We are looking for an experienced Financial Analyst to support budgeting, forecasting, and finance operations for a Long-term Contract position based in California. This role focuses on bringing structure to departmental planning, improving budget-to-actual visibility, and partnering with business leaders to build a dependable monthly financial rhythm. The ideal candidate is someone who can step in quickly, work independently, and deliver practical solutions across multiple departments and cost centers.<br><br>Responsibilities:<br>• Lead the completion and refinement of departmental budgets, ensuring plans are accurate, organized, and ready for ongoing use.<br>• Develop forward-looking forecasts and budget-to-actual reporting that help leaders understand financial performance and key variances.<br>• Partner closely with department heads to create a repeatable monthly budgeting and forecasting process that supports informed decision-making.<br>• Use Sage X3 and Ramp to manage financial workflows, including expense coding, reconciliations, and coordination with general ledger activity.<br>• Analyze spending patterns across teams and cost centers, identifying trends, risks, and opportunities for improved financial control.<br>• Support payroll-to-general-ledger mapping and related reconciliations, including work involving Rippling or similar payroll platforms when needed.<br>• Prepare and maintain advanced Excel models to consolidate data, evaluate results, and present actionable financial insights.<br>• Contribute hands-on support across core accounting operations such as journal entries, month-end close activities, and balance sheet reconciliation as required.