Finance Accountant

Job Description

We are looking for a qualified Accountant to join our Finance Operations team and lead the financial analysis for the UK cash accounting team, helping to develop an analysis framework to support the continued success and growth of the Next business.

Next is a dynamic and fast growing business, to succeed in this role you must be happy in a fast-moving, fluid, ever-changing environment. You will need a mixture of solid financial / management accounting skills, coupled with expert financial analysis to support Key Stakeholders and business initiatives whilst maintaining tight control over costs.

You are ideally someone who thinks about the impact on the Customer and wider Business, a person that above all values the need for procedure, control and auditability.

This is a great opportunity for someone who has some experience, has great relationship building and influencing skills and with excellent attention to detail.

This role is predominately office based at our head office in Enderby with some remote working once trained up.

Key Responsibilities:

• A commercial focused role, leading on the financial analysis for the cash accounting team.
• Own the global card commission and bank charges budget and forecast
• Responsible for the investigation into P&L variances
• Identification and evaluation of FX charges
• Manage the delivery of projects alongside internal systems teams
• Preparation of analysis to assess the performance of new payment launches or initiatives
• Provide Ad Hoc analysis as required to support business initiatives or payment incident resolution

Cost Management

• Responsibility for detailed monitoring and challenge of card & payment fees c. £32m p.a.
• Invoice validation in line with contracted rates
• Reconciliation and reporting of FX charges on international settlements in the P/L £2m p.a.

Payment Optimisation

• Ownership and development of a global accept rate model for all payment types.
• Daily reporting and scrutiny of accept rates to ensure minimal negative impact
• Coordination of systems and third parties to proactively improve accept rates to drive sales.

Business Information

• Lead on the development of new reporting required to support the information provided to new total platform partners.
• Assessing the performance of new product launches.
• Support total platforma partners with MI and data analysis regarding country / tender performance.
• Ongoing competitor analysis and payment market information
• Ensure the integrity of financial models and reporting through suitable controls and documentation
• Identify and implement continuous improvements to the modelling and processes.

Project Management

• Manage the delivery of systems projects raised by the team to improve efficiency.
• Ensure systems incidents raised by the team are monitored and resolved in a timely manner.

About You

• A pro-active and hands on qualified Accountant (ACCA/CIMA or equivalent) with proven experience in a large company, working cross functionally with proven ability to deliver to strict deadlines.
• The ability to work productively, efficiently and effectively, maintaining attention to detail and quality
• Excellent planning & organisation skills
• Demonstrates self motivation and an ability to work on own initiative and is confident making decisions
• Excellent written and verbal skills, coupled with the ability to comfortably present to all levels
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills.
• The willingness to learn, improve and adapt to changing business needs.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills with the ability to think outside the box.
• Exceptional working knowledge of MS Office (esp. MS Excel) suite of products, Google Gsuite is desirable
• SQL & Microsoft SSMS is experience is desirable

Benefits:

• Annual company performance based bonus
• Sharesave scheme
• Pension 3% Employer/ 5% Employee
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (can also buy/sell up to 3 days)
• 25% staff discount and free next day delivery to desk for online purchases
• Subsidised restaurant, coffee shop and juice bar all onsite at head office
• Free car parking
• Outstanding subsidised Nursery onsite at head office
• Staff shop onsite at head office
• About Us
• You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE-100 retail company employing over 35,000 people across the UK and Ireland. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 500 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on-line from over 70 countries around the world! So we’ve gone global!

About some of our Benefits

• 25% off a huge selection of Next, Lipsy & Victoria's Secret products
• Company performance based bonus
• Sharesave scheme
• On-site Nursery available; OFSTED outstanding in all areas
• 10% off most partner brands & up to 15% off Branded Beauty
• Early VIP access to sale stock
• Access to fantastic discounts at our Staff Shops
• Subsidised restaurant, coffee shop and juice bar
• Access a 24/7 digital GP and other free health and wellbeing services
• Free on-site parking

Our aim is to support all applicants during the application process and to provide reasonable adjustments when necessary and requested. If you would like to request support with your application due to any health condition, feel free to get in touch with us by calling us on 0116 284 6858 and leave a voicemail.

For further information, and to apply, please visit our website via the “Apply” button below.