Senior Business Analyst - FP&A Science RDU (GFS Americas)

About this role

Job Title: Senior Business Analyst - FP&A Science RDU (GFS Americas)
Job Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Job Location Type: Remote
Job Contract Type: Full-time
Job Seniority Level:

Role Purpose
AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious diseases. But we're more than one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. At AstraZeneca, we're proud to have a unique workplace culture that inspires innovation and collaboration. Here, employees are empowered to express diverse perspectives and are made to feel valued, energized and rewarded for their ideas and creativity.
Global Financial Services (GFS) was formed in Q3 2018 through the merger of Global Finance Operations, Integrated Finance Solutions and Cash Generation. GFS is at the heart of the Finance function - accountable to the AstraZeneca (AZ) Group for the design and delivery of high quality, simple to operate transactional finance processes that enable our customers to focus on AZ’s strategic priorities.
The creation of the Global Financial Services (GFS) centers in Warsaw (Poland), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and San José (Costa Rica) will transform the AZ Middle Office to a central function, supporting the business regions through simplification, standardization across the globe, and a structure that is scalable to support the bold ambition of becoming a $80bn company by 2030.
We have exciting opportunities to join our GFS Center in San José, which will establish best practices and be responsible for providing support to embedded finance.
Role Profile
As a Senior Business Analyst, you will collaborate with a team of 4-12 analysts to provide support for financial and planning activities. Your role is essential, involving assistance to the Finance Leads (manager and director) in accomplishing team objectives. Your knowledge in financial analysis, planning, and leadership will be instrumental in guiding the FP&A Science Business Analysts and driving continuous improvements.
You will act as the subject matter expert and primary point of contact for your team, helping with their daily tasks and fostering their professional growth. Moreover, your expertise may be leveraged to lead or contribute to special projects across GFS, collaborating with other Leads or Senior Analysts.
The Sr analyst is expected to behave as a positive leader and drive the organization along with the manager and the Director, acting as a change management agent.
Your core deliverables will include:
Deliver robust, high-quality month-end financial reports to business teams.
Support, prepare, and present planning cycles (Budget – forecast) to business teams, involving information gathering, providing constructive challenges, responding to ad hoc queries, and actively participating in business meetings to ensure alignment with market assumptions across all business areas.
Provide comprehensive financial input and analysis, enabling individuals and teams to make informed and effective business decisions.
Be SPOC for GFS FP&A Science team, to support the R&D Area finance main stakeholders (Area Finance Business Partner and BPOs).
Key Responsibilities
Month End Close Activities

• Execute month-end financial reporting and analysis accurately and promptly, including commentaries and business insights.

• Insert JEVs for the P&L, ensuring compliance with necessary financial controls. Analyze complex financial information for trends, issues and opportunities and create action-oriented reporting to assist the Science Team understanding business results and trends.

• Conduct comprehensive analysis of current, past, and future trends and scenarios related to expenses, cost centers, project allocation, and variance analysis across the P&L sections, offering actionable reporting to support the embedded finance team in understanding business results.
Planning and Forecasting Activities

• Provide support and actively participate in the planning cycle processes (budgeting/forecasting) in adherence to internal guidelines, ensuring timely and accurate reporting

• Address strategic issues on an ad hoc basis that are complementary to the regular planning and analysis processes
Area Responsibilities:

• Approve JEVs and accruals as required; ensure compliance with manual journal entry policies; maintain and continuously improve standardized backup/supporting documentation to enable efficient review and audit readiness.

• Serve as a point of contact for Functions and Corporate Finance on close, planning, and policy questions; facilitate clear, timely communication and resolution of issues.

• Ad hoc queries may be required as needed.

Other responsibilities

• Promote, lead, and actively participate with an action-oriented approach, in initiatives for process improvement and standardization across the different business areas including other areas under director´s organization.

• Build strong relationships with business partners (Back Office, Controlling & Embedded Finance) and deliver exceptional customer service.

• Ability to operate with minimal direct supervision.

• Demonstrate problem-solving abilities by identifying issues, their root causes, and quickly developing solutions.

• Actively participate in site or global initiatives to incentive a healthy organization environment

• Ad hoc queries may be required as needed.

• Building excellent working knowledge of customer requirements and business drivers which are shared and understood by the team of Business Analysts.
Essential Criteria

• 6+ years of relevant experience in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A).

• A recognized qualification in finance (Bachelor), business administration, accounting, economics, or any related field.

• Advanced proficiency in handling large databases (Power BI, Microsoft Excel, pivot tables, complex formulas).

• Competency in using…