Business Unit Financial Analyst

Sonoco Products Company; Manchester; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading manufacturing company in the UK is seeking a financial analyst to assist in strategic planning, budgeting, and performance management. The ideal candidate will hold a Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting, with strong analytical skills and knowledge of financial modeling. This role offers the opportunity to influence decision-making at various organizational levels, ensuring optimal financial performance.

Benefits

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field required.
• Master's degree and/or professional certification preferred.
• Relevant experience in FP&A is necessary.

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing strategic objectives.
• Prepare annual budgets and manage forecasts.
• Partner with operational leaders for financial insights.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Financial modeling

Project management

Education

Bachelor's/First Degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business

Master's Degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Long Range & Strategic Planning

• Report, track and assist in developing strategic objectives including growth, profitability, product and service mix, and geographic presence. Participates and assists Corporate FP&A on approach and best practices
• Ability to participate in Corporate Development projects to support various M&A activity

Management Reporting & Insights

• Ability to identify the top KPIs that drive results, ability to isolate, measure, track and influence results, including variance analysis to prior year, budget, and reforecast
• Play an active role in presenting monthly results and providing explanations of drivers

Budgeting & Forecasting

• Supports the development of annual capital spend through strategic prioritization and ROI goals
• Execute annual budgets for the Business Unit based on inputs from Operations and Corporate FP&A
• Manage recurring forecasts on a timely basis to support decision analysis that drive internal action and inform external expectations
• Play active role in preparing budgets and reforecasts, for divisions, regions, countries, plants or cost centers
• Support capital forecasting to improve cashflow forecasting and investment decisions

Net Working Capital, Capital Project, and Lease Analysis

• Develop insights, raise concerns, and report appropriate actions to respective owners to optimize net working capital improvement
• Identifies and challenges key assumptions and risk-related capital projects and conducts post-capital reviews
• Challenge and ensure completeness, reasonable assumptions, and financial viability of capital project analysis as part of capital approval routings

Performance Management & Decision Support

• Partner with Business Unit and operational leaders to provide insight, analysis, and financial acumen to support business decisions, challenge base assumptions, and identify potential opportunities and strategies
• Enhance the capabilities, tools, techniques, and models to enable Finance to influence and drive better decision making in the organization
  
  Strong analytical, critical thinking, and business case development skills
• Ability to connect business decisions with impacts on financial results
• Ability to understand operational processes to be able to challenge base assumptions and look at potential opportunities

Communication

• Ability to clearly and concisely explain drivers of results, competently answer questions regarding performance and results, influencing and encouraging actions
• Ability to present business leadership relative to the role, i.e. budgets and monthly results, MBR/QBR, capial analysis, and PCAs

Technical

• Deep technical knowledge and understanding of FP&A activities, specifically management reporting, financial analysis, and pricing/competitive analysis activities
• Proficiency and understanding of financial statements and financial ratios
• Ability to create financial models and perform complex calculations
• Strong understanding of financial analysis, industry and competitive landscape, , cash generation management, and risk management
• Ability to complete FP&A activities with a strong attention to detail
• Strong knowledge in general principles of manufacturing or costs accounting and analysis
• Ability to transform large data sets to provide actionable insights
• Strong knowledge of ERP and consolidation systems
• Proficient with Microsoft Office packages such as Word, Excel and Power Point

Relational

• Strong collaboration and relationship management skills
• Ability to actively engage and communicate in in-person, virtual, and remote environments
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Coachable and a willingness to learn
• Ability to provide linkage between Controllership Accounting team and BU FP&A team
• Ability to manage deliverables independently as well as perform under pressure
• Ability to work in cross-functional team environment across multiple levels of management
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage well through ambiguity and complexity

Education & Experience

• Education Required: Bachelor''s/First Degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics Business or related disciplines
• Education Preferred: Master''s Degree and/or professional certification (CPA, CMA, CFA, etc)
• Experience: Relevant experience working in FP&A required, other Finance experience/role beneficial