Pearson
Lead Specialist, Finance Business Partner
🇺🇸
Remote - US
🕑
Full-Time
💰
$125K - $145K
💻
Finance
🗓️
April 27th, 2026
Edtech.com's Summary
Pearson is hiring a Lead Specialist, Finance Business Partner to provide strategic, commercial, and financial leadership for the Product & Technology organization within Pearson Virtual Schools. The role involves leading financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting, partnering with senior leaders including the Chief Technology Officer, and driving investment decision-making across a $200M+ portfolio.
Highlights
- Lead financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting aligned to strategic priorities for Product & Technology.
- Own monthly performance oversight with executive-level commentary and forward-looking insights.
- Act as a strategic partner to Product & Technology leaders for data-driven decision making.
- Develop and evaluate business cases for investments and product initiatives including risk assessments.
- Identify opportunities for cost optimization, efficiency improvements, and revenue growth.
- Ensure compliance with global finance policies, internal controls, and capital approval standards.
- Drive implementation of global finance processes and target operating models.
- Collaborate closely with Pearson Finance Services and embedded FP&A analysts.
- Required skills include advanced financial modeling, scenario analysis, and investment appraisal.
- Experience with enterprise finance systems such as Oracle, Hyperion/Essbase, SmartView, or planning tools is highly desirable.
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field; MBA, CPA, CFA preferred.
- Compensation range between $125,000 – $145,000 with eligibility for an annual incentive program.
Lead Specialist, Finance Business Partner Full Description
Lead Specialist, Finance Business Partner
Pearson Virtual Schools
Partner at the heart of a $200M+ Product & Technology portfolio, shaping investment decisions and driving financial performance at scale.
About the role
We're looking for a Lead Specialist, Finance Business Partner to provide strategic, commercial and financial leadership to the Product & Technology organisation within Pearson Virtual Schools . This is a highly visible role, partnering closely with senior leaders - including the Chief Technology Officer - and owning end‑to‑end financial performance and investment decision‑making across a $200M+ operating and investment portfolio .
You'll play a key role in shaping financial strategy, driving rigorous planning and forecasting, and enabling confident, data‑driven decisions. Working closely with embedded FP&A analysts within Pearson Finance Services (PFS) , you'll bring clarity, control and insight to a fast‑paced, evolving technology environment.
This role suits a commercially minded finance leader who enjoys operating at senior level, influencing outcomes, and translating complex financial data into clear, actionable insight.
What you'll be doing
- Lead financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and reporting for the Product & Technology organisation, aligned to strategic priorities and investment roadmaps
- Own monthly performance oversight, including results, KPIs and key variance drivers, providing clear executive‑level commentary and forward‑looking insight
- Act as a strategic partner to Product & Technology leaders, supporting data‑driven decision making across the portfolio
- Lead the development and evaluation of business cases for new investments, partnerships and product initiatives, including scenario analysis and risk assessment
- Identify and drive opportunities for cost optimisation, operating efficiency and revenue growth, turning insight into measurable outcomes
- Ensure strong financial governance and control, in line with global finance policies, internal controls and capital approval standards
- Drive implementation of global finance processes and the target finance operating model within the team
- Present clear, compelling financial insights to senior leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders
- Collaborate closely with Pearson Finance Services to enable efficient, scalable planning and reporting
What we're looking for
- Proven experience in a senior finance or finance business partnering role, supporting complex organisations and senior stakeholders
- Strong financial and analytical capability, including advanced financial modelling, scenario analysis and investment appraisal
- Ability to operate effectively in fast‑paced, ambiguous environments while balancing multiple priorities
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with confidence influencing at senior leadership level
- Strong understanding of financial governance, controls and performance management
- Experience driving process improvement, standardisation and operating model change
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting or a related field (MBA, CPA, CFA or similar is a plus)
- Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills, with experience creating executive‑level financial insight
- Experience with enterprise finance systems such as Oracle, Hyperion/Essbase, SmartView or planning tools is highly desirable
Compensation:
Compensation at Pearson is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific location. As required by the California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York State, New York City, Vermont, Washington State, and Washington DC laws, the pay range for this position is as follows:
The minimum full-time salary range is between $125,000 - $145,000.
This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program, and information on benefits offered is here.
How to Apply:
Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume and a cover letter outlining their qualifications and experience to https://pearson.jobs/ .
Pearson is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Application Deadline:
Applications will be accepted through May.15th, 2026 . This window may be extended depending on business needs.
Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.
If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.
Job: Finance
Job Family: ENTERPRISE
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