Finance and Operations Analyst

PEPL is seeking a Finance & Operations Analyst for a remote role, though the hire needs to be within travel distance to Atlanta.

The Finance & Operations Analyst plays a critical role in driving financial performance, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making within a billable professional services consulting firm. This position partners closely with Finance, Operations, Practice Leaders, and Client Engagement teams to support project economics, revenue forecasting, utilization analysis, and operational scalability.

The ideal candidate is highly analytical, detail-oriented, and experienced in professional services environments where revenue is driven by billable consultants, project delivery, and margin management.

• Analyze project-level financial performance, including revenue, cost, margin, and variance against budgets
• Develop and maintain weekly and monthly financial reports covering revenue, gross margin, utilization, realization, and backlog
• Support forecasting and budgeting processes, including revenue projections by client, project, and practice area
• Prepare executive-level dashboards and insights to support leadership decision-making
• Assist with month‑end close activities related to revenue recognition, accruals, and project costing

• Track and analyze billable utilization, realization rates, effective billable rates, and capacity planning
• Identify trends and risks impacting profitability, under‑utilization, scope creep, or margin erosion
• Partner with practice leaders to improve project pricing, staffing models, and delivery efficiency
• Support development and refinement of pricing models, rate cards, and engagement profitability analysis

• Support operational workflows related to project setup, time tracking, expense management, and invoicing
• Identify opportunities to improve systems, reporting accuracy, and operational scalability
• Assist with implementation and optimization of PSA, ERP, or financial systems (e.g., Net Suite, Open Air, Mavenlink, Kimble, Adaptive, Anaplan)
• Document processes and support internal controls related to financial and operational reporting
• Partner with Finance and Client Services teams to ensure accurate, timely billing and revenue recognition
• Analyze billing variances, write‑offs, and client‑specific profitability
• Support contract review from a financial and operational perspective (SOWs, pricing, billing terms)

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or related field
• 2–5 years of experience in financial analysis, operations, or FP&A, preferably within a professional services or consulting firm
• Strong understanding of project-based accounting and billable revenue models
• Experience working with financial systems and reporting tools
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills

• Experience in a billable consulting, advisory, or services-based organization
• Exposure to utilization, realization, and margin management metrics
• Experience with PSA tools and ERP systems;
  Power BI, Tableau, or similar data visualization experience
• MBA, CPA, or CFA a plus but not required
• Financial modeling and data analysis
• Executive-level reporting and storytelling with data
• Operational mindset with attention to detail
• Ability to work cross-functionally with consulting, finance, and leadership teams
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, growth-oriented professional services environment

• Direct exposure to executive leadership and strategic decision-making
• Opportunity to influence profitability and growth in a consulting organization
• Collaborative, entrepreneurial culture with room to grow