Finance Manager - Stores Trading & Profitability

Today, Dunelm; Leicester; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual holiday

Birthday off

Staff discount

Pension contributions

ShareSave scheme

Cycle to work

Job summary

Dunelm is seeking a Finance Leader to head the stores trading and profitability view, partnering with the Stores Executive and Director. You will explain performance against forecasts and prior year, and translate insights into tangible actions that drive store-level results.

In this hybrid role, you will lead the Stores Trading & Profitability Finance Business Partner team, shape quarterly forecasts, and support decision-making with data-driven analysis across the estate.

Qualifications

• Strong track record of analysing trading and profitability performance.
• Ability to translate insight into clear commercial recommendations.
• Experience challenging senior stakeholders to influence decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the finance view of how Dunelm's stores trade and profitability.
• Be the key business partner to Stores Executive and Director.
• Explain store performance against forecast and last year; identify drivers of variances.

Job description

• Produce timely and accurate weekly and monthly reports and insight to inform trading and operational control and decision making
• Set targets (in conjunction with business) and provide independent view of forecasts and trends
• Hold business to account to deliver to targets and manage risks and opportunities
• Support and challenge tactical and strategic decision making, including financial appraisal (and post investment appraisal)
• Agitate for optimising profitability and return on investment, and for best use of our resources
• Use our unique viewpoint to join things up, 'unblock' issues and put simple structure around priorities and actions.
• There are many opportunities for development in the team, both:
• Progression through Analyst, Business Partner, Finance Manager, Senior Finance Manager and Head of; and
• Partnering with the varied parts of Dunelm's business, including Stores, Supply Chain, Digital, Marketing, Tech, Commercial and many more!
• In addition to leading your team, you will directly partner with your Executive and Dunelm Leadership Team partners on specific projects, initiatives and focus areas, acting as a key member of their leadership teams. You will work closely with your colleagues partnering other areas of the business to support join up of opportunities and issues across the end-to end operation.
Role Summary You'll lead the finance view of how Dunelm's stores trade and how profitable they are. As the key business partner to the Stores Executive and Director, you'll: Explain store performance against forecast and last year, including how new and refitted stores are trading
• Use exception reporting to turn insight into tangible actions that improve results
• Own the store trading pack and widen our use of ThoughtSpot to replace manual PowerPoint and Excel reporting
• Shape regular store sales forecasts and run the quarterly store sales target-setting process
• Review store profitability every quarter with the Store Costs and Property Costs Finance teams, and recommend how to improve it
• Lead and develop the Stores Trading & Profitability Finance Business Partner
It's a high-profile role with a real chance to sharpen how we understand, manage and improve store performance.
• Lead the finance view of store trading and profitability, acting as the key business partner to the Stores Executive and Director. Provide clear insight and constructive challenge to support decisions that improve store performance.
• Explain store trading performance against forecast and last year, identifying the underlying drivers of variances and providing a clear view of how new and refitted stores are performing.
• Use exception reporting to highlight the stores, trends and performance gaps that need attention. Translate analysis into tangible, prioritised actions so the business can focus its efforts where they will make the greatest difference.
• Own and curate the store trading performance pack, bringing together clear commentary, relevant measures and actionable insight to support focused trading discussions and decision-making.
• Develop how we access and share store performance insight, widening the use of ThoughtSpot to replace manual PowerPoint and Excel reporting with more accessible, repeatable data visualisation and self-service analysis.
• Play a key role in regular store sales forecast updates, using trading trends and insight from business partners to test assumptions and make risks and opportunities clear.
• Lead the quarterly store sales target-setting process, working with the Stores team to translate the sales outlook into clear, evidence-based targets for individual stores.
• Lead quarterly store-level profitability reviews, combining trading insight with input from the Store Costs and Property Costs Finance teams. Explain the drivers of profitability, identify outlier stores and present clear recommendations for improving performance.
• Lead, coach and develop the Finance Business partner for Stores trading (inc. Pausa), setting clear priorities and building capability across the team., Adapting - Responding positively to changing priorities and new information, flexing the approach while maintaining focus on the best commercial outcome.
Thinking Big - Looking beyond individual stores and weekly results to spot trends across the estate, and reimagining how we report and share insight, including through wider use of ThoughtSpot. Challenging - Providing constructive dissent, testing assumptions and holding stakeholders to account so that forecasts, sales targets and performance actions are robust. Making It Happen - Cutting through complexity, setting clear ownership and following through so that insight leads to action and store performance improves. Commercial Judgement - Weighing evidence, risk and materiality to focus attention on the stores and actions that will make the biggest difference to sales and profitability. Collaborating - Building trusted partnerships across Stores, Retail Operations and Finance, including the Store Costs and Property Costs Finance teams, creating shared ownership of performance and improvement actions. D&I statement Dunelm is committed to becoming an inclusive business that is representative of our customers and locations. We recognise the value in diversity and welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, race, religion, disability, gender or sexual identity, socio-economic background or education. We are committed to making Dunelm a place where everyone can enjoy a successful career and have systems in place to support all our colleagues. We are seeking applications from candidates who share our values and celebrate diversity in all its forms. Our commitment to you Accessibility allows everyone to have an equitable chance when applying and showing off their potential, which helps us create a more inclusive and diverse team that brings fresh ideas and perspectives. Should you need it, we have an accessibility tool available in the top menu to support you when you're completing your application. If you require any other reasonable adjustments during the application and assessment process, reach out to your recruitment partner.Work your way We want our colleagues to feel at home wherever they work, so that they are comfortable and can be their best selves. In addition, we want everyone to feel connected to the business, our strategy and the teams they work with. Where hybrid working is applicable, colleagues need to strike the right balance to fulfil both of these important factors. You will find the right mix of being at home, in the office & out in the business, bearing in mind business needs, job role and level of responsibility.Wellbeing is more than just a buzzword here From our Wellbeing Buddies and Mental Health First Aid training to our progressive parental leave, menopause policies and Colleague Support Fund, we're committed to supporting our colleagues in every area - and at every stage - of their lives. Through our partnership with the Retail Trust, everyone at Dunelm has free access to a 24/7 Virtual GP, as well as therapy and counselling, plus information, guidance and advice in all areas of financial, emotional and physical wellbeing. Please accept Functional Cookies to view this contentTaking opportunities Meet Amanda, our Chief Stores and People Director, who shares how she feels empowered to take opportunities every day, why Dunelm is her happy place, and why it's a really exciting time to join us.Look in our toy box Of course, you should never judge a business by its tech stack. But take a peek at the range of technologies our engineers and developers are currently playing with.Dazzling design At Dunelm, we love every aspect of the design process. We're continually researching new developments in packaging, materials and production methods, tapping into new data insights and keeping track of changing lifestyle trends. We're hugely collaborative in the way we work. Together, the teams here have a direct impact on our success, creating amazing products that drive sales and delight our customers, as well as providing direction for our wide and varied range of brands. Please accept Functional Cookies to view this content Please accept Functional Cookies to view this content, We want you to get as much out of working with us as possible. That's why we'll do everything we can to engage you in the process of learning, and encourage you to explore new opportunities around your particular skills and interests. For you, this includes: Housewarming & Settling In where you can find out more about the wider business, our culture, behaviours, networks and wellbeing support Thrive, our learning and skills platform which gives you a blended, bite-sized, social learning experience with learning relevant to your role Our Enterprise Leadership Programme designed specifically for our strong growth potential Heads of Department to help them reach the next level in their career Our INSPIRE Programme designed for our strong growth potential senior managers across the business to enhance their leadership capability Our EXPLORE Programme designed to prepare our next generation of Line Managers Personal Effectiveness workshops and self-led learning, also delivered through Thrive Apprenticeships opportunities relevant to your role - from level 2 (equivalent to GCSE) through to Level 7 (equivalent to Masters) Colleague Development Fund to support colleagues in accessing external training relevant to your role Coaching and mentoring to support you in your current role and help you prepare for the next Functional academies that offer training to support you in the technical aspects of your role Self-awareness tools to help you understand what really matters to you, and where your own talents and ambitions lie Progress conversations that reflect on how you're doing and define your focus areas for the coming months Career conversations that explore what you want from your career, in light of your current capabilities, potential and future aspirations, "I'm working closely with my stakeholders, mapping out what they need in their next hire and then heading out to find the perfect match."


• Experience of coaching, mentoring or developing others, with the ability to set clear direction and build capability; previous formal line-management experience would be helpful but isn't essential.
• A strong track record of analysing trading and profitability performance, explaining the drivers behind variances and translating insight into clear commercial recommendations that improve results.
• The confidence and credibility to challenge senior stakeholders, test assumptions and influence decisions on trading performance, forecasts and targets.
• An improvement mindset, with experience of simplifying and automating reporting, ideally using data visualisation tools such as ThoughtSpot to replace manual PowerPoint and Excel packs.
• Strong analytical judgement, able to work with incomplete information while making assumptions, risks and sensitivities transparent.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to simplify complex information and build understanding, commitment and action.
• A strong relationship builder who creates trust across functions while maintaining independence and constructive challenge.
• Finance qualified, with broad finance experience and the credibility to represent the wider Finance function with stakeholders.
• Strong forecasting, financial modelling and analytical capability, able to bring together multiple sources of information, identify trends and set robust, evidence based sales targets.
• A bias for action and the drive to turn insight into measurable commercial outcomes, while remaining comfortable with ambiguity and changing priorities.
Behaviours we look for: Communicating - Making complex financial information easy to understand and using clear, compelling messages to influence decisions and gain commitment to action. Curiosity - Seeking to understand store trading and profitability in depth, probing beyond the headline and using evidence to uncover what's really driving performance.

And there's no feeling like helping people create the joy of feeling truly at home. At Dunelm, that's what we do. We're the UK's number one choice for homewares because we make home life lovelier for our customers. And we've crafted a workplace that feels just as welcoming - where you can bring your ideas, be yourself, and feel right at home. At Dunelm, our Finance team isn't just about numbers, we're the powerhouse behind smart decisions, smooth operations, and spotting golden opportunities for growth. We balance the books and manage procurement like pros, but we also dive deep into financial data to uncover patterns, trends, and hidden gems that help steer our business forward. With an approximately 85-strong team, we're just the right size - agile enough that no one gets lost in the crowd (or stuck doing the same thing every day), but big enough to offer real opportunities to grow explore new areas and really challenge yourself. If you think finance is all grey suits and spreadsheets - think again. Here, we're making numbers exciting, decisions smarter, and opportunities bigger. Work your way, together We're a hybrid business, which means you'll have flexibility alongside time together with your team. In this role, you can expect 3 days a week in the office or on-site, helping you stay connected, collaborate and do your best work for our customers. The Business Finance Team is a team of roughly thirty finance professionals, who partner with the functions across Dunelm, to, Today, Dunelm is a leader in the £11bn UK homewares market. With over 200 stores across the country and a successful online operation - dunelm.com - we offer over 60,000 products across a broad range of categories. But where did it all begin?

Along with competitive salaries, we offer a range of other great benefits to recognise the unique contribution you bring. Salary Advance so you can access up to 50% of the money you've earned during the month, rather than having to wait until pay day Instant discounts with a range of other companies to help you stretch your budget Pension contributions to help you save for your retirement ShareSave scheme that enables you to save monthly and buy Dunelm shares at a discounted rate, building up your investments for a rainy day Continuous training and coaching to ensure you feel confident in your current role and ready for any new challenges Access to wellbeing support as and when you need it, including an online GP for you and your immediate family Colleague networks that give everyone a voice and create an environment where we all feel at home Outstanding development opportunities and all the support you need to grow your career the way you want 25 days annual holiday plus your birthday off to celebrate, and another day when you move home, so you can get settled in Generous discounts on all our own products, in-store and online to help you make your house a home Cycle to work scheme to help you keep your fitness up and your travel costs down Charity day off (paid, of course) so you can volunteer for a charity that matters to you