What is a Business Analyst at Ameritas Life Insurance?

At Ameritas Life Insurance, the Business Analyst role—often operating under the internal title of Senior Financial Analyst—is a highly strategic, hybrid position positioned at the critical intersection of Finance and Information Technology. You are not just gathering requirements; you are serving as a vital business partner to IT leadership. Your core mission is to enable data-driven decision-making by optimizing financial planning, budgeting, and operational efficiency across our technology organization.

Your impact in this role is profound and immediate. As Ameritas continues to modernize its infrastructure and expand its digital offerings, managing IT spend becomes increasingly complex. You will directly influence how we allocate resources for major system implementations, software expenditures, and cloud migrations. By building robust total cost of ownership (TCO) and return on investment (ROI) models, you ensure that every dollar spent on technology aligns with our broader corporate strategy and our ultimate purpose of "fulfilling life" for our customers.

This role is ideal for a detail-oriented professional who thrives in a dynamic environment. You will be dealing with the scale and complexity of a major insurance and financial services provider, tackling challenges ranging from cloud cost modeling to multi-year financial forecasting. If you are passionate about driving continuous improvement in IT cost structures and translating complex data into actionable insights, this role offers a unique platform to shape the future of technology at Ameritas.

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

To succeed in our interview process, you need to demonstrate a blend of strict financial rigor and adaptable business partnering. Preparation should focus on how you apply analytical frameworks to real-world IT and operational challenges.

Financial & Analytical Acumen – You must deeply understand financial planning and analysis (FP&A). Interviewers will evaluate your ability to perform variance analysis, track capital vs. operational expenditures (CapEx/OpEx), and build accurate financial forecasts. You can demonstrate strength here by clearly walking through past examples where your analysis identified cost drivers and led to corrective actions.

Technical & Systems Proficiency – Because you will be working with complex datasets, your comfort with financial systems is critical. Interviewers will look for hands-on experience with tools like Excel, Oracle ERP/EPB (or similar systems like Hyperion), and Power BI. Strong candidates will confidently discuss how they have automated reports or built dashboards to visualize data.

Business Partnering & Communication – You will act as the bridge between Finance and IT. We evaluate your ability to translate dense financial data into actionable insights for non-financial stakeholders. You shine in this area when you can explain complex financial models (like cloud cost scenarios) simply and persuasively to technical leaders.

Culture Fit & Continuous Improvement – Ameritas values an inclusive, problem-solving mindset. We look for candidates who proactively seek ways to optimize processes and resource allocation. Demonstrating a history of driving continuous improvement and a collaborative attitude will strongly align you with our values.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process for the Business Analyst / Senior Financial Analyst role at Ameritas is designed to be thorough, collaborative, and reflective of the cross-functional nature of the position. You will typically begin with an initial screening call with a talent acquisition partner, focusing on your background, your understanding of FP&A, and your alignment with the hybrid work expectations in Lincoln, NE.

Following the screen, you will progress to a hiring manager interview, which dives deeper into your experience supporting IT or technology functions. Expect a mix of behavioral questions and technical probes regarding your familiarity with tools like Oracle Financials and Power BI. If successful, you will advance to a final panel interview. This stage often involves cross-functional stakeholders from both the Finance and IT departments. Here, the focus shifts heavily toward scenario-based questions, assessing how you handle variance analysis, build ROI models, and communicate findings to leadership.

Throughout the process, Ameritas emphasizes a data-driven yet highly collaborative philosophy. We want to see not just how you crunch the numbers, but how you use those numbers to influence strategy and build relationships across departments.

This visual timeline outlines the typical stages you will navigate, from the initial recruiter screen to the final cross-functional panel. Use this to pace your preparation, ensuring you review your technical modeling skills early on while saving your strategic, cross-departmental narratives for the final rounds. Keep in mind that depending on the specific IT vertical you will support, you may be asked to complete a brief take-home data exercise or Excel assessment prior to the final panel.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

This is the bedrock of the role. Ameritas relies on accurate budgeting and forecasting to maintain operational stability and fund strategic IT initiatives. You will be evaluated on your ability to partner with leadership to develop multi-year financial plans and perform rigorous monthly variance analysis. Strong performance means you don't just report the variance—you identify the root cause and recommend corrective actions.

Be ready to go over:

• Budgeting & Forecasting – How you build from the ground up and align with strategic objectives.
• Variance Analysis – Your methodology for comparing actuals vs. budget/forecast and isolating key drivers.
• Cost Tracking – Managing IT spend, specifically differentiating and tracking CapEx and OpEx.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Zero-based budgeting techniques, scenario-planning for macroeconomic shifts affecting IT spend.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through your process for conducting a monthly variance analysis. How do you handle a situation where an IT project is significantly over budget?"
• "Describe a time you identified a negative trend in operational expenditures. What corrective action did you recommend, and what was the outcome?"
• "How do you approach building a multi-year financial forecast for a department with highly variable software expenditures?"

IT Cost Drivers & Strategic Modeling

Because this role directly supports the Information Technology department, a generic finance background is not enough. You must understand the unique financial mechanics of technology. Interviewers will test your knowledge of software capitalization, cloud usage spend, and vendor outsourcing scenarios. A strong candidate can seamlessly pivot from discussing server depreciation to modeling the ROI of a SaaS implementation.

Be ready to go over:

• TCO and ROI Modeling – Calculating the Total Cost of Ownership and Return on Investment for major IT projects.
• Cloud Cost Modeling – Understanding consumption-based pricing models and forecasting cloud spend.
• Capitalization Rules – Knowing what phases of a software development lifecycle (SDLC) can be capitalized versus expensed.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Outsourcing vs. insourcing financial impact analysis, vendor contract negotiation support.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "If IT leadership wants to migrate an on-premise system to the cloud, how would you structure the financial model to evaluate this decision?"
• "Explain how you calculate the Total Cost of Ownership for a new enterprise software implementation."
• "What are the key differences in how you track and report CapEx versus OpEx in an IT environment?"

Systems, Data, and Visualization

Your ability to extract, manipulate, and present data is crucial. We evaluate your hands-on experience with enterprise financial systems and data visualization tools. Strong performance in this area involves demonstrating not just familiarity, but proficiency in using these tools to automate reporting and create actionable dashboards for leadership.

Be ready to go over:

• Oracle Financials – Experience with Oracle ERP, EPB, or Hyperion SmartView.
• Advanced Excel – Utilizing complex formulas, pivot tables, and data modeling.
• Power BI – Creating dashboards, data modeling, and report automation.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – SQL for basic data extraction, integrating API data into Power BI.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time you used Power BI to automate a previously manual reporting process. What was the impact?"
• "How have you utilized Oracle ERP or Hyperion in your past roles to streamline month-end close or forecasting?"
• "Describe a complex financial model you built in Excel. What made it complex, and how did you ensure its accuracy?"

Business Partnering and Stakeholder Management

As a Senior Financial Analyst supporting IT, you are a translator. You must enforce internal controls and audit requirements while acting as a trusted advisor to IT managers. Interviewers will look for high emotional intelligence, the ability to push back gracefully, and a talent for making financial concepts accessible.

Be ready to go over:

• Cross-functional Collaboration – Working with procurement, accounts payable, and IT managers.
• Influencing without Authority – Guiding IT leaders toward cost-efficient decisions.
• Communication – Delivering financial reports to non-finance audiences clearly and concisely.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time you had to explain a complex financial constraint to an IT leader who wanted to purchase new software. How did you handle it?"
• "Describe a situation where you had to coordinate with procurement and AP to resolve a delayed vendor invoice that was impacting an IT project."

Key Responsibilities

As a Business Analyst / Senior Financial Analyst at Ameritas, your day-to-day work revolves around ensuring the financial health and operational efficiency of the IT department. You will start many of your weeks partnering directly with IT leadership and managers, reviewing purchase order tracking, validating invoices, and ensuring accurate accruals. This operational support ensures that our day-to-day technology spend is meticulously documented in accordance with internal controls and audit requirements.

During the month-end close and forecasting cycles, your focus will shift heavily toward FP&A duties. You will dive into our financial systems—likely leveraging Oracle ERP and Hyperion SmartView—to perform detailed variance analysis. You will compare actual IT spend against the budget, identify the drivers behind any discrepancies, and prepare actionable reports. These insights are not just for the Finance department; you will actively present these dashboards, often built in Power BI, to IT leadership to help them optimize resource allocation.

On a project basis, you will be the financial architect for strategic IT initiatives. When the technology team proposes a new system implementation or a shift to cloud infrastructure, you will build the TCO and ROI models to evaluate the financial viability of the move. This requires collaborating closely with procurement, project managers, and engineers to understand the technical scope and translate it into a multi-year financial plan, ensuring every initiative delivers maximum value to Ameritas.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

To be competitive for this role, candidates must possess a strong foundation in corporate finance coupled with the technical skills necessary to navigate modern data environments. Ameritas is looking for a strategic thinker who is equally comfortable in the weeds of an Excel spreadsheet and in a boardroom presenting to IT executives.

• Must-have technical skills: Deep expertise in Excel (advanced modeling, data analysis) and a strong grasp of FP&A principles, variance analysis, and forecasting methodologies.
• Must-have experience: A Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business, or a related field, alongside 1-3 years of proven experience in FP&A, financial operations, or business finance.
• Must-have soft skills: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. You must possess a continuous improvement mindset, strong attention to detail, and the ability to collaborate effectively across diverse teams.
• Strongly preferred domain knowledge: Experience supporting IT or technology functions. You should have a solid understanding of IT cost drivers, including CapEx vs. OpEx, cloud usage spend, and project-based financial planning.
• Nice-to-have skills: A CPA, CFA, or MBA will make your application stand out. Hands-on experience with Oracle Financials (Hyperion SmartView, Oracle ERP/EPB) and proficiency in Power BI (data modeling, dashboard creation) are highly desired. Prior experience in the insurance or financial services industry is a bonus.

Common Interview Questions

While you cannot predict every question, the following examples reflect the core themes tested in Ameritas interviews for this specific role. Focus on the underlying concepts rather than memorizing answers.

FP&A and Variance Analysis

These questions test your core competency in managing budgets, forecasting, and identifying financial discrepancies.

• Walk me through your step-by-step process for conducting a monthly variance analysis.
• How do you handle forecasting in an environment where project timelines frequently shift?
• Tell me about a time you identified a significant budget variance. How did you uncover it, and what was your recommendation?
• Describe your experience with zero-based budgeting versus incremental budgeting.
• How do you ensure accuracy and compliance with internal controls when tracking monthly accruals?

IT Finance and Cost Modeling

These questions evaluate your specific understanding of technology as a business driver and a cost center.

• How do you differentiate between CapEx and OpEx in a software development project?
• Walk me through how you would build a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model for a new enterprise software purchase.
• Explain your approach to modeling cloud computing costs, given their variable nature.
• Tell me about a time you analyzed the financial impact of a major IT initiative. What metrics did you focus on?
• How do you evaluate the Return on Investment (ROI) for an internal system upgrade that doesn't directly generate revenue?

Systems and Data Visualization

These questions assess your hands-on technical abilities with the tools required for the job.

• Describe the most complex financial model you have ever built in Excel. What functions did you use?
• How have you utilized Power BI to improve reporting efficiency in your previous role?
• Tell me about your experience using Oracle ERP or Hyperion SmartView for financial planning.
• Give an example of how you automated a manual financial process or report.
• How do you ensure data integrity when pulling information from multiple disparate systems into a single dashboard?

Behavioral and Business Partnering

These questions look at your cultural fit, your communication style, and your ability to influence others.

• Tell me about a time you had to explain a complex financial concept to a non-financial stakeholder.
• Describe a situation where you had to push back on an IT manager regarding their budget. How did you handle the conversation?
• Give an example of a time you proactively identified an operational inefficiency and drove a continuous improvement initiative.
• How do you prioritize your workload during the high-pressure month-end close period?
• Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with a difficult stakeholder to gather necessary financial data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How technical is the interview process for this role? While you won't be writing production code, you must be highly proficient in financial modeling. Expect technical questions focused on advanced Excel functions, data visualization best practices in Power BI, and your familiarity with navigating ERP systems like Oracle.

Q: What differentiates a good candidate from a great one? A good candidate understands standard FP&A. A great candidate understands the nuances of IT Finance. Being able to confidently discuss software capitalization rules, cloud consumption models, and IT vendor management will set you apart from generalist financial analysts.

Q: What is the working arrangement for this position? This is a hybrid role based in Lincoln, NE. You will be expected to work partially in-office and partially from home. Ameritas strongly values work-life balance, offering flexible options and "Thrive Days" (personal time off) to support your well-being.

Q: How long does the interview process typically take? From the initial recruiter screen to the final offer, the process generally takes between 3 to 5 weeks. Delays can occasionally happen around month-end close periods when the finance hiring managers are busiest.

Q: Do I need prior experience in the insurance industry? No, it is desired but not required. However, you must have 1-3 years of experience in FP&A or financial operations, and experience supporting an IT or technology function is strongly preferred.

Other General Tips

• Master the CapEx vs. OpEx distinction: In IT finance, knowing exactly when a software build transitions from an operational expense to a capitalized asset is critical. Brush up on the accounting principles related to the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• Speak the language of IT: You will be partnering with technical leaders. Familiarize yourself with basic IT terminology (e.g., agile methodologies, SaaS, IaaS, on-premise vs. cloud) so you can build credibility quickly.

• Showcase your "Continuous Improvement" mindset: Ameritas explicitly looks for problem-solvers. Prepare at least two STAR method stories that highlight a time you identified a broken or inefficient process and took the initiative to fix it.

• Align with Ameritas Values: Review the company's mission of "fulfilling life." Be prepared to discuss why you want to work for a company that prioritizes community involvement, inclusion, and long-term customer well-being.

Summary & Next Steps

Stepping into the Business Analyst / Senior Financial Analyst role at Ameritas Life Insurance is an opportunity to be at the financial helm of our technological evolution. You will play a pivotal part in ensuring our IT investments are sound, efficient, and aligned with our corporate mission. By acting as the crucial bridge between Finance and Technology, your insights will directly shape the tools and systems that empower our employees and serve our customers.

As you prepare, focus heavily on demonstrating your dual strengths: rigorous financial modeling (specifically around IT cost drivers) and empathetic business partnering. Review your past projects, quantify your impact, and practice explaining complex financial scenarios in clear, accessible language. Remember that your interviewers are looking for a collaborative problem-solver who is eager to drive continuous improvement.

This compensation data provides a baseline expectation for similar roles in the market and region. Use this information to understand the total rewards package, keeping in mind that Ameritas offers highly competitive benefits, including strong 401(k) matching, incentive bonuses, and comprehensive well-being programs.

You have the analytical foundation and the drive required to excel in this process. Take the time to refine your narrative, lean into your technical expertise, and approach each conversation with confidence. For further insights and preparation tools, continue exploring resources on Dataford. Good luck—you are well-equipped to succeed!