Important Key Roles of a Financial Analyst in 2020

Posted by vikas sharma on December 24th, 2019

A financial analyst is one of the most coveted roles in the finance industry; it leads to many other career opportunities both junior and senior-level positions within a firm. A financial analyst researches micro and macroeconomic conditions of the business environment and gathers financial information to make recommendations about possible investment opportunities.

Financial analysts can be hired at KPO's, banks, investment firms, insurance companies, individual companies, and nearly every corporate firm or company. If you have a financial analytics certification and you are out looking for a job, there are a lot of options beyond the usual Financial Analyst job description. Some of them are as follows:-

1. Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

The chief financial officer directs the fiscal functions of an organization. This includes the monitoring, assessment, control, and reporting system over financial assets. He/she is also responsible for developing forward-looking financial and operating strategies, and often risk management and its responsibilities. The CFO is a highly-respected member of the executive committee and acts as a business partner to the CEO and other senior members of the board. 

A CFO is mainly responsible for:

•        Accounting, Financial Controls, and Financial Reporting
•        Strategic, Financial and Operational Planning
•        Treasury and Tax
•        Risk Management
•        Building External Financial Relations

1. VP/Director of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A)

The team leader of financial planning and analysis is the lead financial liaison for multiple business units. He/she is responsible for coordinating efforts from central and outsourced teams, consolidating plans & forecasts, standardized assumptions, and managing information within the organization. A VP/Director FP&A provides senior-level consulting services to executive management along with financial reporting and analysis that is used for strategic and tactical decision making.

Basic responsibilities of VP/Director of FP&A includes:

•        Integrated Business Planning
•        Management Reporting
•        Operational Analysis
•        Investment Analysis
•        Management of the team

1. FP&A Senior Analyst

An FP&A senior analyst partners with corporate leaders to provide input and guidance on business threats and offers strategic financial inputs and solutions on issues affecting the line of business. He/she is responsible to conduct financial analysis projects, data gathering, manipulation, summarization, and analysis of financial reports. He/she also keeps track of the sales activity, trends, and opportunities of the business.

Basic responsibilities of an FP&A Senior Analyst include:

•        Supporting general manager and senior-level directors/managers
•        Provide training to finance and operations teams
•        Serve as a finance lead for corporate and business units
•        Prepare financial review package for upper-management
•        Research, analyze, and synthesize data from multiple sources as per the requirements of the business

The Future of Financial Analysis

The future in this field looks prospering. However, in order to become a successful financial analyst or to enter into one of the management roles discussed above, you will need the guidance of a financial analysis online course. A financial analytics certification proves you are ready to guide people and businesses in making investment decisions. It is imperative for a financial business analyst to be familiarized with the dynamic trends of the business environment and be capable enough to analyze gathered information and conjure up plans for an investment opportunity. In order to be able to excel in all aspects of financial analysis, you need to get yourself a financial analytics certification.