As a Financial Analyst at Cedar, your day-to-day work will be highly dynamic and deeply integrated with the broader business operations. You will be responsible for maintaining and updating the company’s core financial models, ensuring that leadership has access to accurate, real-time data to support strategic decision-making. This involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), analyzing variances between actual results and forecasts, and identifying the underlying business drivers behind those variances.

Beyond standard financial planning and analysis (FP&A) tasks, you will act as a strategic business partner to adjacent teams. You will collaborate closely with product managers to evaluate the financial feasibility of new features, help engineering leaders manage their cloud infrastructure spend, and assist operations teams in optimizing resource allocation. Your insights will directly inform product roadmaps and strategic business initiatives.

Additionally, you will play a key role in preparing materials for executive leadership and board presentations. This requires an ability to synthesize complex financial datasets into clear, high-level narratives that highlight risks, opportunities, and strategic recommendations. You will help drive the annual budgeting process and support long-range strategic planning across the entire organization.

To be competitive for the Financial Analyst position at Cedar, candidates must possess a strong foundation in financial theory, exceptional analytical skills, and a highly collaborative approach to problem-solving.

• Technical skills – Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel is a non-negotiable requirement. You must be comfortable building complex, dynamic, and error-free financial models. Experience with SQL, data visualization tools (such as Looker or Tableau), and modern financial planning software is highly advantageous.

• Experience level – Typically, successful candidates bring 2–4 years of experience in corporate finance, investment banking, strategic finance, or consulting. Experience within a high-growth technology company, SaaS business, or the healthcare sector is strongly preferred.

• Soft skills – Exceptional communication skills are critical. You must be able to articulate financial insights clearly to stakeholders at all levels of the organization, including those without a finance background. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously are also essential.

• Must-have skills – Advanced Excel modeling, strong understanding of SaaS or fintech unit economics, and a proven track record of cross-functional collaboration.

• Nice-to-have skills – Proficiency in SQL, familiarity with healthcare billing systems, and experience supporting product or engineering organizations.

Q: How technical is the interview process for the Financial Analyst role? The process is moderately technical, with a strong emphasis on practical application rather than pure theory. You will need to demonstrate solid financial modeling skills and structured logical thinking, particularly during the case study round, but you will not face abstract coding or advanced statistical testing.

Q: What is the typical timeline from the initial recruiter screen to a final offer? The timeline can vary based on business needs, but Cedar is known for running highly efficient processes. While a comprehensive loop with multiple rounds typically takes 3–4 weeks, there are instances of accelerated tracks where candidates move through the final stages and receive offers in a matter of days.

Q: How does Cedar evaluate cultural fit during the interview process? Cultural fit is given equal weight to technical capability. Interviewers look for humility, a collaborative spirit, a passion for improving the patient financial experience, and a management style that thrives in a transparent, feedback-rich environment.

Q: Will I meet with team members outside of the finance department? Yes. Because the finance team at Cedar operates as a cross-functional partner, you should expect to interview with leaders from other departments, such as product, engineering, or operations, to evaluate how effectively you collaborate across disciplines.

• Synthesize, don't just report: When presenting financial data or walking through your case study, do not simply read the numbers off the page. Focus on the "so what"—explain the strategic implications of the data and what actions the business should take based on your analysis.
• Understand the business model: Before your interviews, make sure you have a deep understanding of Cedar's product offerings and how the company generates revenue. Familiarize yourself with healthcare technology trends and the challenges of patient billing.
• Embrace ambiguity: In a high-growth environment, financial data is rarely perfect. Demonstrate that you are comfortable making reasonable assumptions, clearly documenting them, and adjusting your models as new information becomes available.
• Prepare for cross-functional perspectives: When interviewing with product or engineering leaders, tailor your language to their priorities. Focus on metrics like resource efficiency, product adoption, and delivery timelines rather than purely financial indicators.

Joining Cedar as a Financial Analyst offers a unique opportunity to apply your analytical skills to a mission-driven company that is actively transforming the healthcare financial landscape. The role provides a rare balance of deep technical modeling and high-impact strategic influence, allowing you to partner directly with product and engineering leaders to shape the future of the platform.

As you prepare for your interviews, focus your efforts on mastering your core financial frameworks, refining your communication strategy for non-finance stakeholders, and practicing how you structure answers to ambiguous business cases. Approaching the process with a blend of technical preparation and cultural curiosity will set you apart as a strong candidate.

For additional insights, detailed community reports, and preparation resources tailored to high-growth technology roles, you can explore the extensive materials available on Dataford. With focused preparation and a clear understanding of what Cedar values, you will be well-positioned to succeed throughout this interview loop.

The salary data module above provides compensation benchmarks for the Financial Analyst position. When evaluating these figures, consider how your specific experience level, location, and technical skill set align with the target range. Use this information to guide your compensation discussions confidently during the final stages of the hiring process.