Finance Analyst - Buying & Merchandising

A bit about the role

This role is to support the Finance Manager in providing effective financial challenge and support to their business partners. This will be achieved via the production of timely and accurate financial information which can be used by the finance team to support business partners with performance review and informed decision making to drive business profitability.

As well as production of the financial information the role is expected to have a strong understanding of key drivers, provide insight via variance analysis and highlighting and sharing clearly associated risks and opportunities. The role also needs to support the senior finance manager in the production and completion of all budgeting and forecasting deliverables.

Key Responsibilities

• To produce timely information for sales, margin, costs and stock as appropriate
• To identify risks and opportunities relating to sales, margin, costs and stock as appropriate
• To contribute to the month end routines of the management accounts
• To provide detailed and clear analysis on trading performance including recommendations to aid improvement.
• To undertake analysis for potential initiatives using financial modelling techniques
• Provide quality insight to performance via clear and concise commentary
• To become familiar with and report on KPIs highlighting risks and opportunities
• To support the budgeting and forecasting process.
• To analyse financial proposals and monitor and report on performance and return
• To assess the possible cost and return on promotions / events both prior to and after delivery

• To interpret non-financial information and rework it into financial reports
• To produce reports which are easily understood by non-financial people
• To make recommendations to improve reporting and analysis
• To deal with queries and requests in a professional manner

General

• To participate in ad hoc projects as required
• To work in a collaborative manner, sharing ideas and information with colleagues
• To continually seek ways to improve own performance both technically and behaviourally
• To represent the finance community in line with the Selfridges values
• To understand and support the delivery of the Selfridges Strategy and initiatives

A bit about you

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience in a Retail environment

Technical Skills

• Part qualified in a recognised accountancy qualification (CIMA/ACCA/ACA)

Personal Attributes/ Behavioural Skills

• High standard of accuracy with financial and statistical data
• Able to organise own work and to take initiative
• Resilient and able to manage a complex workload
• Commercially aware
• Customer focused
• Good communication/ interpersonal and influencing skills
• Experience of computerised accounting packages
• Advanced Excel skills and computer literate in other core applications
• Flexible and open to change
• Proactive
• Good team player

A bit about us

We are a shop run on imagination: a place where the world’s most covetable brands combine with the most extraordinary spectacles, events and ideas for an experience like no other.

We have challenged the rules of retail from day one, whilst demonstrating our unwavering commitment to sustainability.  In 2016, we were the first to be awarded with recognition for the ‘World’s Best Sustainability Campaign by a Department Store’ at the IGDS Global Department Store Summit, in-line with its focus on buying better and inspiring change. We are also recognised as the Best Department Store in the World (2010, 2012, 2014 & 2018) underlining our place at the forefront of retail. In 2018 we were recognised as a LinkedIn Top Company to work for.

Our vision is to be the destination for the most extraordinary customer experience, and our people are central to us achieving this.  As an employer we are committed to making Selfridges an exciting, inspiring and fun place to work