headcount trends, and savings initiatives
• Help redesign cost-allocation methodologies and improve reporting accuracy
• Prepare executive-ready presentations, dashboards, and financial bridges
• Partner with Accounting, Consolidations, FP&A, and functional leadership
• Improve financial models, reporting tools, and validation processes
• Use automation, AI, and advanced data tools to reduce manual reporting

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field
• 3+ years of progressive corporate FP&A experience
• Experience analyzing SG&A expenses and managing costs in a complex organization
• Strong budgeting, forecasting, and variance-analysis skills
• Advanced Excel or Google Sheets capabilities, including complex financial modeling
• Experience working with large datasets and executive-level reporting
• SAP or SAP Analytics Cloud experience is strongly preferred
• Strong communication skills and the ability to partner with senior functional leaders
• CPA, CFA, or a relevant graduate degree is a plus

This is an excellent opportunity for an analytical, proactive finance professional who enjoys improving processes, developing financial models, and translating complex data into a clear business story.