About Pearson Finance

Pearson Finance is one finance team, improving Pearson’s performance, through finance excellence as stewards of value. We combine world-class finance skills with a commercial focus and a continuous improvement mindset. Our strategic priorities centre around data and storytelling, being trusted advisors to shape business outcomes, driving efficiency through continuous improvement, automation and standardization, and finally to mitigate risk as we partner with the rest of the business to drive execution of Pearson’s overall strategy.

About the Role

We are recruiting this role within Pearson Finance Services (PFS) to support the provision of a consolidated view of financial business performance and planning to business partnering teams across Pearson. This role will prepare and deliver financial planning and analysis to business areas enabling effective business decision making. This role will also be expected to contribute to aspects of the budgeting and forecasting cycle.

To undertake this role the following will be required:

• Complete all deliverables in a timely, efficient and accurate manner

• Understand data sources and data flows and how financial and non-financial data is presented

• Apply judgement and analytical skills to ensure the accuracy and relevance of outputs needed by the business

• Contribute to team effort and assist co-workers across PFS and all business divisions as needed to enable effective delivery.

• Help to create a work atmosphere conducive to collaborative working

• Maintain customer satisfaction by promptly following up on customers’ requests for information

• Identify opportunities for continuous process improvement and innovative solutions and communicate these to your line manager

Key Responsibilities include:

• Take ownership of the budget and forecasting process for Finance divisions within the Corporate Functions area of Pearson, including meeting with the business to agree compensation, discretionary and capital expenditure plans.

• Prepare forecast summary reporting packs for the business with analysis and commentary.

• Input into the annual strategic planning process through preparation of analysis and other information to enable collation of the plan.

• Prepare key month end management reporting packs for decision making / disclosure to market.

• Monthly and quarterly consolidation of management information packs across business areas and roll up to group level showing performance against budget, forecast and prior year

• Support local business partners in providing targeted quality commercial analysis

• Review of financial data during the month to provide timely corrections.

• Preparation of business cases utilising Pearson Approved documentation along with workings files relevant to the business case. Support on collating the required data inputs for costs and benefit workings.

• Champion continuous improvement within PFS to deliver tangible benefits and engage in wider standardisation and streamlining initiatives.

About You

Your Core Experience & Education:

• Strong accounting knowledge – holding a recognised accountancy qualification or equivalent

• Technical Skills: significant experience of planning, budgeting and forecasting and producing management information for decision making in a complex commercial environment. Ability to apply a range of budgeting and forecasting techniques to provide the business with the relevant financial information

• Analytical skills: Well developed analytical/variance analysis skills, proven ability to review and analyse financial data and explain results to senior management. Provide analysis to support decision making, including presenting economic outcomes, identifying key value drivers, benefits, risks and accounting implications

• Advanced user of Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel (v-lookups, sum-ifs, pivot tables etc.)

• Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to effectively communicate with both finance and non-finance professionals

• Experience of finance ERP systems (Oracle preferred but not essential)

• A self-starter who is motivated to work under own initiative when required demonstrating initiative and sound judgement;

• Ability to work as part of a team, identifying and providing support to colleagues

• Ability to work to strict deadlines and to be able to prioritise to meet those deadlines

• Experience working with and partnering and presenting to senior stakeholders in multiple geographical locations and time zones;

• Commercial focus, and the ability to apply business acumen to innovate, solve problems and achieve results;

• Ability to multi-task; coordinating the delivery of multiple priorities in parallel across disparate teams and locations

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: 13879