FP&A Senior Specialist Expense Planning (m/w/d)

Job Description

We have an exciting new job opportunity within our German FP&A team as FP&A Senior Specialist Expenses. 

In this role you will take over the responsibility for supporting and managing expense planning, monitoring and analysis for the following areas: 

• Steward expense management and analysis  

• Oversight and COE Promotion and Direct Selling expense management 

• Business Support expense management 

This includes, but is not limited to, the following activities: 

Forecasting business support expenses 

• Preparation of expense forecasts for various forecast cycles per year for business support  

• Coordination of financing requirements with all (HH) departments 

• Preparation of meaningful and ad-hoc analysis and supporting information for forecast reviews 

• Collaboration with Regional Finance / COE  

Monitoring and Analysis for business support expenses 

• Active monitoring of expense development (actuals vs. budget or forecast) for business support 

• Discussion and coordination of the data with the respective division and department managers 

• Provide structured input and support on all questions regarding budget and expense development (e.g. savings, shifts, etc.) 

Expense / COE Activities 

• Act as technical support point for Promotion and Direct Selling expenses  

• Collecting promotion forecasts from the 3 business partners / SAP projects 

• Collecting direct selling allocation information from the 3 business partners 

• Update LPT/Bridges with forecast based on project system for the current year and leveraging current account structure for future periods 

• Consolidation of total promotion and direct selling forecast and support management of expense targets  

• Alignment with the 3 business partners on phasing and expense targets  

• Annual setup of new promo projects in SAP and training of business on project systems 

Others 

• Preparation of monthly and quarterly expense estimates 

• Cost center master data maintenance (setup, review, deletion, update hierarchies in other systems like LPT)  

• Internal allocations  

• Contact person for audits (PWC etc) 

• Review of Procurement savings 

• Preparation of month end accruals (Cornerstone, Open POs, manual non-PO) 

• Subject matter expert for accruals process 

Qualifications, Skills & Experience: 

• Degree in Finance, Accounting, or Economics 

• Strong analytical and data organization / interpretation skills 

• Affinity with AI and PowerBI solutions to drive analytics and simulations 

• Proven ability to multi-task, work under pressure, and meet tight deadlines 

• Ability to effectively organize and prioritize tasks and work independently within defined scope 

• Attention to details and accuracy is required 

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and build working relationships with stakeholders  

• Experience in pharmaceutical industry is an advantage 

• Profound knowledge of expense planning process is an advantage 

• System savvy, experienced user of our Planning applications (LPT, BPC, SAP, MS Office including advanced Excel & PowerPoint) 

• Effective communication skills (oral & written) in English language   

People with severe disabilities and their equivalents will be given preference if they are equally qualified.

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

Required Skills:

Accounting, Accounting, Adaptability, Budgeting, Cash Management, Collaborative Development, Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), Data Visualization, Direct Selling, Expense Analysis, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Management Controls, Multitasking, Preparation of Financial Reports, Quantitative Abilities, SAP Consulting, SAP for Banking, SAP for Utilities, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking, Town Planning Applications {+ 2 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

08/9/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.