How to hire a senior finance planning analyst

How to hire a senior finance planning analyst, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior finance planning analyst hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior finance planning analyst job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior finance planning analyst
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior finance planning analyst do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The senior finance planning analyst hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior finance planning analyst's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior finance planning analysts from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of senior finance planning analysts and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Senior Finance Planning Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Finance Planning Analyst	Financial analysts provide guidance to businesses and individuals making investment decisions. They assess the performance of stocks, bonds, and other types of investments.	$30-57
   Finance Analyst-Operations Finance	Financial analysts are professionals who are in charge of the financial operations of businesses. The analysts analyze results, monitor variances, determine trends, and suggest management-related actions to improve corporate finances... Show more	$20-51
   Equity Analyst	An equity analyst's role is to help clients navigate through stocks and bonds using their expertise. In a company setting, their responsibilities revolve around performing extensive research and analysis on areas such as the stock market, coordinating with different departments to gather necessary data, identifying new opportunities, preparing and analyzing the company's financial records, and creating forecast models... Show more	$32-75

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Hyperion
   • Financial Analysis
   • Financial Planning Analysis
   • Financial Models
   • Ad-Hoc Analysis
   • Financial Data
   • Financial Performance
   • Strong Analytical
   • SQL
   • Financial Statements
   • Cash Flow
   • Process Improvement
   • Balance Sheet
   • Financial Reports

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Prepare payroll and manage all human resource functions including recruitment, training and performance reviews for all administrative and financial personnel.
   • Reconcile main Essbase data repository to correct annual operating profit discrepancies of $750k.
   • Improve business analysis, developing Essbase models adopt for all program approval evaluations.
   • Perform extensive modeling for service internalization, make-vs-buy decisions, ROI and scenario analyses.
   • Facilitate periodic forecast and annual plan submission process into Hyperion by partnering with MetLife s business units.
   • Collaborate with executives and financial managers from numerous cross-functional disciplines on high-level financial projections, reporting and Hyperion administration.

   More senior finance planning analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior finance planning analyst job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior finance planning analyst can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, senior finance planning analysts' average salary in south dakota is 36% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior finance planning analysts 47% less than senior-level senior finance planning analysts.
   • Certifications. A senior finance planning analyst with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior finance planning analyst's salary.

   Average senior finance planning analyst salary

   $87,863yearly

   $42.24 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior finance planning analyst salary

   $64,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

   Average senior finance planning analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$113,002	$54
   2	Washington	$95,187	$46
   3	Connecticut	$93,667	$45
   4	Nevada	$93,079	$45
   5	New Jersey	$88,020	$42
   6	Arizona	$87,608	$42
   7	Texas	$86,567	$42
   8	Maryland	$86,259	$41
   9	New York	$85,551	$41
   10	Massachusetts	$84,323	$41
   11	Pennsylvania	$82,702	$40
   12	Illinois	$82,648	$40
   13	Virginia	$81,899	$39
   14	Wisconsin	$81,845	$39
   15	Colorado	$79,415	$38
   16	Georgia	$79,291	$38
   17	Florida	$75,658	$36
   18	Ohio	$73,009	$35
   19	Missouri	$72,163	$35
   20	Iowa	$71,246	$34

   Average senior finance planning analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Credit Karma	$137,616	$66.16	1
   2	Google	$130,586	$62.78	90
   3	Cheniere Energy	$129,953	$62.48	1
   4	Bunge	$129,525	$62.27	6
   5	BNY Mellon	$127,465	$61.28	13
   6	Macy's	$123,809	$59.52	5
   7	Western Digital	$122,128	$58.72	9
   8	Santander Private Banking International	$121,103	$58.22	6
   9	AARP	$120,276	$57.83
   10	Cornerstone Research	$120,208	$57.79
   11	American Tower	$117,879	$56.67
   12	Edelman Financial Engines	$116,310	$55.92	43
   13	Jo-Ann Stores	$116,015	$55.78
   14	Beckman Coulter	$114,585	$55.09
   15	Stryker	$114,260	$54.93	42
   16	Gap Inc.	$112,326	$54.00
   17	Autodesk	$112,322	$54.00	5
   18	PVH	$112,196	$53.94	15
   19	Santander Bank	$111,068	$53.40	5
   20	SurveyMonkey	$110,117	$52.94

4. Writing a senior finance planning analyst job description

   A senior finance planning analyst job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a senior finance planning analyst job description:

   Senior finance planning analyst job description example

   Solutions driven success. XPO is a top ten global provider of transportation services, with a highly integrated network of people, technology and physical assets. At XPO Logistics, we look for employees who like a challenge and can communicate effectively in all situations. We want to leverage your skills and years of experience to drive positive results while ensuring a bright future for yourself and XPO. If you're looking for a growth opportunity, join us at XPO. As the Senior Analyst, Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), you will support the business unit by preparing financial reports, analyses, and forecasts, while working with key stakeholders to achieve operational objectives. In this role, you'll have the ability to positively affect XPO's future through advice and counsel while creating long-term success for the company and for yourself. Pay, benefits and more.We are eager to attract the best, so we offer competitive compensation and a generous benefits package, including full health insurance (medical, dental and vision), 401(k), life insurance, disability and the opportunity to participate in a company incentive plan. What you'll do on a typical day:
   
   Generate, maintain, and ensure the accuracy of financial models for revenue related metrics as part of the daily/weekly/monthly financial review process; determine key drivers of over/under performance
   
   Serve as a business partner to the Sales and Pricing functions in providing insightful and actionable reporting and analysis on a daily/weekly/monthly basis
   
   Perform customer, vertical and channel level analyses for the business unit to attention direct the business to actionable insights
   
   Assist and support in the preparation of the annual and long-range operating business plan for the business unit
   
   Drive ongoing efforts focused on streamlining, improving, and automating recurring reporting and analysis
   
   Deliver ad hoc reporting and complex modeling analyses to support multiple stakeholders in a cross-functional matrix environment, balancing their needs and perspectives to maximize the company's interests What you need to succeed at XPO:At a minimum, you'll need:
   
   Bachelor's degree in Business, Accounting, Finance or a related field, or equivalent related work or military experience
   
   2 years of experience in Sales support, Pricing support, or Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), including analyzing market trends and evaluating customer profitability and fit
   Budgeting and forecasting experience in a large corporate environment Experience with Microsoft Office (Word and Access); advanced Excel skills with the ability to create complex formulas Practical experience with data visualization platforms such as Looker, PowerBI, Tableau, Domo, etc and a strong background in extracting and modeling complex data It'd be great if you also have: Master's degree in Finance/Accounting or Business Administration CPA, CMA, CFA, or applicable professional designation Professional experience with Google Looker and relational databases Ability to think critically and leverage available resources to troubleshoot reporting issues and data anomalies Strong drive to seek continuous improvement in reports and processes during companywide growth and expansion Be part of something big.#LI-Hybrid We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, disability, veteran or other protected status. All applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment may be required to take and pass a pre-employment drug test.
   The above statements are not an exhaustive list of all required responsibilities, duties and skills for this job classification.
   Review XPO's candidate privacy statement here.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find senior finance planning analysts for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any senior finance planning analysts they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level senior finance planning analysts with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior finance planning analyst job on Zippia to find and attract quality senior finance planning analyst candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting senior finance planning analysts requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior finance planning analyst

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior finance planning analyst candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior finance planning analyst. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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