- The FP&A CoE Staff Costs Senior Analyst provides high-quality staff cost reporting, reconciliations, modelling support and data integrity across the entire organisation, including English & Exams (E&E), Cultural Engagement (CE), Professional Services (PS) and Corporate HQ.
- The role strengthens the core staff cost capability within the FP&A Centre of Excellence (CoE), ensuring financial data that underpins workforce planning, forecasting and reporting is accurate, consistent and aligned with corporate standards.
- Working under the CoE Staff Costs Manager, the postholder supports the delivery of standardised staff cost processes across SAP, Anaplan and consolidated reporting tools.
- This includes reconciling workforce datasets, preparing variance insights, and maintaining aligned structures for FTE, headcount, NPW and pay components.
- The role acts as a key data partner to Business Decision Support (BDS) teams, regional finance teams and HR/People Function teams, ensuring that staff cost information provided to the business is complete, accurate and actionable.
- The FP&A CoE Staff Costs Senior Analyst provides financial and data support that enables informed decision-making relating to workforce changes, organisational design, pay and reward, recruitment, attrition and cost optimisation. It contributes to a consistent, centrally governed staff cost planning framework across the organisation.
Role Accountabilities
Staff Costs Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting:
- Support the execution of staff costs planning, budgeting and forecasting processes.
- Assist in updating driver-based models for workforce movements, pay inflation and attrition.
- Prepare scenario modelling inputs based on defined assumptions and templates.
- Prepare standardised staff costs data extracts and reporting packs for BDS teams.
- Produce initial variance analysis, identifying trends, anomalies, or unexpected movements in staff costs.
- Maintain structured, consistent datasets for use in forecasts, plans and monthly reporting.
Staff Costs Data Quality & Oversight:
- Flag data discrepancies, anomalies, or inconsistencies to the Staff Costs Manager. Maintain documentation, version control and audit trails for reconciliations.
- Apply data definitions for FTE, headcount, NPW, pay components and banding consistency.
- Maintain oversight over the reconciliations of staff costs data across SAP, Anaplan and workforce datasets.
Modelling, Scenario Analysis & Decision Support:
- Maintain staff cost models to support business cases, structural changes, operating model design, estates changes, centre openings/closures, and delivery model shifts.
- Prepare scenario modelling and sensitivity analysis for reward changes, policy updates, workforce restructures, and long-term strategic planning.
- Work alongside the People Function (HR) to model changes to pay frameworks, benefits, allowances, compensation structures, and tax implications.
- Deliver insight-ready modelling that leadership and BDS teams can use for decision-making.
Stakeholder Management & Influence
- Act as the point of contact for staff cost data and modelling questions from BDS, Regional Finance, HR and senior leadership teams.
- Translate complex staff-cost analyses into clear, actionable insights for non-finance colleagues. Build effective working relationships across global, regional and in-country teams to ensure accurate and timely flow of workforce data.
Governance, Controls & Internal Assurance
- Execute standard CoE processes, workflows and templates consistently across SBUs and regions.
- Ensure alignment with data governance protocols and workforce-related master data structures.
- Identify process bottlenecks and share feedback with the Process Excellence team.
Knowledge & Experience
Education:
Essential:
- Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
- Recognised International Accounting or Finance qualification or equivalent such as a relevant Accountancy or Finance degree
- Professional accounting qualification (CIMA, ACCA, ACA or equivalent)
- Significant experience (approx. 2-4 years) in financial data analysis, FP&A, management accounting or similar
- Ability to work with complex financial datasets across multiple business units
- Experience with Anaplan or similar EPM platforms
- Capability in financial modelling, forecasting and analytics
- Track record of delivering accurate financial reporting and analysis to tight deadlines.
- Experience with SAP or similar ERP platforms.
- Experience working with multiple stakeholders in a matrix or multicountry organisational context.
- Right to Work Requirements: You must have the legal right to work in the location in which the role is based
- Languages: The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required.