Strategic Budget & Forecasting Lead

ULSE Inc.; Evanston (IL); Hybrid; USD 99,000 - 136,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

401k matching up to 5%

Additional retirement contribution of

Job summary

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement in Evanston, IL is seeking a Budget & Financial Analyst Lead to drive enterprise budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning. You will partner with senior leaders to translate priorities into actionable plans, deliver board-ready analyses, and optimize resource allocation through data-driven insights.

You will lead a team, mentor analysts, and guide improvements to budgeting and reporting processes while collaborating across functions to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field.
• Minimum 8 years of directly related experience.
• Experience with Adaptive and Workday is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of annual budgets and multi-year financial plans.
• Partner with senior leaders to drive financial planning and translate priorities into actionable plans.
• Oversee monthly budget-to-actual variance analyses and provide recommendations to optimize costs.
• Prepare board-ready analyses and support monthly close and reporting.
• Develop financial reports, forecasts, and analyses for senior leadership.
• Manage quarterly forecasting process and provide forward-looking insights.
• Guide budget by department and support executive presentations.
• Drive continuous improvement of budgeting, forecasting, and reporting processes.
• Mentor analysts and act as strategic finance partner to functional leaders.
• Support large-scale initiatives and cross-functional projects.

Skills

Budgeting

Variance analysis

Financial planning

Leadership

Data analysis

Clear communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance

Tools

Workday

Adaptive

Excel

Job description

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement in Evanston, IL is seeking a Budget & Financial Analyst Lead to drive enterprise budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning. You will partner with senior leaders to translate priorities into actionable plans, deliver board-ready analyses, and optimize resource allocation through data-driven insights.

You will lead a team, mentor analysts, and guide improvements to budgeting and reporting processes while collaborating across functions to