Senior Principal, Finance Strategy

Pearson VUE

Lead enterprise-wide finance transformation at Pearson, shaping strategy and operating model for AI-enabled finance. Drive change initiatives across global finance operations and ensure measurable business impact.

Posted 6/5/2026full-timeRemote • New Jersey • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $175,000 - $250,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead enterprise-wide finance transformation at Pearson, shaping strategy, operating model, and digital evolution to enable a more agile, insight-led, and AI-enabled finance function.
Partner with the Group Finance Officer to define, refine, and operationalise the finance strategy in alignment with broader corporate and business unit priorities
Translate strategic vision into a clear, executable finance operating model, including defined accountabilities across global, business unit, and functional finance teams
Drive alignment between financial planning, performance management, and value creation priorities across the organisation
Clarify the role of finance as both an owner and enabler of performance, embedding best-in-class principles for accountability and decision support
Lead a portfolio of enterprise finance transformation initiatives spanning global processes, systems, data governance, and business assurance
Establish and run a structured program governance model, with clear milestones, delivery plans, and value realisation tracking
Identify and remove barriers to execution, ensuring transformation initiatives deliver at pace and with measurable impact
Act as the integrator across initiatives, ensuring a connected, end-to-end transformation rather than fragmented delivery
Drive the adoption of automation, advanced analytics, and AI across finance to improve efficiency, forecasting, and decision support
Partner with Technology and Data teams to prioritise finance system investments aligned to strategic outcomes
Champion the shift toward real-time, data-driven finance capabilities, reducing manual processes and enhancing predictive insight
Ensure digital initiatives are embedded into day-to-day ways of working, not just deployed as standalone tools
Act as a key interface between finance leadership, business unit leaders, and central functions to align priorities and drive trade-offs
Influence executive-level stakeholders to prioritise transformation initiatives and commit the necessary resources
Provide strategic insight and challenge, positioning finance as a proactive partner in enterprise performance
Build strong cross-functional relationships to enable faster, more effective decision-making
Lead the overall change narrative for finance transformation, translating strategy into a clear, compelling story for the organisation
Design and deliver structured change management approaches to ensure adoption of new processes, tools, and behaviours
Engage and mobilise the finance community, building momentum and commitment to transformation goals
Ensure communication is consistent, outcome-focused, and reinforces accountability and progress
Build and develop capability across the finance organisation in program delivery, digital finance, and strategic partnering
Foster a culture of innovation, ownership, and continuous improvement across teams

Requirements

What you’ll need

Proven experience in transformation, strategy, or operating model design within a large, complex organisation
Demonstrated track record of delivering enterprise-wide transformation programmes with measurable business impact
Strong strategic leadership capability, with the ability to link finance strategy to enterprise value creation
Experience leading complex, multi-year programmes across systems, processes, and organisational structures
Deep understanding of financial performance, profitability drivers, and capital allocation principles
Expertise in operating model design, including governance, processes, and accountability frameworks
Exceptional ability to influence and align executive stakeholders across functions
Strong change leadership capability, with experience driving behavioural as well as structural change
Experience working with enterprise systems, data transformation, and digital finance capabilities
Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex strategy into clear, actionable narratives.

Benefits

Comp & perks

This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program
Information on benefits offered is here.

ATS Keywords

✓ Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

finance transformationoperating model designfinancial planningperformance managementdata governanceautomationadvanced analyticsdigital financechange managementprogram delivery

Soft Skills

strategic leadershipinfluencecross-functional relationshipscommunicationstorytellingchange leadershipcollaborationaccountabilityinnovationcontinuous improvement