Manager, Project Finance

Key Responsibilities — Project Financial Management (60%)

• Act as the financial co-pilot to Project Managers for an assigned portfolio, providing proactive financial guidance and translating project economics into actionable operational decisions.

• Provide accurate, transparent and timely financial and non-financial analysis to support project and portfolio decision-making.

• Own and communicate the financial outlook for assigned projects, including revenue, profitability, cost performance, cash flow, forecast accuracy and key financial risks and opportunities.

• Clearly articulate the financial implications of business decisions and provide both retrospective analysis and forward-looking recommendations for complex projects and contract types.

• Facilitate the monthly revenue and forecasting cycle for assigned projects, including review of units, forecast assumptions, unit prices, revenue recognition and alignment of the financial forecast with operational plans.

• Complete meaningful variance analysis, identify root causes and work with project leadership to establish corrective actions, recovery plans and risk mitigation where needed.

• Evaluate project and portfolio performance independently, escalate material financial concerns and partner with appropriate stakeholders to drive timely remediation.

• Build strong relationships with Project Managers, Functional Leads, Service Line Leads, Business Unit leaders and Finance partners and serve as a trusted advisor on project financial performance.

   

  Key Responsibilities — India Analyst Team Leadership (40%)

• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, training and performance support to the India-based Project Financial Analysts.

• Coordinate analyst workload and priorities across supported business units, balancing capacity, deadlines, complexity and business needs to ensure effective coverage.

• Create clear expectations for analyst responsibilities, deliverables, quality standards and turnaround times, and monitor execution against those expectations.

• Review analyst work and provide guidance on complex financial issues, project analysis, forecasting, variance explanations and escalation of risks.

• Develop analyst capabilities in project finance management so the team can progressively operate with greater independence, business acumen and ownership.

• Conduct regular one-on-one discussions, provide timely feedback, support development planning and contribute to performance and career management.

• Promote consistent processes and ways of working across the India team while maintaining effective partnership with Associate Directors and other PFM leaders supporting different business units.

• Identify capacity constraints, skill gaps, process issues and recurring financial risks and proactively recommend solutions to PFM leadership.

• Help build a collaborative team culture focused on accountability, continuous improvement, knowledge sharing and high-quality business partnership.

Responsibilities

Success Factors

• Strong business acumen and a strong understanding of how project operations and commercial decisions affect financial performance.

• Ability to move comfortably between detailed financial analysis, project-level decision support and people leadership.

• Strong analytical, consulting and communication skills, including the ability to simplify complex financial issues and influence action.

• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships across levels and functions and to support both tactical and strategic decisions.

• Ability to lead through influence, establish priorities and create accountability in a remote, cross-functional environment.

• Independent judgment and the ability to identify, escalate and help resolve project or portfolio financial concerns.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business or a related field required.

• Experience in project finance, financial planning and analysis, project accounting or a related finance discipline; experience within a Clinical Research Organization or project-based consulting environment strongly preferred.

• Prior experience leading, coaching or managing finance professionals or project analysts; 2+ years of people-management or equivalent team-leadership experience preferred.

• Working knowledge of revenue recognition and project-based accounting; ASC 606 knowledge is a plus.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex financial information, identify drivers and translate analysis into clear business actions.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, meet tight deadlines and operate effectively in a remote environment.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills and demonstrated ability to collaborate across geographies, functions and levels of the organization.

Location & Working Model

This is a remote position based in Pune, India. The role will work closely with India-based analysts as well as Project Finance Management, Project Management and business stakeholders across multiple business units and geographies. Flexibility to collaborate across time zones may be required based on business needs.