Commercial Finance & Planning Analyst

R Dpartners; Basingstoke; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

R&D Partners seeks an experienced Commercial Finance & Planning Analyst to support business planning, forecasting and reporting for the Northern European Hub. You will drive financial analysis, month-end reporting and business partnering to deliver actionable insights that improve operational performance, while modernising workflows with AI and automation.

This role requires the right to work in the UK and offers opportunities to collaborate with Marketing, Supply Chain and HR, leveraging Claude

Qualifications

• Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business or related field.
• 3+ years of FP&A, Finance, Accounting, or relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Support annual business planning and ongoing forecast processes.
• Own and maintain select forecast models and track accuracy.
• Provide actionable insights to business partners from key performance drivers.
• Challenge assumptions with robust financial analysis.
• Assist budget owners in understanding spend variances.

Skills

Analytical skills

Forecasting

Financial analysis

Stakeholder communication

Excel

PowerPoint

Power Query

Power BI

Scripting (VBA, Python)

AI tools

Automation

Education

Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Power Query

Power BI

VBA

Python

SAP-SAC

Job description

Ready to combine financial expertise with AI-powered insights to shape business decisions within a leading pharmaceutical company?

R&D Partners is seeking an experienced Commercial Finance & Planning Analyst to support business planning, forecasting, and reporting across the Northern European Hub within a leading pharmaceutical company. This role focuses on financial analysis, month-end reporting, and business partnering to deliver actionable insights that drive operational performance. Additionally, the position will contribute to modernizing team workflows by leveraging AI tools like Claude and automation technologies.

Please note that to be considered for this role you must have the right to work in this location.

Responsibilities:

Financial Planning & Analysis:

• Support annual business planning and ongoing forecast processes, ensuring accuracy and alignment with objectives.
• Own and maintain select forecast models, track accuracy, and recommend improvements.
• Provide actionable insights to business partners by understanding key performance drivers.
• Challenge assumptions and support decisions with robust financial analysis.
• Assist budget owners in understanding spend variances and forecast accuracy.

Reporting & Month-End Activities:

• Prepare month-end reporting and commentary in line with accounting policies.
• Partner with Finance leadership on forecasts and highlight deviations versus plan.
• Support ad hoc analysis, business cases, and project requests as needed.

Business Partnering & Collaboration:

• Build strong relationships with stakeholders and act as a trusted financial advisor.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Supply Chain, HR, and other teams on financial initiatives.
• Use AI tools like Claude to enhance analysis, draft commentary, and streamline models.
• Identify manual or repetitive tasks in planning and reporting and automate them using tools such as Power Query, in line with company AI and data policies.

Key Skills and Requirements:

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate financial data into actionable insights.
• Experience building or maintaining forecast models is a plus.
• Ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to non-financial stakeholders.
• Attention to detail while maintaining perspective on broader business implications.
• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint; exposure to Power Query, Power BI, or scripting (e.g., VBA, Python) is advantageous.
• Hands-on experience using generative AI tools in a work setting (e.g., for analysis, drafting, or modeling) is a plus, along with a willingness to integrate them into daily workflows.
• Interest in automation and identifying smarter ways to handle repetitive tasks.
• Experience with SAP-SAC systems is advantageous.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.

Qualifications:

• Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of FP&A, Finance, Accounting, or other relevant business experience.

For more information, please contact Mandi Cakwe.