Marks & Spencer Hiring for Senior Finance Analyst Job at Salford, North West England, England Full Time

M&S is British value-for-money retailer focused on own label businesses, including Food, Clothing & Home and Bank & Services. Today, we operate a family of businesses, selling high-quality, great-value own-brand products in the UK and internationally, from 1,509 stores and over 100 websites globally. Together our 70,000 colleagues across our stores, support centres, warehouses and supply chain serve nearly 30 million customers each year.

We are on our biggest ever transformation programme! With the objective to restore the M&S business and brand, to deliver long-term, sustainable, profitable growth for our investors, colleagues and wider communities.

You’ll have full accountability for the central costs base for the International business and ownership of the International Capex plan, including working capital forecasts. You will budget, forecast and manage both costs and capex for month end reporting, business partnering with the cost owners across International and Heads of Finance in our owned markets.

Key Accountabilities:

Planning & Forecasting

• Support the 3-year planning process, including owning the preparation of the budget and quarterly forecasts for both Central Costs and CAPEX
• Management of central support office International costs and total international CAPEX through challenging Central Costs and CAPEX owners. This includes the need to identify improvements and support initiatives to improve cost management and profit
• Full involvement in the Budget process for Central Costs, CAPEX and Working Capital. Involves working with different departments and teams across M&S

Month end:

• Delivery of month end journals, reconciliations and reporting with insightful commentary
• Monthly analysis of actuals against forecast with senior business partner level commentary highlighting any Risk/Opportunity
• Working with the local country Finance Directors, Central International cost owners and the wider finance group
• Governance – providing challenge around the cost base to cost owners and driving a no surprise culture
• CAPEX Reporting – Monthly call with owned markets to understand drivers of variances in CAPEX spend in the month, producing high quality commentary to the International Leadership Team and Group Finance
• Compilation of working capital and cash flow analysis to feed into International Leadership team packs
• Ad-hoc analysis and support as required

Insight, Analysis & Projects:

• Work closely with the International owned teams to understand future decisions and to ensure they meet their agreed budget/forecast update.
• Ad hoc analysis for the International team and business partners to support decision making as required such as updates to allocation methodology
• Review opportunities to streamline and drive efficiencies across planning and reporting processes, including implementing new systems where appropriate

Business Partnering:

• Build positive relationships with a variety of business partners across the business, in particular:
• Local Country Finance Directors in our 4 owned markets
• International operations teams such as IT, Marketing and HR
• Business Service Centre (BSC) shared service function for Finance

General

• Meet agreed performance objectives and develop ability to collaborate with and adapt to working with teams across M&S
• Provide holiday cover within the team as required
• Maintain a high standard of process notes on critical activity for business contingency

Key Skills

• Outstanding business partnering skills with the ability to build relationships and influence at all levels. Confident leading meetings and telephone calls and providing challenge to colleagues
• This role has a broad area of responsibility and will need a mix of knowledge around FP&A processes, technical accounting and finance operations (SAP focused)
• Highly organised with exceptional time management and prioritisation skills. Can handle a complex and varied workload and work to agreed time frames
• Excellent numerical and analytical skills (must be CIMA, ACCA or ACA qualified/finalist). Using this knowledge to make management decisions and judgement for the benefit of the business
• Strategic approach, able to identify and challenge areas of improvement in cost management or forecasting processes, working closely with business partners to improves these
• A good attention to detail
• Operational improvement experience
• Drive and deliver a strong audit and control environment.

Systems Skills

• Working knowledge of SAP ECC and a high level of proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Exposure to BOARD software useful

Key Benefits:

• Flexible working approach, with a balance of being in the office and working from home
• Travel – Free car parking at our Salford Quays office, ‘cycle to work’ and season ticket loans
• 33 days holiday (including bank holidays) + 1 celebration day
• 20% discount on M&S products
• A range of wellbeing support (including free counselling and a virtual GP for you and immediate family)
• 25% off gym memberships, access to online fitness classes and discounts for complementary health services, such as nutrition and lifestyle coaching

M&S is ready to push boundaries to lead the industry into a greener, speedier, more inspiring digital era. That’s why we’re revolutionising how we work and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. There’s never been a better time to be part of our team. Marks & Spencer aims to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make an immediate impact. We are committed to an active Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunities Policy, which starts with our recruitment and selection process, and we are happy to talk flexible working.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process. If you consider yourself to have a disability or learning difficulty which means you are unable to complete the application process online, please get in touch either by phone on 0345 300 3725 or by email recruitment.online@marksandspencer.com so we can make alternative arrangements for you.

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