Assistant Planning and Performance Analyst

SMS; Barnsley; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A progressive energy solutions provider in Barnsley is seeking a proactive Analyst to support business performance through data analysis and forecasting. Responsibilities include developing Power BI dashboards, producing performance reports, and collaborating with multiple teams for insights and recommendations. The ideal candidate will possess a degree in Finance or related fields, possess advanced Excel skills, and be working towards a professional qualification like ACCA or CIMA. This role supports hybrid working and may require travel to operational sites.

Benefits

25 personal holiday days per year

Hybrid working options

Enhanced Maternity and Paternity leave

Life Insurance (4 x annual salary)

Pension matching scheme

Continuous development opportunities

Qualifications

• Essential to have strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Experience in finance modelling including creating bespoke complex models.
• Excellent organizational skills and a methodical approach to work.

Responsibilities

• Support the Head of Planning and Performance with data analysis.
• Develop interactive dashboards and reports using Power BI.
• Produce planning and performance reports, ensuring accuracy.
• Collaborate with teams to recommend process improvements.

Skills

Advanced Excel skills

Strong analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Data integration experience

Energy Industry knowledge

Experience working with large datasets

Strong communication skills

Education

Degree qualification in Finance, Business or Economics

Professional qualification e.g. ACCA / CIMA

Tools

Power BI

Job description

Why choose us?

Choosing to work for SMS means choosing to make a difference.

We are changing how businesses and consumers use energy for the better, helping achieve a greener, sustainable, and more affordable energy system for everyone. Through our range of innovative energy solutions, we are delivering the future of smart energy – working closely with private and public sector partners we are playing a critical role in transforming and decarbonising the UK economy by 2050.

What's in it for you?

• 25 personal holiday days per year (with additional 8 public holidays) increasing to 30 personal days after 5 years of service (includes options to buy and sell)
• Hybrid working options (for some positions).
• Enhanced Maternity leave. Paternity and Adoption leave.
• 24/7 free and confidential employee assistance service.
• Simply Health plan offers a wide variety of benefits from cashback on everyday healthcare treatments like optical, dental and physio treatments. Discounted gym memberships and free 24/7 online GP.
• Life Insurance (4 x annual salary)
• Pension matching scheme (up to 5% of salary)
• Developing our people is important to us - we support and encourage development by offering internal and external accredited courses, secondments and study support.

What's the role?

At SMS we are looking for a proactive and detail-oriented professional to join our team and support the Head of Planning and Performance. In this role, you will play a key part in delivering accurate, timely, and insightful data analysis and forecasting to drive informed business decisions. You will provide clear visibility of performance, trends, and opportunities through high-quality business analysis aligned with our overall strategy, while maintaining a suite of Power BI reports to track key performance indicators and support improvements in financial performance.

This role is offered on a 40 hour contract per week, Monday to Friday, from either our Bullrush or Hoyland Warehouse on a hybrid bases.

Please note:While the role offers hybrid working, candidates should be prepared to travel to operational sites to engage directly with teams and gain a deep understanding of processes, ensuring maximum impact. Initially, the Analyst position will involve some travel to Cardiff.

Key responsibilities:

• Support the Head of Planning and Performance in delivering accurate and reliable analysis across BAU, projects, and ad-hoc requests.
• Develop, enhance, and maintain interactive dashboards and reports using Power BI to support operational and strategic initiatives.
• Interpret data to provide insights and actionable recommendations that improve efficiency and profitability.
• Build and maintain robust forecasting models to support short-, medium-, and long-term decision-making aligned with business strategy.
• Produce weekly and monthly planning and performance reports, ensuring continuous development and accuracy.
• Promote and support a culture of Continuous Improvement throughout operational processes.
• Collaborate with finance, operations, HR, IT, and leadership teams to identify trends, root causes of performance issues, and recommend sustainable improvements.

To be considered for this role, we would love you to have:

• Progressing towards a Professional qualification e.g. ACCA / CIMA or equivalent.
• Degree qualification in a relevant subject Finance, Business or Economics (essential).
• Advanced Excel skills (essential).
• Energy Industry knowledge (desirable).
• Experience with Power BI (desirable).
• Data integration experience (essential).
• Experience working with large datasets.
• Experience with finance modelling including the creation of bespoke complex models.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and a methodical, logical approach to work.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present to senior stakeholders.

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