Manager, Financial Reporting, Planning and Analysis

Lead the reliable delivery of financial reporting, forecasting, budgeting and management insight for key Corporate Functions, while developing a small FP&A team and building trusted stakeholder relationships. 

Also known in the market as: FP&A Manager; Financial Planning & Analysis Manager; Finance Planning Manager; Commercial Finance Manager. 

About the Role 

Pearson is looking for a Manager, Financial Reporting, Planning & Analysis to lead FP&A delivery for a defined portfolio within Corporate Functions. You will manage a team of three analysts and support areas including HR, Legal, Finance, Strategy and CBO. 

This role combines hands-on knowledge of monthly reporting, forecasting and budgeting with day-to-day leadership. You will set priorities, review output quality, coach the team and ensure issues are addressed or escalated quickly. 

You will work closely with Finance Business Partners and senior stakeholders, turning accurate management information into clear understanding of performance and outlook. The environment is stable, but it requires judgement, credibility and confidence navigating complex stakeholder relationships. 

What You’ll Do 

• Own financial reporting, forecasting and budgeting for assigned Corporate Functions divisions. 
• Lead division-level planning cycles and ensure complete, accurate delivery to agreed timelines. 
• Oversee month-end close activities, reconciliations and variance analysis. 
• Manage three FP&A analysts, allocating work, tracking progress and reviewing quality. 
• Coach team members and support continuous improvement in accuracy and efficiency. 
• Provide decision-ready management information to Finance Business Partners and business leaders. 
• Maintain finance governance, control and documentation standards. 
• Identify process efficiencies and support appropriate AI-enabled automation opportunities. 

What We’re Looking For 

• Demonstrable FP&A experience covering management reporting, forecasting and budgeting in a structured finance environment. 
• Experience owning recurring finance processes with accountability for accuracy, timeliness and compliance. 
• Experience leading or supervising a small team, including allocation, coaching and quality review. 
• Strong analytical capability across variances, trends and data inconsistencies. 
• Confidence producing management information for Finance Business Partners and senior stakeholders. 
• Strong stakeholder management, including constructive challenge and relationship building. 
• Integrity, accountability and sound judgement within established controls. 
• Ability to manage competing deadlines, dependencies and operational issues. 
• A qualified or part-qualified accountancy background such as ACA, ACCA or CIMA is desirable. Strong qualified-by-experience candidates will also be considered. 
• Experience in a matrixed or deadline-driven organisation is helpful. 

Location & Working Pattern 

Belfast, United Kingdom. Hybrid working two days per week in the Belfast office. 

Why Join Pearson? 

This is an opportunity to lead a capable FP&A team, gain broad exposure across five Corporate Functions divisions and shape the quality, consistency and usefulness of finance delivery. You will have autonomy to manage your team while partnering with visible senior stakeholders across the organisation. 

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