Job Description
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USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a sustainable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. Through our trusted brands, including the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations, including our network of local properties, in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom, we provide essential journalism, local content, and digital experiences to audiences and businesses. We deliver high-quality, trusted content with a commitment to balanced, unbiased journalism, where and when consumers want to engage. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, supports small and medium-sized businesses with innovative digital marketing products and solutions. USA TODAY Co. open roles are featured on various external job boards. When applying to a position at USA TODAY Co., you should be completing an application on USA TODAY Co. Careers via Dayforce. Job postings directing you to complete an application on other external sites may not be valid. If you are a California resident, you acknowledge that by applying for a job with us, this California Job Applicant Privacy Notice will apply to our collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information. To connect with us, visit www.usatodayco.com
The Senior Financial Analyst, Strategic Finance & Financial Modeling reports to the VP, Finance and serves as a high-impact individual contributor focused on investment-banking-quality financial analysis, modeling, and strategic decision support. This role will build and maintain driver-based financial models, evaluate business cases and investment opportunities, and turn complex data into clear recommendations for senior leadership. The ideal candidate brings strong technical modeling discipline, business judgment, and the ability to operate as a trusted thought partner on high-priority financial and strategic initiatives.
The Senior Financial Analyst, Strategic Finance & Financial Modeling reports to the VP, Finance and serves as a high-impact individual contributor at the intersection of finance, data, and strategy. The role leverages advanced analytics, automation, and AI-enabled insights to drive forward-looking decision-making and elevate financial impact. This individual builds dynamic, driver-based models, develops predictive scenarios, and evaluates strategic investments to inform business direction. Moving beyond traditional reporting, the role translates complex data into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical expertise with a data-driven mindset, sound business judgment, and the ability to operate as a strategic thought partner—proactively identifying opportunities, challenging assumptions, and using modern tools to enable faster, more informed decisions.
Core Responsibilities
• Build and own dynamic financial models to support forecasting, scenario analysis, valuation, ROI, and capital allocation decisions.
• Develop business cases for growth initiatives, new products, partnerships, pricing decisions, cost actions, and other strategic investments.
• Partner with the VP, Finance to prepare executive-ready analyses, investment memos, and presentation materials for senior leadership.
• Translate ambiguous business questions into clear analytical frameworks, operating assumptions, sensitivities, and recommendations.
• Maintain driver-based models for revenue, margin, operating expense, headcount, working capital, and cash flow.
• Perform variance analysis, profitability analysis, unit economics, KPI tracking, and sensitivity analysis to identify risks and opportunities.
• Support M&A and corporate development-style analyses, including valuation, diligence support, synergy assessment, and integration modeling as needed.
• Partner with Accounting, FP&A, Data/Analytics, and business leaders to ensure model inputs are accurate, reconciled, and actionable.
• Improve financial reporting packages, dashboards, and recurring management views that increase visibility into performance drivers.
• Establish model governance, documentation, QA checks, and version control to ensure accuracy, repeatability, and auditability.
• Lead ad hoc strategic finance projects and analyses requested by the VP, Finance or senior leadership.
• Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights that influence business decisions
• Build predictive models and scenario analyses to guide strategic planning
• Identify and implement opportunities to automate manual financial processes
• Leverage data tools (e.g., dashboards, scripting, AI tools) to improve speed and accuracy of insights
• Shift analysis from historical reporting to trend identification and forward projections
• Partner with leaders to proactively identify risks and opportunities
• Act as a strategic advisor to business leaders, not just a reporting function
• Challenge assumptions using data and provide recommendations, not just analysis
Skills We Value:
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills, including fully linked models, scenarios, sensitivities, and clear output summaries.
• Investment banking, corporate development, or strategic finance-style analytical rigor and attention to detail.
• Strong business judgment; ability to connect model outputs to practical recommendations and decisions.
• Clear communicator who can explain assumptions, trade-offs, and implications to finance and non-finance leaders.
• High ownership, intellectual curiosity, and ability to manage multiple projects independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to synthesize large datasets
• Experience building models that support predictive insights and business decision-making
• Strong data storytelling skills—ability to translate analytics into clear business recommendations
• Comfort with ambiguity and using data to shape direction, not just validate it
AI & Data Analytics Skills:
• Leverage AI and data analytics tools to accelerate financial analysis, model documentation, variance commentary, and process improvement while maintaining confidentiality and sound judgment.
• Interpret operational and financial data to identify patterns, test assumptions, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Use automation and visualization tools to streamline workflows, improve reporting quality, and drive measurable business impact.
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field; MBA, CFA, or CPA a plus.
• 4+ years of relevant experience in FP&A, strategic finance, investment banking, corporate development, transaction advisory, consulting, or similar analytical roles.
• Demonstrated ability to build complex financial models from scratch and produce executive-ready PowerPoint or Google Slides materials.
• Strong proficiency in Excel; experience with planning, ERP, BI, or data tools such as Adaptive, Anaplan, Oracle, SAP, NetSuite, Tableau, Power BI, or SQL preferred.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders, working with imperfect data, and synthesizing insights into actionable recommendations.
• Industry experience is a plus; demonstrated ability to quickly understand business drivers is more important.
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The annualized base salary for this role will range between $100,000 and $120,000. Base compensation is reflective of many factors, including, but not limited to, the market in which one lives/works, individual education level, skills, certifications and experience. Note: variable compensation is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable.
USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a diverse workforce. As such, we will consider all qualified applicants for employment and do not discriminate in connection with employment decisions on the basis of an applicant or employee’s race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, citizenship status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, marital status, personal appearance (including height and weight), sexual orientation, family responsibilities, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), education, genetic characteristics or information, political affiliation, military or veteran status or other classifications protected by applicable federal, state and local laws in the jurisdictions where USA TODAY Co. employs employees. In addition, USA TODAY Co., Inc. will provide applicants who require a reasonable accommodation, as a result of an applicant’s disability or religion, to complete this employment application and/or any other process in connection with an individuals’ application for employment with USA TODAY Co., Inc. Applicants who require such accommodation should contact USA TODAY Co., Inc.’s Recruitment Department at Recruit@usatodayco.com. Applicants must be authorized to work in the applicable location. Applications from outside these regions will be removed from our system after submission.
