Job Description

About the team

The Group Planning and Management Information team is responsible for the delivery of internal financial reporting, forecasting and planning to the Board and senior management. It is responsible for defining internal reporting and planning requirements, designing/shaping and overseeing processes accordingly, and preparing group level reporting/planning outputs. The team is also responsible for verification of external communications.

The team is supported by Pearson Financial Services (PFS) based in Belfast and works closely with the Group Financial Reporting team.

Objectives of the role

As part of the Group Planning and Management Information team, the Finance Director provides crucial support to the CFO and DCFO through provision of financial information to inform and enable decision making. The Finance Director provides accurate and timely management reporting and information, insightful and effective analysis, and robust and reliable plans and forecasts for consumption by the CFO, DCFO, Executive and Board. The Finance Director is also a key partner to the Investor Relations team and is responsible for verification of external communications.

Main activities / responsibilities:

Management reporting and analysis

Design and oversee delivery of our monthly internal management reporting templates, including divisional trading packs, group management pack, and Board report.

Review the monthly results with a commercial eye, identifying and highlighting anomalies and follow up variances with the businesses.

Attend monthly trading calls with Divisional leadership and Group CFO.

Oversee/deliver Group month end results and the monthly management reports to the Board and Executives. This includes identification and preparation of any ad hoc supplementary analysis required.

Preparation of ad hoc financial analysis (historic and/or prospective) for the PEM, Board or other stakeholders as required.

External reporting and verification

Involved in the preparation of the Group Prelims, Interims, and Annual Report, including the preparation of specific notes and disclosures (inc WACC).

A key partner to the Investor Relations team. Responsible for the design and operation of our processes to verify the accuracy of financial and other key data in external announcements, presentations and reports, with a focus on quarterly financial announcements and annual report.

Financial Planning

Support the VP as necessary with:

development of planning templates, including divisional trading packs, and group consolidations/ reports.

review of divisional and group plans, identifying and highlighting anomalies and following up as necessary.

delivery of analysis and reports for the Board and Executives.

partnering with Group Strategy team on long range planning, portfolio review, other analysis and KPI\'s.

General

Regular and extensive collaboration within finance and across Pearson, including colleagues in Finance BPM, PFS, Group Reporting, Financial Control, GPO, and Centres of Excellence, as well as Investor Relations, Reward, and Group Strategy.

Lead engagement with the wider Financial Planning and Reporting Community, including chairing the monthly FP&R meeting.

Essential skills

Excellent attention to detail.

Commercially minded - gleans key insight from financial data.

Communication and storytelling - understand audience and is able to communicate key messages and narratives from financial data. Structures templates, reports, and analysis accordingly to meet requirements.

Able to bring to bear a breadth of finance experience and / or sound understanding of other areas, sufficient to know when and how to draw on specialist input.

Partners with other leaders across finance and the wider business to ensure timely and efficient delivery of team objectives. Develops a strong network with key stakeholders. Is empathetic, persuasive, and has confidence to challenge where necessary.

Holds self and others accountable for achieving objectives. Is organised, adaptable, and anticipates and removes obstacles for team, even in fast changing or uncertain circumstances.

Forward thinking, looking beyond the current role to evolve departmental outputs and ways of working.

Qualifications and experience

Complex excel modelling.

Experience of data visualization/presentation

Recognised accountancy qualification or MBA

5+ years PQE experience, ideally familiar with UK plc reporting including IFRS reporting requirements.

Commercial/business partnering experience, including data driven decision making.

Experience of group reporting and analysis.

Experience of group reporting and consolidation systems, preferably Oracle/Hyperion.

Good knowledge of financial control processes and systems, preferably some exposure to Sarbanes Oxley requirements

Your rewards & benefits

We know you\'ll do great work, so we give a lot back with some of the best benefits in the business. We know one size doesn\'t fit all, so our workplace programs meet the different needs of our diverse teams, and their families, too.

Please see our attractive UK benefits here: Pearson Jobs - Benefits

What to expect from Pearson

Did you know Pearson is one of the 10 most innovative education companies of 2022?

At Pearson, we add life to a lifetime of learning so everyone can realize the life they imagine. We do this by creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are on a journey to be 100 percent digital to meet the changing needs of the global population by developing a new strategy with ambitious targets. To deliver on our strategic vision, we have five business divisions that are the foundation for the long-term growth of the company: Assessment & Qualifications, Virtual Learning, English Language Learning, Workforce Skills and Higher Education. Alongside these, we have our corporate divisions: Digital & Technology, Finance, Global Corporate Marketing & Communications, Human Resources, Legal, Strategy and Direct to Consumer. Learn more at We are Pearson.

We value the power of an inclusive culture and also a strong sense of belonging. We promote a culture where differences are embraced, opportunities are accessible, consideration and respect are the norm and all individuals are supported in reaching their full potential. Through our talent, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion make us a more innovative and vibrant place to work. People are at the center, and we are committed to building a workplace where talent can learn, grow and thrive.

Pearson is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. We want a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. All 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 strive for a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities.

To learn more about Pearson\'s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce, navigate to: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Pearson.

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 ppsmhr@pearson.com.

Note that the information you provide will stay confidential and will be stored securely. It will not be seen by those involved in making decisions as part of the recruitment process.

Job: FINANCE

Organization: Corporate Finance

Schedule: FULL_TIME

Req ID: 12622

Pearson