Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Financial Systems Analyst

🎯 Role Definition

Are you a tech-savvy finance professional passionate about process improvement and data integrity? This role requires a dedicated and analytical Financial Systems Analyst to join our dynamic team. In this pivotal role, you will be the backbone of our financial operations, acting as the primary liaison between the Finance and IT departments. You will own the administration, maintenance, and enhancement of our financial systems (like NetSuite, SAP, or Oracle), ensuring they meet the evolving needs of the business. This is a unique opportunity to leverage your blend of financial acumen and technical expertise to solve complex problems, streamline processes, and empower our finance team with reliable data and efficient tools. If you excel at turning business requirements into technical solutions and thrive in a collaborative environment, we want to hear from you.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Staff Accountant / Senior Accountant
Junior Financial Analyst
IT Business Analyst
ERP Support Specialist

Advancement To:

Senior Financial Systems Analyst
Finance Manager, Systems
Business Intelligence (BI) Manager
IT Project Manager

Lateral Moves:

Senior Financial Analyst (FP&A)
Data Analyst / Scientist
Business Process Improvement Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Act as the primary administrator and subject matter expert for core financial systems (e.g., ERP, consolidation, and reporting tools), managing system configuration, security, and master data.
Provide first-line technical support and troubleshooting for the Finance and Accounting teams, resolving system issues related to transaction processing, reporting, and system access in a timely manner.
Lead the design, development, and maintenance of financial reports, dashboards, and key performance indicators (KPIs) using native reporting tools and BI platforms like Tableau or Power BI.
Drive the financial month-end and quarter-end close processes from a systems perspective, ensuring all modules are functioning correctly and assisting with reconciliations and data validation.
Proactively identify opportunities for business process improvement and automation within the finance function, translating business needs into well-defined technical requirements.
Manage the full lifecycle of system enhancements, from gathering user requirements and documenting specifications to configuring, testing, and deploying solutions.
Ensure the integrity, accuracy, and completeness of financial data across all integrated systems by performing regular data audits and reconciliations.
Develop and deliver comprehensive training programs and create detailed documentation for end-users to ensure proficient use of financial applications.
Manage user roles, permissions, and access controls within the financial systems, ensuring compliance with internal policies and SOX regulations.
Serve as the key liaison between the Finance department, IT stakeholders, and external software vendors to manage system upgrades, implementations, and support escalations.
Support internal and external audit requests by providing system-generated data, reports, and documentation regarding system controls and configurations.
Participate in or lead projects related to the implementation of new financial systems, modules, or third-party applications, including data migration and integration efforts.
Develop and execute user acceptance testing (UAT) plans for system patches, upgrades, and configuration changes to ensure they meet business requirements without adverse effects.
Create and maintain custom fields, forms, records, and workflows within the ERP system to streamline and automate financial processes.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to assist with strategic business decisions.
Contribute to the organization's data governance strategy and roadmap, particularly as it relates to financial data standards.
Collaborate with business units outside of finance (e.g., Sales, Operations, HR) to understand and troubleshoot cross-functional system integrations and data flows.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data and engineering teams when working on finance-related technical projects.
Monitor system performance and data storage, making recommendations for optimization and efficiency improvements.
Stay current with financial system trends, features, and best practices to provide strategic recommendations to leadership.
Assist in the configuration and maintenance of financial planning and analysis (FP&A) systems, supporting budgeting and forecasting cycles.
Document and map end-to-end financial processes, identifying bottlenecks and control gaps for remediation.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

ERP Proficiency: Deep, hands-on experience administering and configuring major ERP systems such as NetSuite, SAP (FICO), Oracle Financials, or Workday Financial Management.
SQL: Strong proficiency in writing and executing SQL queries for complex data extraction, transformation, and analysis from relational databases.
Financial Reporting & BI Tools: Proven ability to build reports and dashboards using tools like Tableau, Power BI, Looker, or native ERP reporting features.
Advanced Excel: Expertise in advanced Excel functions including Power Query, Power Pivot, complex formulas, macros, and data modeling.
Accounting Principles: Solid understanding of core accounting principles (GAAP/IFRS) and financial processes like Procure-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash, and Record-to-Report.
System Implementation: Experience participating in or leading system implementations, data migrations, and integrations.
Process Automation: Ability to design and implement workflows and automations within financial systems.
FP&A Systems: Familiarity with corporate performance management (CPM) and FP&A tools like Anaplan, Adaptive Insights, or Host Analytics is a strong plus.
SOX & IT Controls: Knowledge of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance requirements and IT General Controls (ITGC) as they relate to financial systems.
Requirements Gathering: Skill in translating non-technical business needs from finance stakeholders into clear, actionable technical specifications.

Soft Skills

Analytical & Problem-Solving: Exceptional ability to dissect complex problems, identify root causes, and implement robust solutions.
Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate with both technical and non-technical audiences.
Detail-Oriented: A meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to data accuracy and integrity.
Project Management: Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously.
Customer-Focused: A service-oriented mindset focused on enabling and supporting internal finance users.
Collaboration: A proven team player who can work effectively across different departments to achieve common goals.
Proactive & Self-Directed: A self-starter who takes initiative to identify issues and opportunities for improvement without direct supervision.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s Degree

Preferred Education:

Master’s Degree (MBA, M.S. in Information Systems) or relevant professional certification (e.g., CPA, PMP).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Finance
Accounting
Management Information Systems (MIS)
Business Administration
Computer Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3-5 years of experience in a financial systems, business systems, or related accounting/finance role with a significant technology focus.

Preferred:

5+ years of direct experience, including hands-on administration of a Tier 1 or Tier 2 ERP system in a corporate environment.
Demonstrable experience leading a system enhancement project or being a key player in a full-cycle ERP implementation.