IT Cost Analyst

About the role

The IT/PMO Financial Analyst is accountable for end-to-end management of project financials across the IT portfolio-ensuring strong financial planning, disciplined cost control, and clear, decision-ready reporting. The role focuses on building and maintaining project budgets, tracking actuals and commitments, managing accruals, and producing accurate forecasts to support delivery teams and leadership decisions. Working closely with Project Managers, the PMO, Finance, Procurement, and vendors, the IT/PMO Financial Analyst improves financial transparency, strengthens governance, and helps ensure technology investment aligns with business priorities. The role reports into the Head IT Business Management Office. Project Financial Management (Portfolio) Own end-to-end project financial management across the IT portfolio, including budget set-up, phasing, change control, and ongoing financial governance. Track actuals, commitments (POs), and invoices against project budgets; ensure timely coding, allocation, and cost capture. Analyze budget vs. actual variances and forecast movements; identify drivers, risks, and required corrective actions with Project Managers. Manage month-end processes for projects, including accruals, reclasses, and reconciliation to Finance ledgers; support CAPEX/OPEX treatment and evidence for audit. Budgeting, Actuals Tracking & Forecasting Build and maintain project budgets (labor, vendor, software, hardware, and other run/transform costs), including cost phasing by month/quarter. Run a regular cadence of project financial reviews with PMs and workstream leads to validate actuals, commitments, and remaining estimates. Prepare and maintain accurate forecasts and identify forecast risks/opportunities; support mitigation actions and financial re-plans. Produce portfolio-level financial views (budget, actuals, forecast, and variance commentary) for PMO and IT leadership, including scenario and sensitivity analysis as needed. Portfolio Reporting & Financial Insights Develop and maintain standardized portfolio reporting (budget, actuals, forecast, and variance commentary) with clear insights for decision-making. Support project change requests by assessing financial impact, maintaining budget baselines, and ensuring approved changes are reflected in forecasts. Provide early warning on cost and funding risks; highlight mitigation options and trade-offs to keep projects within approved financial guardrails. Maintain data integrity across PMO and finance systems; reconcile sources and drive continuous improvement in reporting accuracy and timeliness. Governance, Controls & Stakeholder Management Establish and run project financial governance routines (monthly/weekly) to review performance, risks, and funding changes with PMO and delivery leads. Ensure alignment to Finance policies (capitalization, cost categorization, approvals) and maintain audit-ready documentation for project spend. Partner with Project Managers, Finance, and Procurement to resolve spend issues quickly (PO/invoice mismatches, missing accruals, coding errors) and provide clear financial guidance. Key Skills & Capabilities Strong project/portfolio financial management and PMO mindset Budget creation, cost phasing, actuals/commitments tracking, and accruals Forecasting, variance analysis, and financial risk management Clear communication and stakeholder management (PMs, PMO, Finance, Procurement, vendors) Advanced Excel skills and strong attention to detail; ability to turn complex data into actionable insights Experience & Qualifications Bachelor's degree in finance, Business, IT, or related field. 3-5 years' experience in project finance, PMO finance, FP&A, or financial analyst roles supporting technology or transformation portfolios. Hands-on experience building budgets, tracking actuals, managing accruals, and producing forecasts with variance commentary. Familiarity with proje