Lead Finance Analyst
Financial Services Sector
London (3 days in office, 2 days remote)
Salary: Up to £90,000 + discretionary bonus + benefits
Overview A leading organisation within the financial services sector is seeking a highly analytical and commercially minded Lead Finance Analyst to join its finance function.
This is a senior individual contributor role focused on financial modelling, investment analysis, and strategic decision support. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping financial insight for senior leadership, including board-level discussions, through robust modelling, scenario analysis, and real-time financial evaluation.
The role is ideal for someone who thrives in complex data environments, enjoys building and interrogating models, and has a natural curiosity for understanding what drives financial performance and investment outcomes.
Role Purpose The Lead Finance Analyst will support strategic decision-making by developing, maintaining, and enhancing advanced financial models and analytical tools. The role will focus on investment appraisal, forecasting, and performance analysis across portfolios and business activities.
A key aspect of the role is the ability to present live financial analysis in Excel during senior meetings, enabling real-time scenario testing and dynamic evaluation of business decisions.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain advanced financial models across P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow frameworks
- Build and enhance investment appraisal models, including discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis and scenario testing
- Support senior leadership discussions by presenting live Excel-based analysis and adjusting assumptions in real time
- Analyse portfolio performance and identify key financial and operational drivers impacting returns
- Evaluate investment opportunities and provide clear, data-driven recommendations
- Design and maintain forecasting models and tools to support planning cycles
- Apply sensitivity analysis and scenario modelling to assess risk and return outcomes
- Provide clear, structured insight into financial performance, trends, and variances
- Support the development and refinement of financial planning and forecasting tools
- Continuously challenge assumptions, improve models, and identify better ways of analysing financial performance
- Work closely with senior stakeholders to support strategic and investment decisions
Key Skills & Experience
- Strong background in financial services (banking, insurance, lending, investment or related sectors)
- Advanced financial modelling experience (Excel essential)
- Experience with forecasting, budgeting, and long-range financial planning
- Strong understanding of discounted cash flow (DCF) and investment appraisal techniques
- Experience analysing P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow information
- Exposure to investment analysis or portfolio performance analysis
- Experience working with forecasting tools (e.g. TM1, Anaplan, Adaptive, or similar) desirable
- Strong analytical mindset with a curiosity for testing assumptions and improving models
- Ability to present complex financial information clearly to senior stakeholders
- Comfortable working in fast-paced, data-rich environments
Personal Attributes
- Highly analytical with strong attention to detail
- Naturally curious and comfortable challenging assumptions
- Strong communicator with the ability to translate data into insight
- Commercially aware with a focus on improving financial outcomes
- Confident working independently and in senior stakeholder environments
- Enjoys solving complex financial problems through modelling and analysis
Package
- Discretionary annual bonus
- Competitive benefits package
- Hybrid working: 3 days in London office, 2 days remote