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Senior finance analyst skills for your resume and career
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. Richard Hale,
Kim Tan Ph.D.
To be an analyst, you need a mix of both hard and soft skills on your resume that demonstrate your effectiveness in streamlining business finances. For hard skills, you'll need a strong understanding of variance analysis, experience working with financial models, and you'll need to show your mastery of assessing financial statements. Those hiring you will also want to know that you are well acquainted with SQL.
When it comes to soft skills, Senior finance analysts need to be strong communicators in order to portray their findings and suggestions well. They also need to ensure that they are client-focused by demonstrating their commitment to fulfilling client needs. Customer service is a surprisingly important skill for senior finance analysts.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical senior finance analyst skills. We ranked the top skills for senior finance analysts based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 11.8% of senior finance analyst resumes contained financial analysis as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a senior finance analyst needs to be successful in the workplace.
15 senior finance analyst skills for your resume and career
1. Financial Analysis
Here's how senior finance analysts use financial analysis:
- Prepared narrative and related financial analysis for capital projects, including plant rebuilds and acquisitions, for approval by Senior Management.
- Advise clients on completion of capital expense business cases by providing financial analysis, drafting capital request summaries for management approval.
2. Hyperion
Here's how senior finance analysts use hyperion:
- Developed the financial information and responsible for transmission of the results to the international parent company utilizing Hyperion Enterprise 4.6 Software.
- Developed and leveraged the Hyperion tool to ensure overall accuracy of budget data, forecast and the associated analysis.
3. Financial Models
Here's how senior finance analysts use financial models:
- Developed financial models that allowed the Director of Mergers and Acquisitions to assess acquisition candidates and participated in due diligence audits.
- Developed financial models, sales forecasts and dashboard reports customized for special needs such as resource utilization and group performance analysis.
4. Strong Analytical
Here's how senior finance analysts use strong analytical:
- Develop a strong analytical skill in financial data projects from the design state through reporting by utilizing systems and models.
- Possess strong analytical skills, quantitative skills, communication skills, and a strong work ethic.
5. Variance Analysis
Here's how senior finance analysts use variance analysis:
- Provided budget planning, forecasting, redistribution of expenses, and variance analysis for administration budget comprised of 21 separate departments.
- Perform monthly analyses of the Balance Sheet and Income Statement for financially material artist/labels, including variance analysis and develop expectations.
6. Ad-Hoc Analysis
Here's how senior finance analysts use ad-hoc analysis:
- Performed Ad-Hoc analysis on sales attainment and top-tier customer qualifications.
- Lead Analyst over Managed Care including Budget, Revenue, and Ad-Hoc analysis
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Here's how senior finance analysts use financial performance:
- Supported Executive Team in carrying out financial analysis, evaluating operational financial performance and communicating that financial performance internally and externally.
- Develop reports and analyze financial performance against key business metrics in order to enable management to determine progress against targeted results.
8. Financial Data
Here's how senior finance analysts use financial data:
- Analyzed weekly Disability product sales, and created sophisticated spreadsheets to capture timely financial data, and presented to senior management.
- Review and analyze complex Logistics & Warranty financial data, provide accurate financial information to management for decision making purposes.
9. Work Ethic
Here's how senior finance analysts use work ethic:
- Received two Silver Awards in recognition for strong results, work ethic, and ability to build collaborative relations.
- Streamlined process and applied work ethic to produce monthly reports 75% faster and more timely.
10. Power Bi
Here's how senior finance analysts use power bi:
- Lead Business Intelligence team developing Power BI interactive dashboards and scorecards.
- Created automated dashboards in Excel, Tableau and Power BI for consolidation of statistical data for management.
11. Process Improvement
Here's how senior finance analysts use process improvement:
- Provide recommendations/oversee system automation process improvements.
- Developed process improvements and system enhancements; established a system for tracking Returned Replacement checks from providers and reflecting in OPT.
12. SQL
Here's how senior finance analysts use sql:
- Streamlined monthly financial system loading process by upgrading Microsoft Access databases into Microsoft SQL Server using SQL Server Data Transformation Services.
- Researched invoice discrepancies utilizing SQL database and worked closely with national Accounting department and other analysts to determine source.
13. Strong Work Ethic
Here's how senior finance analysts use strong work ethic:
- Motivate to work in a professional and strong work ethic environment.
- Promoted based on strong work ethic and performance.
14. Reconciliations
Here's how senior finance analysts use reconciliations:
- Structured and maintained inter-company balance reconciliations
- Performed and coordinated duties including forecasting, budgeting, cash flow analysis, account reconciliations and monthly maintenance of general ledger.
15. Pivot Tables
A pivot table is a technique used in data processing to arrange and rearrange statistics to prioritize useful information. The aim of a pivot table is to summarize the findings and interpretations of the data extracted. Pivot tables take information from a database or spreadsheet to report sums, average, and other such statistics. This technique is integral to data analysis since it turns the data to view it from different lenses and perspectives.
Here's how senior finance analysts use pivot tables:
- Managed a quarterly revenue cutoff date model utilizing pivot tables, sensitivity analyses to ensure accuracy of revenue recognition cutoff dates.
- Reduced repetitive data entry tasks by incorporating formulas to link data between Excel Workbooks and utilizing pivot tables.
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What skills help Senior Finance Analysts find jobs?
Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.
What skills stand out on senior finance analyst resumes?
Dr. Richard Hale
Associate Professor of Accounting, Berea College
When we meet with practitioners, the most commonly requested skills are:
-The ability to think critically about situations
-Good communications skills in writing
-The ability to speak in public and present ideas
-Working well with others
-The ability to work independently
Notice that these skills are not dependent upon any particular technology or discipline.
An advantage we have at Berea College, a liberal arts college, is that we incorporate these foundational skills into all we do.
Indeed, we also have our students master working with spreadsheets, develop skills in data analytics, and study all aspects of the business from Management, Economics, Finance, and Marketing.
As accounting is the business language, our students have more excellent business knowledge than other studies.
A key distinction for Berea College students is that all students must work for the college while they attend.
These jobs may vary from raising livestock to working in Accounts Payable. But all Berea graduates have years of practical work experience.
A core component of a Berea College education is to value the labor experience. We believe they enter the post-collegiate workforce with a significant advantage over their peers.
-The ability to think critically about situations
-Good communications skills in writing
-The ability to speak in public and present ideas
-Working well with others
-The ability to work independently
Notice that these skills are not dependent upon any particular technology or discipline.
An advantage we have at Berea College, a liberal arts college, is that we incorporate these foundational skills into all we do.
Indeed, we also have our students master working with spreadsheets, develop skills in data analytics, and study all aspects of the business from Management, Economics, Finance, and Marketing.
As accounting is the business language, our students have more excellent business knowledge than other studies.
A key distinction for Berea College students is that all students must work for the college while they attend.
These jobs may vary from raising livestock to working in Accounts Payable. But all Berea graduates have years of practical work experience.
A core component of a Berea College education is to value the labor experience. We believe they enter the post-collegiate workforce with a significant advantage over their peers.
What senior finance analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kim Tan Ph.D.
Professor, Accounting, Chair, California State University - Stanislaus
Travel abroad. Study/work on some certification to learn new/related skills (MOOC). Volunteer work. Work to help support the family. Prepare for graduate school. Work at a lower-level job in an organization they are interested in.
What type of skills will young senior finance analysts need?
Dr. Reid Cummings
Associate Professor of Finance & Real Estate, University of South Alabama
As computing systems continue to advance and evolve, and as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in data analytics, the ability to work with a variety of data manipulation, analysis, and presentation platforms will become increasingly important. Equally, a focus on improving critical thinking and communication skills, and the abilities to present outcomes, analysis, and ideas in a succinct, cogent, and logical fashion, will largely differentiate those who will succeed at a high level from everyone else.
What soft skills should all senior finance analysts possess?
Haran Segram Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor of Finance, NYU Stern School of Business
Digital transformation is here to stay. Future of work will be a hybrid (in-person/remote) model. Therefore, graduates should have the ability to work on multiple companywide group projects from remote locations. This requires individuals to be self-driven and have the aptitude to perform tasks with minimal supervision or mentoring.
What hard/technical skills are most important for senior finance analysts?
Hanna Kim Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Chair, Adelphi University
Hard skills: being more than monolingual! In a globally connected marketplace where young people worldwide are learning and mastering the English language, their multilingualism makes them attractive hires for multinational or international companies. Anthropology students know the non-negotiable importance of knowing a fieldwork language to understand peoples and their cultures. The same would hold for the workplace: knowing one or more languages affords an employee not just possibilities for work assignments: such an employee, i.e., an anthropology graduate who values the connection of language and culture, is ideally suited to work on projects that demand sensitivity to cultural, social, historical, and political nuances. This includes those who work in international humanitarian groups as well as those who work in global finance.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about senior finance analystList of senior finance analyst skills to add to your resume
The most important skills for a senior finance analyst resume and required skills for a senior finance analyst to have include:
- Financial Analysis
- Hyperion
- Financial Models
- Strong Analytical
- Variance Analysis
- Ad-Hoc Analysis
- Financial Performance
- Financial Data
- Work Ethic
- Power Bi
- Process Improvement
- SQL
- Strong Work Ethic
- Reconciliations
- Pivot Tables
- GAAP
- Journal Entries
- Financial Planning Analysis
- Patients
- Financial Results
- Excellent Interpersonal
- Financial Support
- Close Process
- Accruals
- Financial Systems
- General Ledger
- ERP
- Financial Management
- Analytical Support
- Essbase
- Cognos
- Cash Flow
- Internal Controls
- KPIs
- Develop Financial Models
- HR
- Financial Forecasts
- Excellent Organizational
- SOX
- ROI
- Strategic Plan
- Account Reconciliations
- Management Reports
- External Auditors
- Financial Analysts
- Capital Expenditures
- Hyperion Financial Management
- Business Cases
- Cost Savings
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025