Senior Financial Analyst

Serving as a Business Partner in the Administrative Office (CAO) Finance group, you will be responsible for supporting overall Expense Management of the Operations areas. You will engage Operations leaders in the budgeting and forecasting process, expense monitoring and variance analysis, and serve as a liaison between Operations leaders and business areas to review both budget and actual expenses including allocations.

You will work with Operations leaders to build business cases and identify strategies to manage expenses in a manner that supports strong financial management while driving business outcomes. This position drives regular collaboration between stakeholders and provides the opportunity to make a lasting impact on Securian Financial.

Provide support to Operations Leaders to facilitate strong expense management and financial acumen:

• Expense budget planning
• Serve as the lead finance contact for Operations during the annual budget process, understanding Operations initiatives and staffing needs to develop the HR budget for approval
  • Partner with Operations leaders to ensure staffing alignment across teams, capturing position movements and timing so that allocations are accurately reflected in budget versions.
  • Oversee the incorporation of staffing changes, including new roles and transfers, into financial plans to ensure resources are aligned with operational priorities and approved budget.
• Support Operations leaders in determining strategies to close any gaps with proposed budget expense guidance
• Partner with Operations leaders to review allocation methods, to ensure operational expenses are charged to the appropriate profit center
• Review allocated budget results with Solution Groups, seek & compile feedback to relay to Operations leadership, serving as a liaison between Solutions Groups and Operations leadership

Expense Management:

• Responsible for understanding and reviewing direct and allocated results with Operations leaders and Solution Groups including forecast through end of year. This will involve creating, publishing, and presenting quarter‑end operating expense results and forecasts for the Operations division.
• Monitor staffing‑related expenses throughout the year, collaborating with HR and Operations to reconcile variances and maintain budget discipline.
• Development and management of quarterly unit cost reporting (e.g., cost per claim)
• Support quarterly close process, including ownership of accruals and review of allocated results to ensure accurate and complete results
• Support activities and initiatives to build financial acumen across Securian, embrace business case practices (CBAs) including financial modeling as part of decision making. Support tracking and realization of business case benefits.
• Support Operations leaders ensuring projects are managed to established budgets
• Support other team members' learning and development through work guidance, coaching, and mentorship

• BS in finance‑related field (accounting, finance, actuarial, etc.)
• 5+ years of experience in finance and/or within a finance business role.
• Solid analytical and creative problem‑solving skills and high attention to detail.
• Demonstrated financial data analysis and problem‑solving skills to effectively research, analyze, and respond to expense questions.
• Self‑starter with strong organizational and time‑management skills, an ability to work with minimal direction, flexibility to adapt to shifting priorities and schedules, handle multiple issues simultaneously, and to manage stressful situations.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to articulate financials with differing audiences.

• Finance business partner experience
• Background in operations expense and staff management
• SAP experience

Securian Financial believes in hybrid work as an integral part of our culture. Associates get the benefit of working both virtually and in our offices. This position requires you to live within a commutable distance (90 minutes) of our Home Office in St. Paul, MN
. You'll join us 3 days each week in our offices to collaborate and build relationships. Our policy allows flexibility for the reality of…