Senior Commercial Finance Analyst

Job Title: Senior Commercial Finance Analyst

Location: Barcelona (preferred); strong candidates in Rome considered
Reports To: Head of Commercial Finance / FP&A, Europe
Salary:

Position Purpose

The Senior Commercial Finance Analyst is a trusted finance business partner to Sales, Operations, and senior project stakeholders across multiple European markets. This role owns the financial integrity of bids, contracts, and project economics, ensuring commercial decisions are robust, profitable, and executable.

The position is preferably based in Barcelona, with a strong preference for candidates who can operate comfortably in Italian due to frequent interaction with Italian stakeholders. Additional European languages, including German, are valued but not required.

Key Responsibilities

1. Bid Leadership & Commercial Structuring

• Lead financial review and structuring of bids and proposals, including pricing, margin, cash flow, and risk analysis.
• Own complex financial models and ensure alignment between commercial terms, assumptions, and financial outcomes.
• Act as finance lead in bid reviews, challenging assumptions, and risk allocation where necessary.
• Ensure bids comply with internal approval frameworks and governance requirements.

2. Project Financial Ownership

• Serve as primary finance partner for large or complex projects, with end-to-end ownership of financial performance.
• Monitor and explain margin evolution, revenue recognition, cost phasing, and cash collection.
• Identify risks early (scope creep, cost overruns, contractual exposure) and drive mitigation actions.
• Support negotiations on change orders, claims, and contract amendments.

3. Forecasting, Performance & Decision Support

• Own forecasting for assigned projects, accounts, or countries, including downside and sensitivity scenarios.
• Deliver actionable analysis on variances vs. budget and forecast, focusing on root causes and forward-looking implications.
• Provide decision-oriented insights to senior management.

4. Commercial Governance & Process Improvement

• Act as a guardian of commercial finance discipline, ensuring pragmatic adherence to processes.
• Maintain clear linkage between approvals, financial models, contracts, POs, invoicing, and revenue recognition.
• Improve templates, tools, and processes for efficiency and consistency across countries.
• Mentor junior analysts on modelling, judgment, and stakeholder management.

5. Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Operate as a credible finance counterpart to Sales Directors, Project Managers, and Country Management.
• Translate complex financial topics into clear business language for non-finance stakeholders.
• Balance commercial ambition with financial discipline, acting as a constructive challenger.

Required Experience & Skills

Professional Experience:

• 5–7 years in commercial finance, deal finance, FP&A, or project finance.
• Strong experience in project-based, infrastructure, technology, or services environments.
• Proven ability to support or lead complex bids, contracts, or long-term projects.

Technical & Analytical Skills:

• Advanced financial modelling skills (Excel required).
• Strong understanding of P&L, cash flow, working capital, and contract economics.
• Ability to identify and articulate commercial risk and downside scenarios.
• Experience with ERP and planning tools; comfortable in evolving systems.

Languages:

• Italian: highly preferred (spoken and written).
• English: required (business fluency).
• German or other European languages: valued but not required.

Soft Skills & Judgement:

• Strong commercial judgment and business acumen.
• Confident communicator, able to challenge senior stakeholders constructively.
• Ownership mindset; comfortable operating with ambiguity.
• Pragmatic, resilient, and solution oriented.
• Able to influence without formal authority.

Education & Qualifications:

• Degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Engineering, or similar.
• CFA / CIMA / ACCA (or progress toward) is a plus but not mandatory.