Senior Lead Strategic FP&A (m/f/d)

ABOUT US

Pliant is a European fintech specializing in B2B payment solutions. Our modular, API-first platform helps businesses streamline spending, improve cash flow, and integrate payments into their financial workflows. Designed for industries with complex payment needs, such as travel and fleet, Pliant enables greater efficiency, control, and profitability.

We serve two primary customer segments:

• Companies looking to optimize operational processes through intuitive apps and APIs, gaining control, automation, and financial flexibility through extended credit lines.

• Businesses such as financial software platforms, ERP providers, and banks that want to launch or enhance their credit card offerings using Pliant’s embedded finance and white-label solutions.

Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Berlin, Pliant supports over 4,000 businesses and more than 20 partners globally. As a licensed e-money institution (EMI), we issue credit cards in 11 currencies across more than 30 countries, helping companies streamline and simplify payments.

Learn more at http://www.getpliant.com/www.getpliant.com http://www.getpliant.com

ABOUT THE ROLE

Pliant is scaling fast — and FP&A is at the centre of how we navigate that growth. This is a senior individual contributor role with real breadth: you will work across planning, modelling, and analysis, and partner directly with business leaders to drive better decisions.

This is not just a process-maintenance role. You will be building the financial intelligence that shapes how Pliant allocates capital, understands its customers, and plans for the future. There is meaningful scope here for someone who combines rigorous analytical skills with commercial curiosity.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

1. FINANCIAL MODELLING

• Own and evolve Pliant’s core financial model — integrating P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and entity breakdowns & consolidations as well as KPI outputs into a single, reliable, well-documented source of truth.

• Build bespoke models, scenario & sensitivity analyses to support strategic decisions — new market entry, pricing changes, funding rounds, investment cases, and M&A analysis — with transparent assumptions and clear outputs.

• Lead the next generation of modelling infrastructure: improving flexibility, scenario capability, and auditability, and maintaining a library of templates and best practice.

• Bring intellectual rigour to every model — challenging inputs, pressure-testing logic, and communicating uncertainty clearly.

2. Budgeting & forecasting

• Support the annual budgeting cycle and rolling forecast process, coordinating inputs from across the business.

• Build and maintain headcount, opex, and revenue forecast models that are both granular and scalable.

• Develop scenario and sensitivity analyses to support executive decision-making and capital planning.

• Ensure forecasts are grounded in operational reality — working closely with business partners, especially peer role of Financial Accounting & Controlling, to stress-test assumptions.

3. Business partnering

• Serve as the primary FP&A point of contact for the business functions (e.g. GTM, Product, Engineering) as well as management on Finance (e.g. financial audits, Due Diligence, RfPs).

• Translate financial data into clear, decision-ready insights for non-finance stakeholders.

• Support hiring decisions, spend reviews, and investment cases with data-driven analysis.

• Build trusted relationships across the business — challenging assumptions constructively and bringing financial discipline to operational decisions.

4. Cohort & profitability analysis

• Build and maintain cohort models to track customer behaviour, retention, and lifetime value across Pliant’s customer segments.

• Develop unit economics frameworks — LTV/CAC, contribution margin, payback period — and keep them current as the business evolves.

• Analyse profitability at the product, segment, and geography level to identify where Pliant is making and losing money.

• Turn cohort and profitability insights into actionable recommendations for the leadership team.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• 4+ years in FP&A, strategic finance, or investment banking; experience in a high-growth fintech or payments business preferred.

• Exceptional financial modelling skills — integrated three-statement models, scenario analysis, unit economics, cohort analysis.

• Experience contributing to a full planning cycle, including budgeting and forecasting, including understanding of Financial Accounting, Controlling & Reporting.

• Strong analytical mindset — you go beyond the numbers to understand what is driving them and what to do about it.

• Confident communicator — able to translate modelling outputs into clear, concise narratives for senior stakeholders.

You are analytically sharp, intellectually curious, and commercially minded. You hold yourself to a high standard, take ownership of your work, and bring clarity — not complexity — to the decisions that matter most.

WHAT WE OFFER

• The opportunity to work in a growing team with big responsibilities that thrives on a strong exchange of knowledge and excellence

• Attractive remuneration and benefits package

• Flat hierarchy and transparent communication in a relaxed, professional atmosphere

• Opportunity to develop your talent in a dynamic team with ambitious goals

• Flexibility and possibility to work remotely

• Pliant Card with monthly credit to explore the product and enjoy food with colleagues

At Pliant, we believe diversity and inclusion are essential to building not only an innovative product but also an exceptional experience for both our customers and our team. This commitment begins with our hiring process—we welcome individuals of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, religions, national origins, gender identities or expressions, sexual orientations, ages, marital statuses, and abilities. If you require accommodations or accessibility support during the interview process, please let us know in your application so we can make sure your experience is seamless.