Financial Planning & Forecasting
£60,000 - £70,000 + Benefits (13-15 Month Fixed Term Contract)
London

THE COMPANY
They are a highly regarded mid-size investment bank with over 270 employees. They have a commercial culture but are also highly collegiate and promote excellence in everything they do. They are now seeking to recruit an ambitious and technically sound individual for a 13-15 month fixed term contract.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE
To be considered for this role, you should meet the following criteria:

  • Fully/part-qualified accountant ACCA, CIMA, ACA;
  • Good technical accounting knowledge and technical expertise which must include financial planning, forecasting, variance analysis and especially budgeting.
  • Experience of Hyperion Essbase and Hyperion Planning highly advantageous;
  • Attention to detail;
  • Highly numerate, strong academic background including good class of degree.
  • Proactive, commercially aware and strong communication skills;
  • Good analytical skills, problem solving capability;
  • Ability to work independently and effectively within a team.
  • Previous financial services experience would be advantageous but is not a pre-requisite.

THE ROLE
The Finance department comprising of 12 people covers a broad scope of financial planning, recording, controlling and reporting activities from transactional accounting through to the provision of analysis and forecasting for decision- making. The department supports senior management in exercising budgetary and financial control in pursuit of the company's strategic objectives. Reporting to the Management & Financial Reporting Manager, the role will include the following:

  • Maintain proper processes and procedures relating to the role.
  • Maintenance of reporting structures in Oracle Essbase / Hyperion Planning, and other reporting data sources.
  • Manage the budgeting process to include:

o Implementation of new budgeting system - Hyperion Planning (Ad-hoc project)

o Review the whole budgeting process including Management involvement and sign off.

  • Assist and enhance annual writing of the business plan (bi-annual refresh)
  • Variance analysis between budgeted, forecast and actual costs - Prepare enhanced variance analysis information to allow management to understand where the actual performance has differed from the budget.

o Quarterly forecasting - feeds into controllable cost reporting

o Review drivers - develop relevant drivers for each cost centre (currently these are defaulted to headcount however other drivers such as time allocations maybe more relevant for some cost centres)

o Review strategies with business heads

o Feedback against actuals

  • Assist Senior Management and Financial accountant with the production of business line reporting with allocated costs schedules for all business lines and cost centres.
  • Set up regular meetings with business heads to discuss current performance and future forecasting requirements as part of quarterly forecasting.
  • Set up and enhance rolling forecast of the firm through collation of information from business heads.
  • Gain understanding in current reporting provided by finance the company.
  • Ad-hoc project work,