Senior Business Analyst - FP&A Science RDU (GFS Americas)

Your core deliverables will include:  

Deliver robust, high-quality month-end financial reports to business teams.  

Support, prepare, and present planning cycles (Budget – forecast) to business teams, involving information gathering, providing constructive challenges, responding to ad hoc queries, and actively participating in business meetings to ensure alignment with market assumptions across all business areas.  

Provide comprehensive financial input and analysis, enabling individuals and teams to make informed and effective business decisions. 

Be SPOC for GFS FP&A Science team, to support the R&D Area finance main stakeholders (Area Finance Business Partner and BPOs). 

Key Responsibilities 

Month End Close Activities 

• Execute month-end financial reporting and analysis accurately and promptly, including commentaries and business insights. 

• Insert JEVs for the P&L, ensuring compliance with necessary financial controls. Analyze complex financial information for trends, issues and opportunities and create action-oriented reporting to assist the Science Team understanding business results and trends. 

• Conduct comprehensive analysis of current, past, and future trends and scenarios related to expenses, cost centers, project allocation, and variance analysis across the P&L sections, offering actionable reporting to support the embedded finance team in understanding business results. 

Planning and Forecasting Activities 

• Provide support and actively participate in the planning cycle processes (budgeting/forecasting) in adherence to internal guidelines, ensuring timely and accurate reporting  

• Address strategic issues on an ad hoc basis that are complementary to the regular planning and analysis processes 

Area Responsibilities: 

• Approve JEVs and accruals as required; ensure compliance with manual journal entry policies; maintain and continuously improve standardized backup/supporting documentation to enable efficient review and audit readiness. 

• Serve as a point of contact for Functions and Corporate Finance on close, planning, and policy questions; facilitate clear, timely communication and resolution of issues. 

• Ad hoc queries may be required as needed. 

Other responsibilities 

• Promote, lead, and actively participate with an action-oriented approach, in initiatives for process improvement and standardization across the different business areas including other areas under director´s organization. 

• Build strong relationships with business partners (Back Office, Controlling & Embedded Finance) and deliver exceptional customer service. 

• Ability to operate with minimal direct supervision. 

• Demonstrate problem-solving abilities by identifying issues, their root causes, and quickly developing solutions. 

• Actively participate in site or global initiatives to incentive a healthy organization environment   

• Ad hoc queries may be required as needed. 

• Building excellent working knowledge of customer requirements and business drivers which are shared and understood by the team of Business Analysts. 

Essential Criteria 

• 6+ years of relevant experience in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A). 

• A recognized qualification in finance (Bachelor), business administration, accounting, economics, or any related field. 

• Advanced proficiency in handling large databases (Power BI, Microsoft Excel, pivot tables, complex formulas).  

• Competency in using Microsoft Office and financial systems for planning and reporting. 

• Ability to collaborate effectively across diverse global teams. 

• Proficiency in the English language, both verbal and written, with the ability to articulate clear opinions and explain financial matters to non-financial stakeholders. 

• Proficiency in SAP, Smart View/Hyperion Financial Management. 

• Excellent communication skills, conveying strategic and tactical concepts to various stakeholders, including Finance, Operations, and Senior Management. 

• Knowledge of accounting fundamentals (e.g., GAAP, P&L, BS, CAPEX, accruals, cost centers). 

• Demonstrated work ethic based on a strong desire to exceed expectations  

• Experience in cross-boundary activities, including remote relationship building and cross-cultural collaboration. 

Desirable Criteria 

• Qualification as a finance professional: Bachelor's, Licentiate (Licenciatura), or Master's degree. The level of the degree will be considered in the job offer. 

• Experience in the pharmaceutical or retail industry is a plus. 

• Experience in transitioning activities across countries. 

Competences and Others 

• Strong analytical capabilities. 

• Adherence to the highest standards of accuracy and precision in reporting and analysis. 

• Attention to detail and highly organized. 

• Self-driven with the ability to constructively challenge information. 

• Capacity to work effectively under pressure. 

• Customer-focused and results-oriented. 

• Ability to think creatively. 

• Teamwork skills and proficiency in collaborating with cross-functional teams. 

• Challenge (say no)/ Speak up Influence - communication strong analytical capabilities 

• Schedule flexibility. 

• People Development  

Other Role Requirements 

• Schedule flexibility to work on holidays and/or weekends when necessary. 

• Schedule flexibility to work on the days off given by the wellness Policy when necessary (Política de Bienestar). 

• Flexibility to travel and work in another AZ facilities outside the country when necessary. 

According to the company policies, the candidate must prove that there are no situations that generate a conflict of interest (COI) for the company. The non-existence of COI is considered as an objective requirement of the position. To know beforehand the weightings of COI contained in the policies of the company, consult the Human Resources Department. 

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer. AstraZeneca will consider all qualified applicants for employment without discrimination on grounds of disability, sex or sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity leave status, race or national or ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, gender identity or re-assignment, marital or civil partnership status, protected veteran status (if applicable) or any other characteristic protected by law. AstraZeneca only employs individuals with the right to work in the country/ies where the role is advertised.