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Finance planning manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Kris Allee Ph.D.,

Dhruba Banjade

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical finance planning manager skills. We ranked the top skills for finance planning managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 9.6% of finance planning manager resumes contained financial analysis as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a finance planning manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 finance planning manager skills for your resume and career

1. Financial Analysis

Here's how finance planning managers use financial analysis:

Managed the financial analysis of monthly operating results, capital project investments and financial analysis for nine manufacturing locations.
Expanded scope of project to include Material Ledger and Profitability Analysis in order to improve financial analysis.

2. Financial Planning Analysis

Here's how finance planning managers use financial planning analysis:

Provide leadership to the Financial Planning Analysis/Management Reporting department for business activities.
Provided financial planning analysis for company's new client acquisition.

3. Financial Models

Here's how finance planning managers use financial models:

Designed detailed financial models providing significant contributions in the development of market strategies for the company's retail site portfolio.
Created complex excel financial models for debt compliance, executive deferred compensation program and partnership equity investment plan.

4. Financial Performance

Here's how finance planning managers use financial performance:

Provide budget/forecast, business analysis, financial performance and profitability modeling and reporting for key areas of cost and revenue achievement.
Managed SEC reporting; prepared and presented financial performance analyses, financing proposals and strategic planning reviews to company/parent leadership.

5. Hyperion

Here's how finance planning managers use hyperion:

Defined requirements to develop product level profit/loss statements and supported the implementation project for Hyperion planning.
Submitted forecast and budget data to corporate headquarters via internally developed reporting system and Hyperion Enterprise.

6. Financial Data

Here's how finance planning managers use financial data:

Administer business partnering support to Cost Center Owners by adding insight via analysis and interpretation of financial data.
Provided financial data and expertise to internal management to assist them in myriad strategic and operating decisions.

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7. Variance Analysis

Here's how finance planning managers use variance analysis:

Created automated executive level financial reporting and variance analysis and introducing probability techniques for new business and unfunded revenue projections.
Prepare monthly forecasts, variance analysis and quarterly reports for management reviews including Boards of Directors meetings.

8. Balance Sheet

Here's how finance planning managers use balance sheet:

Provided financial support and advice on various acquisitions including generating valuation models, risk assessments and valuation of opening balance sheets.
Assist the Corporate Controller in the preparation of annual financial statements and periodic regulatory financial reporting and balance sheet account reconciliations.

9. Business Performance

Business performance is the act of setting and reviewing corporate goals, observing the methods used to accomplish those goals, and then devising ways for administrators to more efficiently accomplish those goals. By collecting and interpreting data, a business can determine what influences managerial changes had on performance and then modify those settings to help create a more productive process.

Here's how finance planning managers use business performance:

Identified and implemented metrics to measure business performance; streamlined financial planning; improved financial forecasting and prepared BOD presentations.
Delivered reliable actual cost reports across six sites and produced accompanying quality commentary for key stakeholders to understand business performance.

10. Cash Flow

Here's how finance planning managers use cash flow:

Prepared a rolling, 13-week forecast of cash availability under an asset based loan agreement that significantly improved cash flow management.
Improved budgeting/forecasting accuracy within 2% margin to effectively manage cash flows.

11. General Ledger

Here's how finance planning managers use general ledger:

Converted financial operations to new general ledger system and standardized chart of accounts for consistent financial reporting for multiple business units.
Reviewed General Ledger and accuracy of significant monthly entries.

12. Business Plan

Here's how finance planning managers use business plan:

Provided revenue forecasting, operating expense projections, and investment financing for State s Business Plan consistent with the regulatory environment.
Analyzed new business opportunities, modeled growth strategies, performed competitive analysis & constructed business plans to support development.

13. Business Cases

Business cases are documents, verbal agreements, or presentations that explain the purpose of creating a task or project. The idea is to see that whenever any resource such as money or effort is spent, immense value or satisfaction is derived. A typical example is a software upgrade whose business case captures the results of streamlined performance, better value for money, improved customer experience, and time optimization among other benefits.

Here's how finance planning managers use business cases:

Presented business case to management for moving into larger facility including detailed revenue and cost forecasts based on management's assumptions.
Developed business cases for system development projects and capital expenditures that were deemed crucial to business transformation efforts.

14. Essbase

Here's how finance planning managers use essbase:

Coordinated with Sterling Operations team to define process for EPE data consolidation to Essbase.
Optimize and tune existing Essbase applications and QlikView Dashboards to enhance performance.

15. Financial Reports

Here's how finance planning managers use financial reports:

Prepared financial reports in coordination with credit risk management department and completed tax and audit schedules.
Worked closely with finance manager to produce monthly and quarterly business unit financial reports.

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What skills help Finance Planning Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on finance planning manager resumes?

Kris Allee Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Doyle Z. Williams Chair in Professional Accounting, University of Arkansas

Generally, prior experience working with US GAAP for financial reporting purposes, knowledge of regulatory standards, and the ability to reconcile accounts are necessary. Most successful candidates would likely be CPAs and have several years of work experience, sufficient general business knowledge, and have some degree of software proficiency. Abilities such as data analysis and critical thinking would be key as well. Some employers prefer accounting manager candidates who hold a master's degree to signify the level of skills and knowledge they have acquired.

What finance planning manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dhruba Banjade

Assistant Professor in Finance & Department Chair of Business Analysis

Everyone's career journey is unique and different. As a finance professor, I suggest a few things to graduates beginning their careers.
i. Learning is a continuous process and essential. Even after graduation, learn and enhance new skills. The person must be familiar with the latest industry trends.
ii. Building a good network helps with career development. I suggest attending industry events and connecting with many friends and colleagues on social networks such as LinkedIn.
iii. I further suggest to improve verbal and written communication. It helps in career development.
iv. Understanding basic financial principles is essential. For example, the person must be familiar with economic and income statement analyses, budgeting, profit/loss, and savings.

What technical skills for a finance planning manager stand out to employers?

Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Accounting, Accounting Department Chair, Loyola University Maryland

First, Excel. It's the most basic, essential tool for the accounting professional. If you can come in on Day 1 knowing essential keyboard shortcuts, proper formula and reference use, and how to format a spreadsheet properly, you'll have an immediate advantage over your peers.

Second, believe it or not, is writing. People think that accounting is all about numbers, but really, it's less about the math (which Excel does for you) and more about being able to explain the deeper meaning behind the results. Can you explain complex depreciation methods to an audit client? Give bad news to a tax client in an understandable way? These are big deals.

Third is data analytics. Given the immense volume of data now available to firms, someone who can extract, clean, and present that data using modern software tools will have an edge. It's really another form of communication, and one that early-career accounting professionals would do well to familiarize themselves with before entering the workforce.

What soft skills should all finance planning managers possess?

Thomas King

Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, Accountancy, Case Western Reserve University

The ability to develop working relationships with a wide range of colleagues who have diverse skills.

What hard/technical skills are most important for finance planning managers?

Thomas King

Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, Accountancy, Case Western Reserve University

The ability to extract information from unfamiliar data sets and then explain conclusions reached in a clear, persuasive manner.

Do you want to know more?

List of finance planning manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a finance planning manager resume and required skills for a finance planning manager to have include:

Financial Analysis
Financial Planning Analysis
Financial Models
Financial Performance
Hyperion
Financial Data
Variance Analysis
Balance Sheet
Business Performance
Cash Flow
General Ledger
Business Plan
Business Cases
Essbase
Financial Reports
KPIs

Financial Statements
GAAP
Process Improvement
Strategic Plan
ERP
ROI
Analytical Support
Develop Financial Models
Capital Expenditures
Financial Support
Financial Systems
Adaptive
Financial Forecasts
Direct Reports
Income Statement
Executive Management

HR
Due Diligence
Financial Analysts
R
Financial Processes
Treasury
Reconciliations
Close Process
Internal Controls
Gross Margin
CAPEX
Accruals
Americas
AOP

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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