Finance Business Analyst at AXIS Capital · London

Finance Business Analyst
Location: New York, NY
This is your opportunity to join AXIS Capital – a trusted global provider of specialty lines insurance and reinsurance.  We stand apart for our outstanding client service, intelligent risk taking and superior risk adjusted returns for our shareholders. We also proudly maintain an entrepreneurial, disciplined and ethical corporate culture.  As a member of AXIS, you join a team that is among the best in the industry.
At AXIS, we believe that we are only as strong as our people. We strive to create an inclusive and welcoming culture where employees of all backgrounds and from all walks of life feel comfortable and empowered to be themselves. This means that we bring our whole selves to work.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic, including age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any basis prohibited by the laws that govern its operations.
Job Description: Finance Business Analyst
About the Team
Corporate FP&A partners with the CEO, CFO, ExCo and senior leaders across Corporate Functions, Reinsurance and ACS to translate financial plans, forecasts and performance insights into clear decisions, funded strategic options and disciplined cost ownership. The team is strengthening its business partnering, strategic planning, modelling and operational excellence capability so FP&A is a forward-looking adviser to the business, not just a reporting function.
How does this role contribute to our collective success?
The Finance Business Analyst will play a key role in supporting the COO organisation, partnering on cost, headcount and operational performance insight, while also owning a significant component of Anaplan modelling, configuration and ongoing maintenance. The role also supports routine month- and quarter-end close and the data foundations behind them, helping ensure COO cost reporting and planning models are accurate, timely and well controlled.
This role builds the Anaplan and automation capability the team requires by supporting model design, configuration, data loads, validation, maintenance and user adoption. It also supports delivery of the development of an Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) framework and develops the commercial exposure needed to move from generating data to interpreting it.
What will you be doing in this role?
A large component of the role will be dedicated to supporting the COO organisation, alongside a key focus on Anaplan modelling, configuration and maintenance. Broader Corporate FP&A support and coverage across other functions will be delivered in addition.
Close, controls and data foundations
Automate simple run-rate BTS entries and other routine postings wherever inputs allow.
Complete reconciliations across fixed-asset WIP, project validation and go-live confirmation.
Maintain actual-to-budget mapping (OBI extract) by GL, LOB and vendor, keeping the data trusted and consistent.
Support COO organisation cost partnering by maintaining clean cost centre, vendor and project-level actuals that enable reliable discussion of spend, run-rate and investment decisions.
Reporting, dashboards and headcount
Deliver report refreshes, rolling templates and G&A dashboard security and maintenance.
Run monthly headcount uploads and headcount walks, working closely with HR data sources.
Provide ad-hoc support to Group FP&A and broader Corporate FP&A stakeholders across reporting and analysis requests, as secondary coverage to the primary COO organisation focus.
Carry out preliminary variance research by GL, LOB and vendor, building toward a clear "so what" and recommendation.
Prepare recurring COO organisation cost packs and variance commentary, highlighting movements in headcount, vendor spend, run-rate costs and transformation investment.
Modelling, Anaplan and EPM support
Support development, configuration and maintenance of the Anaplan Workforce model and other Anaplan-based models, including modules, lists, line items, formulas, dashboards, imports and user access.
Maintain Anaplan model integrity through controlled structural changes, data-load checks, mapping updates, version management and regular validation against source systems.
Translate planning, headcount and cost partnering requirements into practical Anaplan model enhancements, ensuring outputs are intuitive, reliable and aligned to FP&A reporting needs.
Act as backup to the model owner and progressively take ownership of routine Anaplan maintenance, enhancement testing and issue resolution, reducing key-person risk across core planning models.
Prepare the data, reporting and modelling inputs that deliver the Enterprise Performance Management framework and corporate-function performance assessment, working to the Head of Corporate FP&A.
Adopt AI and automation tools to reduce manual effort and improve data accuracy.
Support COO planning and forecasting inputs by maintaining driver-based assumptions for workforce, vendor cost, technology run-rate and operational initiatives.
Scope and ways of working
Apply solid professional proficiency and good knowledge of the group's finance systems and products, handling most standard close and reporting issues independently.
Work closely with COO organisation stakeholders as the primary customer group, while supporting other internal customers and business partners where required to pin down issues and apply practical solutions.
Handle problems of moderate scope, weighing a variety of factors and recommending process improvements
Build trusted working relationships with COO budget owners, helping them understand cost drivers, forecast risks and practical options to manage spend.
Take general direction on routine work and detailed guidance on new projects, with work reviewed routinely.
Deliver as an independent contributor - execute projects and processes, implement process changes and recommend larger ones for review; may act as day-to-day lead for outsourced providers.
You may also be required to take on additional duties, responsibilities and activities appropriate to the nature of this role.
About you
We encourage you to bring your own experience and expertise to the table. While there are qualifications and experiences we need you to have, we are open to discussing how your individual knowledge could lend itself to fulfilling this role and helping AXIS achieve its goals.
What we're looking for from you
Part-qualified or newly qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, CPA or equivalent), or a degree in finance, accounting or a related discipline.
3+ years of experience in a finance, accounting and reporting role, or business partnering.
Strong Excel and data-handling skills, with a keen interest in adopting Anaplan and automation tools.
Foundational Anaplan model-building experience across modules, lists, line items, formulas, dashboards, imports, model configuration and ongoing maintenance.
Familiarity with enterprise finance and HR systems such as Workday, Oracle, SAP, Hyperion or similar, and reporting tools such as Power BI.
Accurate, organised and curious, with a developing "so what" mindset and clear written and verbal communication.
Interest in cost partnering with operational functions, including the ability to understand cost drivers, headcount movements, vendor spend and project or transformation investment.
Comfortable giving clear, simple answers to routine queries from function stakeholders.
Role factors:
This is an office-based professional role, with hybrid working expectations consistent with AXIS policy and business needs.
The role may require occasional business travel for planning or stakeholder meetings.
No regular driving or manual lifting requirement is expected beyond normal office-based activities.
The role requires flexibility during month-end, quarter-end, forecast and planning cycle deadlines.
Success measures - first 12 months - a snapshot
Outcome
What good looks like
COO cost partnering
Recurring COO cost insight, headcount analysis and variance commentary delivered with clear drivers and practical recommendations.
Analytical growth
Variance research increasingly self-directed, ending with a clear recommendation.
EPM inputs live
Work with Head of Corporate FP&A to establish and launch a meaningful Enterprise Performance Management Framework, ensuring reliable data, reporting and modelling feeds supporting performance assessment under the EPM framework.
Anaplan modelling
Confident support for Anaplan modelling, configuration and maintenance, with the ability to own routine model updates, validate outputs, test enhancements and begin building models independently.
Readiness
Ready to take on higher-level analytical work in a reasonable timeframe, spending more time interpreting data than generating it.
What we offer:
You will be eligible for a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes medical plans for you and your family, health and wellness programs, retirement plans, tuition reimbursement, paid annual leave, and much more.
For this position, we currently expect to offer a base salary in the range of $100 - 130,000. Your salary offer will be based on an assessment of a variety of factors including your specific experience and work location.
In addition, you will be offered competitive target incentive compensation, with awards based on overall corporate and individual performance.
Where this role can either be based in our NYC office in the United States of America or in our London office in the UK, this role is Exempt for FLSA purposes.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
Additional Locations: London - Scalpel