We are seeking a highly skilled and strategic Financial Lead to oversee planning and operations for the Enterprise Learning & Skills, a key growth business unit within Pearson PLC. This role is pivotal in driving financial insight, operational efficiency, and strategic planning across the division. Reporting directly to the VP of Finance, the successful candidate will act as a trusted business partner to senior stakeholders, enabling data-driven decision-making and financial discipline. Helping to shape the commercial finance processes of the division, acting as a key liaison between the division and group finance and ensuring high quality reporting and planning across our financial calendar.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead the financial planning process for the division, including annual budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning. Partner with operational and commercial leaders to support business strategy through rigorous financial analysis and insight. Own and drive monthly and quarterly financial reviews, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and actionable insight. Deliver performance reporting and KPI tracking aligned to divisional and group objectives. Drive operational efficiency and cost optimisation across the division through data-driven recommendations. Identify and implement improvements across financial planning, reporting, and operational finance processes, ensuring alignment with group-wide transformation programmes. Champion continuous improvement, leveraging digital tools, analytics, and best practices to modernise financial workflows and enhance business agility. Ensure compliance with internal controls, corporate policies, and financial governance frameworks. Act as a key liaison between the division and group finance, ensuring alignment and consistency in reporting and planning. Work closely with Investor Relations and the Group Finance team to support external reporting, ensuring divisional performance narratives are aligned with market communications. Support investment cases, business cases, and capital allocation decisions with robust financial modelling and scenario analysis.

What We’re Looking For:

Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with significant post-qualification experience. Proven experience in a senior finance business partnering or FP&A role, ideally within a large, complex, multinational organisation. Strong commercial acumen and ability to interpret financial data in a strategic business context. Advanced Excel and financial modelling skills; experience with enterprise planning tools (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Anaplan) a plus. Excellent stakeholder management, influencing, and communication skills. Comfortable working in a fast-paced, matrixed environment with competing priorities. Experience working within or supporting a large business division with P&L responsibility preferred.