Finance Business Partner

A new role has arisen within the Commercial Finance Team supporting the Technology area.    The Technology teams are going through a period of rapid expansion and change so that they are best placed to deliver key business initiatives.

The department is responsible for IT infrastructure, development and security at Next, including the UK website, 60+ international country sites and the web systems used by our clients of Total Platforms such as Victoria Secrets, GAP, Reiss and many more!

The mix of analysis, FP&A and stakeholder management make this role an ideal stepping stone on the route to finance manager and beyond.

The main priorities of this role are to 

• partner senior management providing decision support and cost analysis
• manage the cost reporting and financial planning of our technology department, 
• produce insightful analysis that is used to understand cost performance, highlight opportunities and concerns within the cost base and ensure the robustness of cost forecast

Key Responsibilities:

Business Partnering (25%)

• Take ownership of cost areas and build good business links with relevant business partners
• Produce timely management information to enable cost control and present this to cost centre managers
• Analyse costs, highlighting any opportunities or concerns to the relevant manager
• Create analysis to support operational business cases

Month End (25%)

• Account for the technology team costs as part of the month end
• Completion and reconciliation of related balance sheets
• Analyse offshore team tasks and create a system of strong controls to ensure robustness of the work
• Produce analysis explaining performance which is used to highlight areas of concern during review with relevant Directors and senior finance business partners 

Budgeting & Forecasting (25%)

• Forecasting & budgeting of costs for technology teams
• Update and maintain relevant schedules to assist with reporting and tracking costs
• Work with relevant business areas to forecast and help manage costs.  Provide support and challenge to help operational leaders with their decisions
• Produce analysis to support cost forecasts, looking at both internal technology and wider business (eg Total platform) factors for justification
• Analyse recruitment, committed deliverables and software contracts and ensure they are aligned with cost forecasts

Process & Reporting development (25%)

• Analyse current financial processes and use your excellent Excel skills to create more robust and efficient solutions
• Develop and maintain an analysis reporting suite for review with Senior Finance business partners 
• Work with key business partners ensuring their financial data requirements are met

General:

• To undertake ad hoc tasks and responsibilities when required.
• To work at an appropriate pace and maintain accuracy when under pressure.
• To be comfortable working within a wider team and to maintain good working relationships.
• To highlight any issues and concerns to your line manager.
• Safeguard commercially sensitive financial data.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Strong PC skills and confidence working with detailed spreadsheet models. Excellent knowledge of data manipulation, logic, formatting and formulas is required.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to assimilate large volumes of data.
• Adept at building strong business relationships both within and external to Finance.
• Problem solving skills and logical thought process.
• Effective communicator.
• Qualified Accountant, e.g. ACCA, CIMA.

Benefits:

• Pension 3% Employer/ 5% Employee (you can top up)
• Share save
• 25 days holiday plus BH (from 1st April 2022), can buy up to 3 days from 2022. Holiday calendar runs 1st April-31st March
• Bonus - company performance dependent
• 25% staff discount and free next day delivery to desk for online purchases
• Gympass
• Subsidised restaurant, bar, coffee shops and Starbuck stations, all onsite
• Free car parking
• Simplyhealth - discounted health care plan on dental/optical
• Outstanding parking subsidised Nursery onsite
• Staff shop onsite

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.