Principal Revenue Operations Business Analyst
Location: London or Bristol
We are seeking a Principal Revenue Operations Business Analyst to own and manage the company's commercial control environment, ensuring that all contracts, pricing, and deals are created, reviewed, approved, and compliant before any commitment is made. Post deal analysis will ensure actual results are tracked against the deal models, and deal models are continuous updated for accuracy and changes in circumstances.
In addition, the role will be responsible for ensuring effective management of deal pipeline operations ensuring accuracy of data, providing insights and ensuring accurate forecasting and enhancing GTM activities e.g. pricing adjustments or win/loss analysis to enhance effectiveness of GTM.
The role will look to create a fully digital operation, with exceptions being handled as exceptions.
This role sits within the Finance function and acts as the critical gatekeeper between commercial activity and financial integrity. You will work closely with Sales, Commercial Review, Legal, Finance, and senior leadership to protect the business from contractual, pricing, and revenue recognition risk.
You will be accountable for owning the end-to-end contract review and approval process, reviewing all customer pricing proposals, acting as gatekeeper for deal approvals, conducting customer audits, and creating a digital operating model using agentic first capabilities to ensure high quality outputs and efficient operation.
Sales Operations & Pipeline Management
- Ensure accurate and timely availability of pipeline data and insights
- Ensure appropriate insights are created to create high quality analysis of short-, mid- and long-term opportunities
- Ensure high quality forecasting outputs
Contract Review & Approval
- Own and manage the end-to-end contract review process; no contract to be signed without completed review and approval.
- Maintain a contract register and approval workflow with full audit trail and version control.
- Assess all customer contracts for commercial risk, policy compliance, and alignment with agreed terms.
- Liaise with Legal on non-standard or high-risk contractual clauses.
- Define and enforce commercial thresholds for CFO level sign-off.
Pricing Review & Control
- Review all new pricelist assumptions and calculations for CFO review and approval.
- Review and approve all customer pricing proposals against approved frameworks, margin thresholds, and discount authority matrices.
- Challenge pricing exceptions and escalate where required.
- Maintain and update the company's pricing policy and discount approval framework.
- Monitor and report on pricing compliance, margin dilution, and discount trends.
Deal Review & Commercial Governance
- Ensure all deals are structured in accordance with revenue recognition principles (IFRS 15) before commitments are made.
- Creates deal models and analysis and review deal models for standard and bespoke contractual commitments, and partner with the Finance and business teams to develop accuracy and transparency of deal models, with regular post deal analysis and back-testing.
- Interface with sales team to ensure better win rates and commercial maximisation of opportunities
- Review deal structures for unusual payment terms or anything affecting revenue timing or recognition.
- Partner with Sales to ensure pipeline reporting accurately reflects contractual status and booking criteria.
Reporting & Process Improvement
- Produce regular management reporting on contract status, deal approvals, pricing compliance, and audit findings for the CFO.
- Continuously improve frameworks, templates, and tools used across the control function.
- Identify systemic risks or process gaps and propose solutions to strengthen the control environment.
Essential Skills:
Commercial & Contractual Acumen: Deep understanding of contract structures, commercial terms, and risk identification within complex customer agreements.
Pricing & Margin Control: Ability to assess pricing proposals against approved frameworks, identify exceptions, and enforce discount authority policies. Deal model creation and post deal analysis will be a key part of the role.
Analytical Rigour: High level of accuracy and attention to detail when reviewing deals, contracts, pipeline analysis, and audit findings, drawing upon a wide range of both financial and non financial data sources.
Revenue Recognition: Strong working knowledge of IFRS 15 and its application to deal structuring and booking criteria.
Stakeholder Influence: Confident in constructively challenging senior commercial stakeholders and escalating risk appropriately.
Communication & Reporting: Able to produce clear, concise reporting for CFO and Executive team.
Leadership & Team Development: Experience managing and developing small teams, allocating workload, and maintaining performance standards.
Process & Controls Mindset: Ability to design, implement, improve and digitise approval workflows, audit frameworks, governance processes, and contractual datasets.
Experience, training and qualifications:
Education: Degree-level qualification in Finance, Accounting, Business, or Law (or equivalent experience).
Experience: 5+ years in a finance, commercial, or sales operations control role, ideally within a B2B environment; proven track record reviewing and approving complex customer contracts and deals.
Financial Controls: Demonstrated experience owning approval workflows and governance frameworks in a commercial setting.
Revenue Recognition: Practical knowledge of ASC 606 / IFRS 15 and its application to deal review and booking criteria.
Team Management: Experience managing and developing a small team with clear accountability and performance standards.
Stakeholder Management: Proven ability to influence and challenge senior commercial stakeholders constructively.
SmartStream is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity and following practices which are free from unfair and unlawful discrimination.
