This role aligns to the following industry titles - FP&A Manager and Finance Manager (FP&A)
Description
At Pearson, we believe learning opens up opportunities, creating fulfilling careers and better lives. We’re looking for a dynamic and experienced FP&A Manager to lead our Higher Education FP&A Team. This is a key leadership role within Pearson Finance Services, responsible for driving financial performance, strategic insight, and operational excellence across our global support functions.
About the Role
As Team Manager, you will lead financial planning and analysis for Pearson’s Higher Education Business. You’ll manage a high-performing team of 17 finance professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Key responsibilities
Financial Planning, Reporting and Analysis
Lead month-end reporting, budgeting, forecasting and planning processes for Higher Education, ensuring outputs are accurate, timely and actionable.
Review financial performance, challenge assumptions and translate variances, risks and opportunities into clear insight for stakeholders.
Prepare, review and approve reporting packs, consolidated analysis, ad hoc outputs and scenario support for business management, senior stakeholders and business partner review.
Business Partnering and Stakeholder Management
Partner with finance business partners, business leaders and colleagues to understand performance drivers, support strategic priorities and solve cross-functional problems.
Communicate financial information clearly to finance and non-finance audiences, tailoring messages to stakeholder needs.
Project Finance, Balance Sheet and Governance
Oversee balance sheet, investment, CIP, hosting cost, capitalisation and amortisation activities.
Support business cases and governance activity with robust financial cost, benefit and control inputs.
Team Leadership and Continuous Improvement
Set clear team objectives, manage priorities and foster a collaborative, inclusive and improvement-focused culture.
Coach, motivate and develop direct reports, supporting performance, capability and career development.
Lead AI-enabled change by embedding automation, improved processes and responsible AI use in day-to-day FP&A activity.
Skills and Experience
Skills and Competencies
Leadership, delivery and communication: Team Leadership, Stakeholder management, project management, problem solving, clear communication and ability to deliver through others.
Insight and judgement: Strategic thinking, predictive analytics, analytical skills and business acumen to connect performance with decisions, risks and opportunities.
Change and improvement: Adaptability, learning to learn and practical use of AI and automation to improve finance insight, productivity and control.
Finance and systems : Accounting, budgeting, financial analysis, financial systems, Microsoft Excel and Oracle E-Business Suite.
Qualifications and Experience
Extensive experience in Finance Management or BPM roles.
Recognised professional accountancy qualification preferred or clearly demonstrate qualification by experience
Strong accounting knowledge and understanding of financial control and performance management.
Experience with finance ERP systems, with Oracle preferred.
Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, v-lookups and sum-ifs.
Proven people management experience.
High attention to detail and commitment to quality.
Experience working in a multinational, matrixed organization.
Exposure to shared services or delivery centre environments.
Experience of managing change and championing improvement preferred
Understanding of specialist finance areas, such as tax, treasury, M&A and compliance.
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Who we are:
At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.
Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.
If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing [email protected].
Job: Finance
Job Family: ENTERPRISE
Organization: Corporate Finance
Schedule: FULL_TIME
Workplace Type:
Req ID: 25186
