Sr FP&A Analyst

Department:

Financial Planning & Analysis

Our Company Promise

We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.

Job Description:

This Sr Financial Planning & Analyst (FP&A) Analyst plays a critical role in supporting Southwest Airlines’ Operations through advanced financial modeling, data analysis, and performance insights. This role functions as a data analyst within the Operations FP&A Team, where they'll build and manage data tables, develop dashboards in Tableau, and analyst large datasets to uncover trends and drive strategic decisions. With a focus on creating and delivering complex FP&A products, this Analyst partners with Leaders to communicate business performance, identify key drivers, and recommend actions that align with enterprise goals. This role is essential to transforming data into meaningful insights that enhance operational efficiency, financial accuracy, and long-term planning across Southwest Airlines.

Additional details

• The culture of Southwest Airlines means we value the camaraderie, collaboration, and innovation that occurs when we come together and interact face-to-face at our vibrant Corporate Campus. Due to the nature of this role, you would be required to work from our Dallas, TX Headquarters facility during business hours.   

• U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the U.S. required and no current or future work authorization sponsorship available.

We’re committed to fair hiring practices and to making employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics. 

Responsibilities

• Work with large data sets to understand key business drivers, then translate the findings into insights and actions, and their implications for the overall business
• Provide complex financial reports and analysis for a business unit, typically exercising a strong understanding of the business to determine the best method for developing a logical story to convey to the business
• Review financial results, comparing and analyzing actuals versus plan, forecast, and prior year to investigate the cause of variances, identify trends, and monitor impacts to key performance indicators
• Partner with Accounting to provide input to monthly and quarterly financial close process; proposing and implementing changes to process to increase accuracy and efficiency
• Run models/update plans: Align with FP&A Coworkers on inputs and assumptions to develop, maintain, and improve complex models and financial plans
• Communicate and align with Financial Partners on results of business performance and financial forecast changes
• Document inputs and outputs of financial forecast scenarios
• Articulate and consult on enhancements to dashboards using proper data visualization tools and techniques to communicate data insights effectively
• Support business research by gathering data, identifying options, and creating non-routine reports with detailed analyses to support initiatives
• May perform other job duties as directed by Employee’s Leaders

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of financial principles and practices and how to utilize them, and the analysis and reporting of complex financial data
• Skilled in collecting, organizing, visualizing and assimilating data including turning raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software
• Skilled in understanding and applying information to contribute to the organization’s strategic plan
• Skilled in using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems
• Ability to listen to, understand, and communicate ideas presented in writing and/or in speaking with others
• Ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, which does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem
• Ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense

Education

• Required: High School Diploma or GED

Experience

• Advanced level experience, seasoned and specialized knowledge in:
  • Analyz