Finance Analyst

About the roleIn this dynamic role as a Finance Analyst within Operational Finance and Accounting (OF&A), you will play a vital role within the Property, Capital and Depreciation team in managing the financial lifecycle of our fixed asset portfolio. The role offers a unique vantage point across the business, ranging from Tech & Change investments to a multi-billion pound asset portfolio and IFRS 16 lease accounting. This is an ideal opportunity for a detail-oriented finance professional who excels in complex data handling to support the delivery of high-level technical accounting and reporting.

This role will initially support IFRS 16 lease accounting for property, vehicles and MHE, as well as rent payable accounting. You will be responsible for providing accurate, timely management and statutory accounting numbers, whilst maintaining a robust assurance process to ensure the integrity of the numbers.

You will be involved in various other aspects of the Property, Capital and Depreciation monthly reporting cycle, including fixed asset capitalisation and controls, depreciation of fixed and intangible assets, balance sheet reconciliations, asset disposals, investments and project financial management and controls in line with our Accounting Policy.

You will be responsible for analysing and interpreting high volumes of financial data to deliver timely, reliable and value-adding insights to support understanding, accounting judgements and decision-making across different areas and levels of the business, and may also manage assignments of Accounting Technician.

The Property, Capital and Depreciation team works closely with various teams across the Partnership, including the Policy & External Reporting and Property teams, on a broad range of deliverables, including asset refurbishment, asset dilapidation, impairment and residual value assessments, and statutory reporting at annual reporting cycles.

The complexities of asset accounting requires unwavering exceptional attention to detail, whilst the fast-paced nature of the role and broad range of stakeholders necessitates the ability to multi-task, working to tight deadlines and flexibility to pivot in response to adapting priorities. The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, with proven ability to identify and deliver improvements to processes, with a focus on building and maintaining trust with stakeholders throughout the Partnership.

Salary: £39,000 - £58,500 per annum.

Contract: This is a Permanent opportunity.

Working Pattern: This is a hybrid working position with an expectation to be in the Bracknell office 2-3 days a week, that can be discussed at interview.

Location: The office location for this role is based in Bracknell.

Key Responsibilities:

• Accurate and timely preparation of management & statutory accounting numbers (e.g. journals, balance sheet reconciliations, reviews, calculations & models).

• Accurate and timely preparation of complicated rules based accounting and ensuring integrity of accounting.

• Perform investigations into issues with the BAU accounting processes, ensuring resolutions are identified and actioned.

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

• Influence and manage relationships with stakeholders (teams, functional, Partnership, external) to enable the successful delivery of activities and projects.

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

• Developing a significant working knowledge of relevant finance and business relevant end to end processes.

• Identify and drive connections between the function and other areas of the organisation by working in consistent ways and creating a collaborative culture with an aligned purpose and outcomes.

• Support leading in a culture of continuous improvements to propositions, processes, controls and/or policies both proactively and based on feedback and insight from stakeholders, colleagues and
  customers.

• Bring advice, insight, support and challenge in order to actively contribute to the shaping of improvement activity.

• Ensure Compliance with and effective performance of key relevant internal controls and regulatory requirements within teams including those required under the ICF.

• Handling confidential and sensitive data in a professional manner

Essential Skills Required:

• Studying towards an Accounting Qualification or equivalent experience

• Experience of working across a broad range of accounting areas, performing investigations into issues and ensuring resolutions are identified and actioned

• Experience with data analysis

• Stakeholder management skills, experience influencing stakeholders to drive forward achievement of business outcomes

• Experience of continuous improvement in accounting processes

• Experience of Oracle financial systems (or equivalent)

• Good IT skills, including Excel and Google suite

• Strong and effective communicator

Desirable Skills (but not essential):

• Retail experience

• Experience with AI

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.