Financial Operations Associate

Protective • Birmingham, AL

1d • $52,500 - $65,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Protective Life Insurance Company is seeking a Financial Operations Associate to support our Information Technology (IT) organization. This role provides financial management support across budgeting, forecasting, analysis, and reporting for IT expenses and key initiatives.

You will partner closely with IT and Finance leaders to oversee capital planning, support hardware and software purchases and renewals, and provide insights that improve operational efficiency. This position is ideal for someone early in their finance career who enjoys working with data in Microsoft Excel, digging into variances, and explaining financial information to non-financial stakeholders.

This position is required to report in-person to our Birmingham, AL office 3 days a week and works remotely 2 days a week.

Requirements

• Working knowledge of capital planning and fixed asset accounting concepts.
• Ability to amortize expenses and manage prepaid items accurately.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, SUMIF, and working with large data sets.
• Comfort investigating variances, asking follow‑up questions, and driving issues to resolution.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain financial concepts to non‑financial stakeholders.
• Ability to create clear, visual, and actionable financial reporting and analytics.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and time management.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to build effective working relationships across Finance, IT, and other teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 1–2 years of experience in financial analysis, accounting, expense reporting, or budgeting.
• Experience supporting operating teams or functional departments; IT support experience is a plus.

Nice To Haves

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support budgeting, forecasting, analysis, and reporting for IT operating and capital expenses.
• Oversee the IT capital plan and process monthly fixed asset templates and related reports.
• Manage the prepaid sub-ledger and prepare monthly prepaid amortization entries.
• Prepare monthly accruals for assigned cost centers and areas of responsibility.
• Support hardware and software purchases and renewals, including purchase order and invoice processing.
• Complete monthly expense reports and provide analytics for hardware, software, and third-party services.
• Identify trends in IT spend, analyze underlying drivers, and highlight opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Prepare ad hoc financial analyses to support key strategic initiatives and leadership decision-making.
• Assist with annual budget and periodic forecast preparation for IT-related areas.
• Collaborate with IT and other business partners to ensure accurate, timely, and transparent financial information.

Benefits

• In addition to offering comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance, we support emotional wellbeing through mental health benefits and an employee assistance program.
• Work/life balance is important and Protective offers a variety of paid time away benefits (e.g., paid time off, paid parental leave, short-term disability, and a cultural observance day).
• The financial health of our employees is just as important as physical and emotional health. Some of the financial wellbeing benefits include contributions to healthcare accounts, a pension plan, and a 401(k) plan with Company matching.
• All employees are encouraged to protect their overall wellbeing by engaging in ProHealth Rewards, Protective’s platform to improve wellbeing while earning cash rewards.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level