Finance Business Associate – Financial Analysis

Job Description

Finance Business Associate | Bunzl Distribution NA

The Tone:
This is a 12-month structured training program at Bunzl Distribution NA, located in St. Louis, MO, open to local candidates only with no relocation. Bunzl is a global leader in distribution across various industries, including Cleaning & Hygiene, Food Processing, and Health Care, with over $10 billion in sales and 10,000 team members across North America. This unique program provides broad exposure through hands-on involvement within the finance department, designed for recent graduates to apply their skills and knowledge. The role is critical for developing ambitious, high-performing individuals by offering rotations across corporate finance teams and exposure to all aspects of a multi-faceted, world-class company.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Temporary
• Location: In-person, St. Louis, MO

• Team: Rotates amongst teams within the corporate finance department (e.g., FP&A, Accounting, Financial Reporting) and interacts with divisional finance departments.
• Mission: Analyze financial information, explain financial results, and predict future company performance based on trends and other data.
• Tech Stack: Spreadsheets, databases, MS Office, financial software applications, Power BI, HFM

What You’ll Actually Do
• Financial Analysis: Track and determine financial status by analyzing actual results in comparison with forecasts, budgets, and prior periods.
• Reporting & Communication: Provide robust variance explanations to stakeholders and summarize results with appropriate charts and narratives.
• Financial Modeling: Develop forecasting models using existing data, trends, and expected business changes.
• Process Support: Assist with month-end close, associated reporting requirements, budgeting, and strategic planning processes.
• Strategic Initiatives: Drive process improvement and policy development initiatives, and aid the business development team in acquisition-related due diligence and other analyses.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field required. This is an early career position for recent graduates.
• Experience: Up to 2 years of financial analyst experience in a large corporate environment or public accounting experience is preferred. Candidates should have completed an internship or other relevant student work experience.
• Skills: Strong analytical and data gathering skills, knowledge of financial forecasting and diagnosis, corporate finance, and information analysis. Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, self-motivated with good attention to detail, inquisitive, adaptable to changes in priorities, and comfortable dealing with ambiguity while working independently. Proficient in spreadsheets, databases, MS Office, and financial software applications.
• Bonus: Experience with Power BI and HFM is a plus.