Assistant Finance Business Partner

Role: Assistant Finance Business Partner

Location: Mumbai, India 

Job type: Full time, permanent

Working arrangement: Hybrid

Why QS?

At QS, we believe that work should empower you. That’s why we foster a flexible working environment that encourages every employee to own their career whilst thriving personally and professionally. Our company values underpin everything we do – we collaborate, respect and support each other.

It’s our mission to empower motivated people around the world to fulfil their potential through higher education, ensuring that everyone has access to opportunities that change lives.

Our diversity makes us stronger. By sharing our experiences, we learn from one another and achieve more together, driving progress across the sector.

At QS, you’ll be responsible for implementing real change in the international higher education landscape. You’ll take on meaningful challenges that see a positive impact across the business and the wider sector.

We’re confident you’ll feel right at home here. QS was named as one of Newsweek’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® in the UK (October 2023), recognising the respect, trust and appreciation that drive our culture every day. And as a gold-accredited Investors in People organisation – putting us among the top 28% of workplaces globally – it’s official: QS is a place where everyone can thrive.

As an Assistant Finance Business Partner, this is what you’ll be doing:

The Assistant Finance Business Partner supports the Finance Business Partner in delivering high-quality financial insight, analysis, and guidance to operational and strategic decision-makers. This role acts as a bridge between finance and the wider business, helping to translate financial data into meaningful actions that drive performance and support long-term planning.

You will be responsible for supporting budgeting and forecasting processes, preparing management reports, analysing variances and operational performance, and contributing to financial modelling and scenario analysis.

This position is ideal for someone developing their commercial finance capability, combining strong analytical skills with effective communication and a collaborative working style. 

Role responsibilities:

Performance Analysis

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  Support variance analysis by comparing actuals to budget and forecast and flagging significant movements for review.
• 
  Help investigate anomalies in financial data by checking source systems or liaising with group reporting team and operational teams.
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  Assist in preparing monthly performance reports, including updating templates, charts, and commentary under guidance from senior finance business partner.
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  Assist with ad-hoc analysis requested by the Finance Business Partner, such as cost breakdowns customer retention analysis, and product profitability analysis.
  
  

Budgeting and Forecasting

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  Support the preparation of budgets and forecasts by collecting data, updating templates, and ensuring inputs are complete and accurate.
• 
  Assist in consolidating budget and forecast submissions from different departments, checking for consistency and completeness.
• 
  Support the validation of assumptions by comparing them with historical data and known business plans.
  
  

Others

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  Build relationships with operational teams, acting as a point of contact for financial queries.
• 
  Review suppliers spend patterns and support procurement with financial insight.
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  Contribute to improving reporting tools, dashboards, and templates.
• 
  Collaborate with wider team inside and outside Finance to identify and implement changes aimed at delivering efficiency and accuracy, improved controls and enhanced insights.
• Any other additional duties as required.

Key skills and experience:

• 
  Part-qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA) or studying towards qualification.
• Experience in finance roles, ideally with exposure to FP&A or business partnering
• 
  Strong analytical and numerical skills with good attention to detail.
• 
  Good communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• 
  Proficient in Excel and financial modelling.
• 
  Familiarity with planning tools (Workday Adaptive desirable)
  
  

So, who are we and what do we do?

QS is the world leader in higher education services, analytics, insights and intelligence. From consultancy to student mobility, academic partnerships to branding solutions, our services power both institutional and individual success.

We’re behind the world’s most widely read university rankings (Meltwater 2023). Our QS World University Rankings® reach hundreds of millions, shaping decisions and guiding futures.

Since launching in 1990, our impact and influence have only grown. Today, we work with more than 2,000 of the world’s leading higher education institutions, over 12,000 employers, and governments seeking change and socioeconomic development through higher education.

Join QS and you’ll join an 800-strong community of problem-solvers, creators, collaborators and change-makers based in 40+ countries and 11 international offices, including Australia, Malaysia, India, Romania, Singapore, France, Germany, the USA and our headquarters in London.

With every talented new hire, business acquisition and bold initiative, we’re strengthening our reach and delivering even greater value to institutions and learners worldwide. Are you ready to shape the future of higher education?

We take investing in our people very seriously.

As standard you will have: 

• Competitive base salary  
• Access to an annual bonus scheme (for qualifying roles only) 
• 21 days annual leave – increasing to 23 days after 5 years’ service + 8 days casual leave
• 14 days holiday for the year 2025
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave 
• Access to Provident Fund and Pension Fund Scheme 
• Group Medical Insurance
• A vibrant social environment and multicultural and multinational culture

But that’s not all. Outside of these standard benefits we also offer resources to allow professional growth and wellness initiatives to nurture a healthy mindset:

• Free subscription to the Calm App – the #1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
• A focus on welfare which is led by our global wellness team, with mental health first aiders globally
• EAP (Employee Assistance Program) Service - dedicated services for enhanced EAP and comprehensive wellness with 24/7 helpline available through Truworth Wellness 
• Access to a variety of diversity and inclusion initiatives and groups
• Strong recognition and reward programs – including a peer-to-peer recognition platform, quarterly and annual QS Applaud Awards, Connect with your Career annual personal development event
• Support for volunteering and study leave
• Free subscription to LinkedIn learning – with over 5,000 courses and programmes at your fingertips
• Options to join our outstanding global Mentorship programme

Like what you’ve heard? Great, apply now!

As a candidate, we know the application and interview process can be daunting and so it’s important that you have a great experience with us. Our dedicated Talent Team will work hard to ensure you are fully informed at all stages and you are really excited by this opportunity to do meaningful work in the education space.

Equal opportunities

QS Quacquarelli Symonds is proud to be a fair and equal organisation where everyone has the same opportunity to achieve their full potential, irrespective of their background or personal attributes. We celebrate our diversity and believe through sharing our experiences we can learn from one another, be stronger together, and enable our business to thrive.