Commercial Finance Analyst

The Crown Estate; Windsor; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Pension

Performance bonus

Flexible working

Family policies

Private healthcare

Life cover

Critical illness cover

28 days holiday + buy more

Volunteering days

Job summary

The Crown Estate is seeking a qualified finance professional to own monthly reporting, budgeting and forecasting, and to drive continuous improvement across the function. You will partner with asset managers, managing agents and internal teams to deliver accurate analysis and actionable insights.

Reporting to the Commercial Finance Manager, the role emphasizes enhanced MI, automation and data-driven decision making across a diverse portfolio, with hybrid working arrangements and broad

Qualifications

• Qualified accounting professional (ACA/ACCA/CIMA).
• Approx. 4–5 years of relevant commercial finance experience.
• Strong budgeting & forecasting knowledge.
• Experience with month-end processes and variance analysis.
• Advanced Excel modelling, lookups & pivots.
• Experience creating dashboards and data visualisations.

Responsibilities

• Own monthly management reporting with variance analysis and portfolio performance.
• Lead annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting with stakeholders.
• Partner with budget holders and operational teams to analyse performance and risks.
• Oversee month-end activities including accruals and journals.
• Enhance MI using Excel, Power BI and self-service dashboards.
• Extract and reconcile data from multiple systems for reporting.
• Provide financial analysis for business cases and investment appraisals.
• Manage capital expenditure reporting and project tracking.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships and drive process improvements.
• Produce clear financial insights for finance and non-finance audiences.

Skills

Budgeting

Forecasting

Month-end processes

Variance analysis

Advanced Excel

Power BI

Power Query

Anaplan

Stakeholder management

Automation

Business partnering

Data interpretation

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualification

Tools

Power BI

Power Query

Anaplan

Agresso/Unit4

Job description

At The Crown Estate, our purpose is to create lasting and shared value for the country. This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified finance professional looking to further develop their commercial finance career in a varied and highly visible role. Working closely with asset managers, managing agents and finance colleagues, you will take ownership of key reporting and forecasting processes while helping to drive continuous improvement across the function. Reporting to the Commercial Finance Manager, you will support the financial performance and decision-making of the Rural, Coastal & Traditional business through accurate reporting, insightful analysis and strong stakeholder engagement.

• Owning the development and delivery of monthly management reporting, including variance analysis, commentary and portfolio performance reporting.
• Leading the annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting processes, working closely with managing agents and business stakeholders to consolidate submissions and provide meaningful analysis.
• Partnering with budget holders, asset managers and operational teams to understand performance, investigate variances and identify risks and opportunities.
• Taking ownership of month-end activities, including reviewing accruals, journals, coding accuracy and managing agent submissions.
• Maintaining and enhancing management information through advanced Excel models, Power BI reporting and self-service dashboards.
• Extracting, reconciling and analysing data from multiple finance, property and planning systems.
• Supporting commercial decision-making through financial analysis, business cases, scenario modelling and investment appraisal activities.
• Managing capital expenditure reporting, project tracking and financial performance monitoring.
• Building strong relationships with managing agents and internal stakeholders, providing challenge and support where appropriate.
• Identifying and implementing process improvements, standardisation opportunities and automation initiatives across reporting and forecasting activities.
• Producing clear, concise and actionable financial insights for both finance and non-finance audiences.

Benefits and Working Arrangements

We value work-life balance highly, therefore we have flexible & hybrid working policies.

We want the support we offer to be inclusive of everyone, reflective of the wide range of situations people face in life.

• Competitive salary
• Pension
• Performance related bonus offering
• Flexible working
• Market leading family policies
• Shopping discounts in the West End
• Private healthcare
• Life cover
• Critical illness cover
• 28 days holiday with the option to buy more
• 2 volunteering days

Candidate Requirements

• A recognised professional accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA or CIMA.
• Approximately four to five years' relevant experience within commercial finance, FP&A, management accounting, audit or a related finance environment.
• Strong knowledge of management accounting principles, including budgeting, forecasting, month-end processes and variance analysis.
• Experience owning and delivering recurring finance processes and reporting cycles.
• Advanced Excel skills, including financial modelling, complex formulas, lookups and pivot tables.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, with the ability to interpret complex data and identify key business insights.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver to demanding deadlines.
• The ability to communicate financial information clearly and effectively to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to challenge constructively where appropriate.
• A proactive mindset with a focus on continuous improvement, automation and process enhancement.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within property, asset management, real estate or another multi-site operational environment.
• Experience working with managing agents or third-party service providers.
• Knowledge of Power BI, Power Query, Anaplan, Agresso/Unit4 or property management systems.
• Experience developing dashboards, improving controls and driving automation initiatives.

Join The Crown Estate and help shape the financial performance of one of the UK's most diverse property portfolios through insightful analysis, strong commercial partnering and continuous improvement.

About The Crown Estate

The Crown Estate is a unique business with a distinct heritage and a portfolio unlike any other. It includes some of central London's best places to work, shop and spend time, retail and leisure destinations across the country, and a substantial rural portfolio. As manager of the seabed and half the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, we play a role in the UK's world-leading offshore wind sector as well as marine aggregates, cables and pipelines. We are also responsible for the Windsor Estate, including the world-renowned Windsor Great Park. Founded in 1760. Co-workers 579 Finance · Windsor · Hybrid.