Financial Modelling and Analysis Associate
Financial skills and financial nous are core to Social Finance’s history and they remain in demand in our projects today. We are creating this new, dedicated Financial Modelling & Analysis Associate role to directly deliver work that requires financial knowledge and skills (alongside experienced senior colleagues), and to help us build out an internal centre of expertise in financial analysis and modelling.
In this hands-on role, you will build robust financial models, apply financial thinking to complex social challenges, and support colleagues to deliver high-quality financial analysis across a wide range of projects. There is the opportunity to progress internally from this role into project management and project leadership roles over time.
- Build clear, well-structured financial models in Excel that translate project ideas, business plans or service designs into robust financial projections. [Models should have a clear user guide, visible audit checks and dynamic dashboard with graphical output. Some models will need to be three statement or will project financials for an entity or organisation and you should be familiar with these.]
- Develop and test assumptions, including estimating key financial inputs (e.g. costs, revenues, demand) using logical and evidence-based approaches
- Conduct scenario and sensitivity analysis to help teams understand risks, opportunities and key drivers of financial performance
- Support the development of cost-benefit analyses and other financial assessments to inform decision-making
- Bring a strong financial lens to project work, helping teams think through viability, sustainability and value for money
- Analyse financial and operational information (e.g. business plans, statutory accounts) to inform project recommendations
- Support teams to identify funding requirements, including understanding cashflow needs and potential financing gaps
- Contribute to assessing different funding or delivery options, considering both commercial and social outcomes
- Assist in exploring and comparing potential financing approaches (e.g. grants, debt, blended finance), drawing on an understanding of how different funders think
- Contribute to the development of investment cases, business cases or funding proposals
- Support preparation of materials (e.g. financial summaries, slides, models) for clients, partners or funders
- Act as a go-to person for financial modelling and financial thinking within project teams, supporting colleagues to build confidence and capability
- Review and provide feedback on others’ financial models or analysis to improve quality and consistency
- Help translate financial concepts into clear, accessible insights for non-financial colleagues and stakeholders
- Contribute to developing best practice, templates and tools for financial modelling and analysis across the team
- Support the development of Social Finance’s internal financial “centre of expertise”, including sharing learning and improving ways of working
- Stay up to date with emerging tools (including AI) and apply them responsibly to improve financial analysis and modelling
- Contribute to internal training, knowledge sharing or guidance on financial skills
- You have demonstrable relevant experience (such as in corporate finance advisory, transactions advisory, valuations or financial due diligence)
- You have a strong understanding of financial perspectives and mindsets: you understand how investors and financiers think
- You have a strong understanding of how commercial businesses, social enterprises, public entities, and/or charities work from a financial perspective, including how their financial reporting influences what they can/will and can’t/won’t do.
- You are familiar with financial aspects of business: you can read and interpret statutory accounts of companies, and you understand financial business terms (e.g. direct and indirect costs, margin, EBITDA, VAT)
- You have a solid grip of key foundational financial and accounting concepts, such that you could explain them – and their implications – clearly to others. For example, concepts like the time value of money, interest, compounding, the relationship between risk and return; the accruals principle in accounting; and what a balance sheet shows versus what an income statement shows
- You understand the meaning of financial terms (e.g. collateral, principal guarantee) and are familiar with what’s in the financial landscape (e.g. types of funds, and the full range of commonly used debt and equity funding instruments).
- You can apply good commercial sense to any task at hand, e.g. in assessing business cases, evaluating investments or negotiating terms of contracts
- You are highly skilled in best practice financial modelling in Excel. You can apply your excel proficiency and financial knowledge and understanding to build flexible, intuitive financial models which translate plans or ideas into numbers using appropriate assumptions and formulae. As AI becomes more important, you are eager to explore its potential and ensure its ethical use in best practice financial modelling.
- You are able to confidently communicate investment concepts, including projected returns/results, and you can tailor how you do that according to your audience’s different knowledge and interest
- Empathetic and values-driven, with an interest in working on projects that deliver meaningful social impact
- Strong problem-solver with a practical mindset, able to break down complex or ambiguous problems and apply structured, logical thinking
- Highly collaborative and supportive, with a willingness to help others develop their financial skills and confidence
- Strong attention to detail and pride in quality, particularly when working with numbers, models and assumptions
- Comfortable working across multiple projects and priorities, managing time effectively and adapting to changing demands
- Curious and motivated to learn, with an interest in deepening both technical financial skills and understanding of social issues
About Social Finance
We are an ambitious not for profit organisation that helps to design, fund and scale better solutions to complex social problems. Our vision is a fairer world where together we unleash the potential of people and communities.
We do this by working in partnership with local and national governments, funders, communities and the social sector to tackle complex and enduring social problems in the UK and across the world. Our skills include financial analysis, data and digital insight, outcomes-focused partnerships, strategy, research and design. We combine these specialisms in different ways to address specific social challenges. We create effective solutions that blend the expertise of communities and professionals to deliver better outcomes in issues such as homelessness, domestic abuse, children’s services, health, employment and skills.
Our multi-skilled team of over 120 people come from diverse backgrounds in the public, private and charity sectors, all sharing a passion for making change happen. We provide a high-quality training and development programme in-house with great opportunities for career progression. We’re a friendly and intellectually curious bunch, always up for a debate.
Our work improves the lives of people and communities in the UK and across the world. We are experts in systems change – shifting the way a whole system works around a specific social issue in order to ensure long-lasting change. Examples include:
- Employment & skills: Scaling evidence-based employment services through IPS Grow.
- Health & social care: Investing in health transformation, such as in End-of-Life Care services.
- Children & young people: Maximising access to education by building more inclusive systems.
- Housing & homelessness: Developing innovative funding models to help meet government new homes supply.
- Our approach is a collaborative one, where we bring the best capabilities and people from across the organisation together to solve the challenges we face.
