Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Finance Operations Analyst

💰 $65,000 - $95,000

FinanceOperationsAnalysisFintech

🎯 Role Definition

We're searching for a highly motivated and analytical Finance Operations Analyst to join our dynamic finance team. This pivotal role sits at the intersection of finance, data, and technology, focusing on the efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of our financial processes. You will be instrumental in managing day-to-day financial operations, identifying opportunities for process automation, and providing data-driven insights that guide strategic decisions. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem-solver with a passion for digging into data, optimizing workflows, and making a tangible impact on the bottom line.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior Accountant / Staff Accountant
  • Financial Analyst
  • Data Analyst
  • Operations Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Senior Finance Operations Analyst
  • Finance Manager, Operations
  • Business Intelligence Manager
  • Revenue Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Financial Analyst (FP&A)
  • Business Systems Analyst
  • Treasury Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Perform daily and monthly reconciliation of complex transaction flows, including bank accounts, payment processor statements, and internal system ledgers, to ensure financial accuracy.
  • Investigate and resolve payment discrepancies, transaction exceptions, and reconciliation variances by collaborating with engineering, customer support, and external partners.
  • Manage and oversee the entire accounts payable (A/P) and accounts receivable (A/R) cycles, from invoice processing and payment runs to customer billing and collections.
  • Act as a key contributor to the month-end and quarter-end close process, preparing journal entries, accruals, and balance sheet reconciliations for operational accounts.
  • Monitor, analyze, and report on key operational finance metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as payment success rates, transaction costs, and dispute rates.
  • Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and documentation for all core finance operations tasks to ensure consistency and facilitate team training.
  • Analyze transaction costs and fees from payment gateways, banking partners, and other vendors to identify cost-saving opportunities and support negotiation efforts.
  • Collaborate with the accounting team to ensure all operational transactions are recorded accurately and in compliance with GAAP/IFRS principles.
  • Manage relationships with financial vendors and payment processing partners, serving as a point of contact for operational inquiries and issue resolution.
  • Execute daily treasury functions, including cash positioning, monitoring bank reporting, and forecasting short-term cash flow needs.
  • Support the implementation and enhancement of financial systems (e.g., ERP, billing systems, reconciliation tools) by participating in user acceptance testing (UAT) and providing business requirements.
  • Drive process improvement and automation projects within the finance department, using technology to reduce manual work and increase efficiency.
  • Prepare detailed reports and presentations on financial operations performance for management, highlighting trends, risks, and opportunities.
  • Assist in financial audits by providing necessary documentation, reconciliations, and explanations for transaction-related queries.
  • Ensure compliance with internal controls, policies, and regulatory requirements (e.g., SOX, PCI-DSS) related to financial operations.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to answer critical business questions from leadership.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by identifying gaps in financial data capture and reporting.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate their data needs into clear engineering requirements for new reports and dashboards.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data and engineering teams to provide the finance perspective on new product features.
  • Develop financial models to analyze the impact of new business initiatives or changes in pricing on operational cash flow and revenue.
  • Monitor industry trends in payment processing and fintech to recommend innovative solutions and operational best practices.
  • Assist in the creation of budgets and forecasts by providing historical data and insights on operational drivers.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced Microsoft Excel: Mastery of pivot tables, VLOOKUP/INDEX(MATCH), complex formulas, and data modeling is essential.
  • SQL (Structured Query Language): Proficiency in writing queries to extract, manipulate, and analyze large datasets from relational databases.
  • Data Visualization Tools: Hands-on experience with Tableau, Power BI, Looker, or similar tools to create insightful dashboards and reports.
  • ERP & Accounting Software: Experience with systems like NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, or QuickBooks.
  • Financial Reconciliation: Deep understanding of multi-system reconciliation techniques and best practices.
  • U.S. GAAP/IFRS: Solid understanding of fundamental accounting principles.
  • Financial Modeling: Ability to build operational and financial models to forecast and analyze business scenarios.
  • Payment Systems Knowledge: Familiarity with the payment ecosystem, including gateways (Stripe, Adyen), card networks, and bank transfer systems (ACH, SEPA).
  • Process Mapping: Experience using tools like Visio or Lucidchart to document and analyze workflows.
  • Data Warehousing Concepts: Basic understanding of how data is stored and structured for analysis.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional Attention to Detail: A meticulous and precise approach to handling financial data is non-negotiable.
  • Strong Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: The ability to dissect complex problems, identify root causes, and propose effective solutions.
  • Excellent Communication: Capable of clearly articulating complex financial information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Proactive & Self-Motivated: A "get it done" attitude with the ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: Proven ability to work effectively across different departments (e.g., Engineering, Product, Sales).
  • Adaptability: Thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment and is comfortable with ambiguity.
  • Process-Oriented Mindset: A natural inclination to identify inefficiencies and a desire to build scalable, repeatable processes.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

  • Master's Degree in a related field or relevant professional certification (e.g., CPA, CFA).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Finance
  • Accounting
  • Economics
  • Business Administration
  • Data Science / Analytics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2-5 years of relevant experience in a finance operations, accounting, FP&A, or data analytics role.

Preferred:

  • Prior experience in a high-growth technology, SaaS, e-commerce, or fintech company.
  • Demonstrable experience in driving process automation and system implementation projects.
Explore More Careers