Assistant Director Strategic Finance & Business Insights

As part of the Advanced Strategic Insights team, you will convert complex financial, operational and market information into clear, decision-relevant insights for GDS leadership. The role will support enterprise-wide priorities by identifying performance trends, developing hypotheses, evaluating strategic choices and translating analysis into concise executive narratives. Success requires strong financial acumen, advanced analytical capability and the ability to influence senior stakeholders through evidence-based insights.

This is a senior individual contributor role with no direct people-management responsibility. The Assistant Director will independently lead the development of advanced strategic insights across business performance, growth, operating model, workforce and transformation priorities.

The individual will work closely with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to frame ambiguous questions, integrate multiple data sources and deliver recommendations that inform strategic and commercial decisions. The role requires leadership through subject-matter expertise, influence and ownership of complex deliverables rather than through formal team management.

• Lead high-impact strategic insight engagements across growth, financial performance, market expansion, operating model, workforce, location strategy, alliances and transformation priorities.
• Frame business questions, develop hypotheses and structure analytical approaches that move beyond descriptive reporting to explain drivers, implications and potential actions.
• Analyse financial and operational performance, including revenue, cost, margin, productivity, utilization, investment, capacity and other relevant business metrics.
• Build robust financial models, scenario analyses, sensitivity assessments and business cases to evaluate strategic choices and quantify financial impact.
• Synthesise large and complex datasets into clear trends, insights, risks, opportunities and leadership-level recommendations.
• Develop executive-ready PowerPoint presentations with a compelling storyline, message-led headlines and clear articulation of the so what.
• Create and maintain advanced Excel-based analytical models, trackers and decision-support tools with strong data integrity and quality controls.
• Conduct external research, benchmarking and competitive intelligence, triangulating evidence and clearly distinguishing facts, assumptions and hypotheses.
• Partner with Finance, Strategy, Operations, Talent and Service Line stakeholders to validate analysis, align interpretations and shape decision options.
• Present insights to senior leaders, respond to challenge constructively and refine analysis based on leadership priorities.
• Establish repeatable insight frameworks, templates and analytical standards that improve the quality, consistency and speed of decision support.
• Provide subject-matter guidance and constructive review to colleagues where required, without formal line-management accountability.

• Strong financial acumen and the ability to interpret financial statements, management information and business performance metrics.
• Advanced Excel capability, including financial modelling, scenario analysis, complex formulas, pivot tables, data validation and management of large datasets.
• Advanced PowerPoint skills, with demonstrated ability to translate analysis into concise, visually clear and executive-ready narratives.
• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking, with the ability to connect data points, identify root causes and surface decision-relevant implications.
• Strong business writing, communication and presentation skills, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders.
• Ability to operate independently, exercise sound judgement and take end-to-end ownership of complex insight deliverables.
• Ability to work through ambiguity, prioritise competing asks and manage multiple insight requirements in a fast-paced environment.
• High attention to detail, intellectual curiosity and a strong commitment to data accuracy and evidence-based conclusions.
• Effective stakeholder management, collaboration and influencing skills across functions and geographies.

• A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in finance, strategy, business planning, commercial finance, management reporting, corporate development, transaction advisory or a related analytical role.
• A professional qualification or postgraduate degree such as CA, CMA, CFA or MBA (Finance), or a comparable qualification supported by relevant experience.
• Substantial hands-on experience in financial analysis, financial modelling, business case development and performance diagnostics.
• Proven experience using Excel and PowerPoint to deliver analysis and recommendations for senior leadership.
• Experience working with large datasets and integrating financial, operational and market information into coherent insights.
• A track record of independently leading complex, cross-functional insight deliverables from problem definition through executive communication.

• A prior finance background, preferably in FP&A, commercial finance, controllership, management reporting, transaction advisory or corporate finance.
• Experience in a global professional services, consulting, shared services or global delivery environment.
• Exposure to strategic planning, workforce planning, operating-model assessment, location strategy or business transformation will be preferred
• Knowledge of data visualisation and business intelligence tools such as Power BI.
• Experience providing analytical guidance, peer review and quality assurance for leadership deliverables.

A commercially minded finance professional who can combine analytical depth with strategic perspective. You should be comfortable operating as an individual contributor, moving from detailed numbers to the executive story, challenging assumptions constructively and producing insights that help leaders understand what is changing, why it matters and which options should be evaluated.