Lead Specialist, Financial Planning & Management Information A high-visibility finance role providing critical insight, reporting, and forecasting to support Pearson's CFO, Executive Team, and Board-level decision-making. About The Role This is a high-visibility role at the heart of Company's financial decision-making. In this role within the Group Financial Planning & Management Information team, you'll provide reporting and insights for the CFO, Deputy CFO, Executive Team, and Board - shaping how the business understands performance, plans for the future, and communicates externally. You will deliver core management reporting, robust forecasts, and play a key role in validating financial data and commentary provided to investors and the market. Key Responsibilities Management Reporting & Analysis Own the monthly internal management reporting process. This includes the reporting timetable, communication, and the design, development and maintenance of divisional trading pack templates. Analyse monthly results, identify key drivers and anomalies, and work with business units to understand variances Prepare Group month-end results and monthly management reporting for Board and Executive review Produce ad hoc analysis that supports leadership decision-making External Reporting & Market Communications Support the preparation of Group Prelims, Interims, and Annual Report, including relevant disclosures Provide ad hoc support to Investor Relations Verify the accuracy and consistency of financial and operational data used in external announcements, presentations, and reporting Financial Planning Review divisional plans, identify inconsistencies and risks, and follow up as required Deliver consolidated group financial plans and supporting analysis Collaboration & General Activity Work closely with Finance colleagues across Business Partnering, Shared Services, Group Reporting, Financial Control, and Centres of Excellence Partner with teams including Investor Relations, Reward, and Group Strategy Contribute to the wider financial planning and reporting community, and continuous improvement initiatives Essential Skills Exceptional attention to detail, with the ability to manage complex financial data Strong data wrangling skills, including bringing together disparate data sources, transforming and integrating data, and improving repeatability of reporting processes Commercial mindset - able to extract insight from financial data Excellent communication and storytelling skills, tailored for senior audiences Broad finance knowledge, with judgement on when to draw on specialist expertise Confident stakeholder management, including the ability to challenge constructively Highly organised and adaptable, comfortable operating in a fast-changing environment Curious and improvement-focused, with the ability to identify opportunities to simplify, standardise, or automate reporting where appropriate Qualifications & Experience Recognised accountancy qualification (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or MBA 2 years post-qualification experience Strong Excel and financial modelling capability Experience with data visualisation tools Exposure to group reporting or consolidation systems (Oracle / Hyperion advantageous) About The Team The Group Planning and Management Information team sits at the centre of Pearson's financial decision-making. The team delivers management reporting, forecasting, and planning for the Board and senior leadership, and plays a key role in ensuring the accuracy of financial information used externally. The team works closely with Group Finance, Investor Relations, and Business Partnering teams. Who We Are At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: _We are Pearson_. Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com. Please note that this is a full time office based position in Pearson's office at The Strand, London Who we are: At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson. Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com. Job: Finance Job Family: ENTERPRISE Organization: Corporate Finance Schedule: FULL\_TIME Workplace Type: On-site Req ID: 21953 \LI-REMOTE