Assistant Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis

Who We Are

As Singapore's first institute for lifelong learning, the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) champions inclusivity to bring education to all and ensure that they are given equal opportunities to develop to their fullest potential in our diverse learning environment.

We advocate for the same for our people. We believe everyone should have equal opportunities and develop to their fullest potential in their careers.

Embark on an exciting lifelong journey with us in making a positive difference in your career and serving our society.

For more information on Singapore University of Social Sciences, please visit www.suss.edu.sg

About The Job

The FP&A Assistant Manager is responsible for supporting the University’s financial planning, data analysis and performance management processes. The role partners academic and administrative units to provide financial analysis, budgetary advice, variance insights and decision support. It also supports the implementation of FP&A system and continuous enhancement of existing systems, reports and processes to improve efficiency, data quality and user experience.

What You Will Be Doing

Key Responsibilities: 

Financial Planning & Analysis:

• Support the preparation of annual budgets, forecasts, medium- to long-term financial plans and related budget assumptions for the University.
• Prepare and consolidate financial reports, dashboards and presentation materials for management review and stakeholder discussions.
• Analyse financial and non-financial information to identify performance trends, key cost drivers, opportunities and risks to support strategic and operational decision-making.
• Perform budget-versus-actual variance analysis, explain key movements and follow up with stakeholders on corrective or improvement actions where required.
• Maintain and enhance financial models, templates and data sets to support scenario analysis, resource allocation and management reporting.
• Support cost allocation analysis, including the review of allocation bases, shared cost drivers and funding implications to support fair and transparent resource allocation.
• Support forecast governance, including budget and forecast timelines, submission tracking, consolidation and follow-up with stakeholders.
• Perform scenario planning, sensitivity analysis and cost-benefit analysis to support resource allocation and management decisions.

Strategic Business Partnering:

• Provide finance business partnering support to schools and departments independently, including budgeting, forecasting, programme financial analysis, and decision support.
• Develop a strong understanding of the University’s academic, operating and funding environment and translate business and operational developments into financial implications.
• Work with stakeholders to align financial plans, funding requirements and resource allocation with strategic priorities and operational needs.
• Engage stakeholders on financial performance, budget utilisation and areas for improvement, translating financial information into clear and practical insights.
• Support business cases, funding analysis and financial evaluation of new initiatives, programmes or projects.

 Project Management:

• Lead, where assigned, the implementation of FP&A system from planning and requirements gathering through to testing, deployment and post-implementation support.
• Develop and monitor project plans, timelines, milestones, risks, issues and stakeholder communications.
• Coordinate with Finance, IT, HR, vendors and business users to ensure project deliverables are completed within agreed scope and timelines.
• Gather business requirements, document functional specifications and support user acceptance testing, training and change management activities.

Systems Enhancement:

• Lead the enhancement of FP&A systems, reports and dashboards to improve automation, efficiency, data quality and user experience.
• Work with users to review reporting needs, streamline data inputs and improve consistency of financial planning information.
• Liaise with IT and system vendors on enhancement requests, testing, issue resolution and successful deployment.
• Identify opportunities to simplify workflows, reduce manual effort and strengthen controls in planning and reporting processes.
• Prepare user documentation and conduct user briefings or training where required.
• Maintain planning assumptions, data definitions and mapping tables to strengthen data consistency and reporting integrity.

Process Improvement:

• Drive continuous improvement of budgeting, forecasting, management reporting and strategic business partnering processes.
• Identify automation, digitalisation and standardisation opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy and turnaround time.
• Review existing workflows, recommend practical improvements and support implementation of agreed changes.
• Support change adoption by communicating process changes and assisting users during transition periods.

Compliance & Reporting:

• Ensure financial planning, reporting and analysis activities comply with internal controls, financial policies and relevant regulations.
• Work with controllership, procurement, investment and relevant teams on compliance matters, financial reporting, policies and audit-related queries.

Ad Hoc Projects & Tasks:

• Support the Manager and Deputy Director on ad hoc financial analysis, special projects and other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

• Degree in Accountancy, Finance, Business, Economics or a related discipline; professional qualification such as CA Singapore, ACCA, CPA or equivalent would be advantageous.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in FP&A, finance strategic business partnering, management reporting, budgeting, forecasting or related finance roles.
• Experience in project coordination, system implementation, process improvement or finance transformation initiatives would be advantageous.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret financial and operational data and present clear, actionable insights.
• Good communication, writing, presentation and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and PowerPoint; experience with Power BI, SAP Analytics Cloud or similar analytics/planning tools would be advantageous.
• Able to build and maintain financial models, perform variance analysis and support scenario planning or cost-benefit analysis.
• Prior experience in the education, public sector or not-for-profit environment would be advantageous but is not essential.

• Strategic and commercially aware, with the ability to connect financial analysis to the University’s priorities and decision-making needs.
• Analytical, curious and solutions-oriented, with strong communication, project coordination and presentation skills.
• Demonstrates integrity, professionalism and sound judgement in handling sensitive financial information.
• Meticulous, organised and attentive to detail, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• Collaborative team player who builds constructive working relationships with stakeholders at different levels.
• Able to manage multiple priorities, meet tight deadlines and remain effective in a dynamic work environment.
• Adaptable and proactive in identifying improvements and supporting change adoption.
• Maintains strict confidentiality and always handles information with discretion.