Lead, Financial Planning & Analysis

About the role

A strategic finance leader manages core planning activities for a major business area. This role establishes analytical standards and builds the frameworks that allow finance to scale alongside rapid growth.

Most organizations organize this kind of work into small teams with a clear owner for each project. People are expected to set priorities, share progress, and ask for help early. Written communication matters because decisions are often recorded and revisited. Successful professionals in any field share a few habits: they take notes, keep commitments, and communicate in writing. Teams value people who make their work easy to review and build on.

Key facts

What you'll do

Forecasting frameworks are shaped to support planning and growth.

Detailed performance reporting, including variance analysis and tracking of risks and opportunities, is overseen.

Consistency and scale are supported across the organization.

Requirements

A Bachelor's degree is required along with 10+ years of relevant financial planning & analysis experience.

Experience leading and developing a team is required.

Advanced analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills are necessary.

Expertise building and working in complex financial models is required.

Understanding of financial statements including P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow is required.

Ownership of the accuracy and timeliness of deliverables is required.

A big-picture perspective is balanced with highly detail-oriented work.

Adaptability to change and the management of multiple competing priorities is required.

Clear and accurate communication to senior leaders and varied audiences across the organization is required.

Advanced knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, Google Sheets, and Slides is required.

Experience with an ERP system and/or similar reporting tools is required.

Highest integrity and ethics are required.

Deep intellectual curiosity for breaking down business problems and presenting solutions is required.

High standards of excellence are held for self and others.

Strong ownership pride is taken in the role.

A positive, cooperative attitude supports collaboration and team leadership.

Unrelenting drive and comfort with ambiguity are required.

Data-driven analysis regularly supports business decisions.

Resilience, openness, security, and humility are required.

Commitment to Success Academy mission and passion for education are required.

Practical notes

This role operates in New York and may involve school visits. The position is not bonus eligible. Typical interview steps

Interviews in this field typically test judgment, communication, and fit as much as technical skill. Be ready to describe a challenge you faced, what you did, and what you learned. Most companies value honest answers over polished ones. Whatever the role, preparation is visible. Reviewing the company's product, the job description, and your own past work before the conversation is the strongest step.

Good to know

Finance professionals use spreadsheets and presentation tools to structure analysis. Organizations commonly use systems that consolidate data. Education nonprofits often align tightly around student outcomes and mission driven goals. Analytical rigor and clear communication are central to decision support in large growing institutions.

Questions to ask

Worth asking in any interview: how the team measures success, who the role works with daily, what the onboarding looks like, and what the company is trying to achieve this year. Asking what past hires did well is a strong final question. Keep the list short and pick the questions that matter most to you.

Career growth

Career growth comes from taking on harder problems and making your work visible. Look for opportunities to own outcomes, mentor others, and learn the business beyond your team. Growth in any career comes from scope, results, and reputation. Take on work that is slightly uncomfortable, and make sure others can see the outcomes.