Finance Analyst

About the roleThe role of the Commercial Finance team is to drive business performance and deliver the financial outcomes set in the Partnership Plan. The Commercial Finance Analyst will have responsibility for the production and delivery of accurate and high quality performance insight at a functional level with a focus on the ‘so what’ in order to drive financial performance. Through working directly with the business and stakeholders in Finance, you will help them understand their financial targets, how they are performing against these targets and implications for future performance. You will also develop solutions and make recommendations to improve financial performance and mitigate risks based on the financial outputs produced. 

You work with your leader to develop the approach for your area of responsibility and decide what areas to focus performance insight and recommend priorities. 

• Salary range - £36,000.00 - £55,000.00

• Contract type - This position is a fixed term contract for 12 months. 

• Working pattern/flexible working - The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. The team aims for around 2 days a week in the office to connect and on a more ad-hoc basis to attend key meetings.

Key responsibilities

Service Delivery, Relationship Management

• Accurate and timely preparation of performance insight within your area of responsibility to time and quality standards. 

• Articulate drivers of current performance and subsequent implications for future performance, as well as strong commercial analysis that proactively identifies opportunities to improve financial performance. Focus areas of insight may be guided by relevant Commercial Finance Managers or Senior Finance Analysts.

• You will directly face into the business and are responsible for excellent written and verbal communication of analysis, to produce action orientated insight and deliverable targets. A strong working relationship with relevant Commercial Finance managers will be required in order to support and influence them.

• Responsible for Improving processes and setting expectations and service levels with internal stakeholders.

• Facilitate and oversee interactions with various stakeholders, to promote efficient delivery of initiatives and assignments.

• Taking initiative in maintaining a role as subject matter expert, including keeping up to date with internal and external development in relevant business/regulatory areas.

Delivering Change & Continuous Improvement

• Accountable for seeking to make continuous improvements to propositions, processes, controls and/or policies both deliberately and based on feedback and insight from stakeholders, colleagues and customers.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need:

• Studying towards an Accounting Qualification 

• Experience in a Retail environment 

• Excellent communication skills

• Excellent attention to detail

About The Partnership

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.