Finance Analyst
About the role
Provide analytical and reporting support to the Finance Team and the wider business teams to aid financial control and decision making in the business for commercial areas.
Role Responsibilities
MONTH END ROUTINES & CONTROLS
- Ensure accurate & timely month end accounts with insightful commentary. To include balance sheet reconciliations – highlighting risks and opportunities
- Pro-actively work with commercial teams to ensure spend forecasts are accurate & provided in a timely manner with variances clearly explained
- Schedules & systems for monitoring spend maintained & processes adhered to: For example: PO system & spend tracker
- Produce and explain variance in period end accounts in commercial areas of the business (ie. cost of stock or marketing spend)
- Understand and challenge areas of responsibility in the P&L.
DECISION SUPPORT
- Provide accurate financial analysis to aid commercial decision making, and dealing with adhoc requests
- Specific involvement with product, activity and customer profitability
FORECASTS & PLANNING
- Understand and agree timetable with planning team, ensuring that stakeholders understand deadlines and expectations
- Operate models in conjunction with agreed KPI’s and planned activities to ensure sales and spend numbers are produced
- Understand / challenge sales, margin and spend expectations
- Complete relevant templates for finance planning managers to review in conjunction with forecast / budget submissions.
- Complete relevant templates to other business units to enable operational planning and financial recharges
- Upload & reconcile total business budgets / forecasts to AX
BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE & SUPPLEMENTARY
- Build business relationships to ensure objectives achieved
- Deputise for Managers where appropriate
- Attend and contribute to spend and cost planning meetings, ensuring deadlines are met in preparation.
- Prepare and understand weekly trading summary, plus reasons for variances and discuss with team.
- Other duties as required
Miscellaneous
- To be committed to the fair treatment of customers at all times
- Ensure compliance with all applicable UK and local regulations, Company Policies and FCA Conduct Rules
- Demonstrate behaviours in line with our Company values
- To take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and other persons who may be affected by acts and omissions at work
About you
- Minimum requirement of being half way through studying towards a professional accountancy qualification.
- Retail experience preferable – but certainly some understanding of the challenges & KPI’s in managing a retail business
- Understanding of the importance of the accuracy of the detail that underpins management accounts
- Commercial awareness - the ability to apply that understanding to the role’s requirements.
- Ability to persuade other people to an objective point of view
- Good organisational skills
- Ability to communicate written & oral financial information clearly & concisely to all levels of personnel – providing summaries which facilitate a clear interpretation of the detail and enable quick decision making
- Strong Excel and reporting skills, including modelling.
- Ability to deliver to strict reporting deadlines whilst maintaining accuracy
- General ledger experience
Why FGH?
Our staff enjoy competitive benefits including staff discount, generous annual leave, healthcare cash plan together with a vibrant, colourful, creative and flexible working atmosphere. With our competitive benefits, and supportive teams our staff enjoy helping us on our mission and benefit greatly from the challenges that come with working for a successful retailer.
About us
Freemans Grattan Holdings (FGH) is based in West Yorkshire and is part of the OTTO Group – one of the world’s largest online retailer. FGH is the home of familiar brands such as Freemans, Grattan, Kaleidoscope, Swimwear 365, Look Again, Bonprix, Curvissa and Witt.
We offer a broad choice of products and are committed to offering great service and delivery seven days a week. We meet the needs of our extensive and varied loyal customer base by having a Customer First mantra and being fair in how we deal with our customers and employees. Innovation is key as we look for new ideas which will improve the customer experience and our business processes.
We have a great team and integrity plays an important part in how we work together. We currently employ over 700 people within Vicar Lane office, Listerhills warehouse and credit operations, offering a diverse range of opportunities, generous benefits and a good work/life balance. Our mission is to be the preferred choice in internet and home shopping…do things better or do things differently.