Financial Planning Analyst

Low Carbon Contracts Company; City of Westminster; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK energy management company is seeking a Financial Planning Analyst to enhance financial insight and process automation. The role involves forecasting, variance analysis, and collaboration with stakeholders. Candidates should have relevant accounting qualifications and experience, strong analytical skills, and a proficiency in financial data management. This position offers flexibility in working patterns, an annual performance-based bonus, and substantial annual leave, alongside a supportive work environment focused on professional development.

Benefits

Annual performance based bonus, up to 10%

25 days annual leave, plus eight bank holidays

Up to 8% pension contribution

Family friendly policies including enhanced parental leave

Employee referral scheme up to £1500

Free employee assistance services

Qualifications

• Part or fully qualified accountant with relevant commercial experience.
• Proven expertise in managing and analysing financial data.
• Strong communication skills for effective stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Perform monthly time allocation for payroll and ensure accuracy.
• Capture and document key drivers of monthly variances.
• Prepare monthly outturn combining YTD actuals with forecasts.
• Submit approved forecasts into the DESNZ EPM system.
• Update Month End Reports with quarterly reforecast figures.
• Identify process enhancements across key FP&A activities.

Skills

Financial Data Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Variance Analysis

Technical Proficiency in Excel

Education

Accounting Qualification (CIMA, ACCA, ACA, etc.)

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

Job description

WFH policy: Employees are required to attend the office 2 days/week. Flexible working: Variety of flexible work patterns subject to line manager discretion e.g. Compressed 9-day fortnight.

Reports to: Financial Planning Manager

Deadline Note: We reserve the right to close the advert before the advertised deadline if there are a high volume of applications.

Role Summary

The Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) and the Electricity Settlements Company (ESC) sit at the heart of the delivery of the UK's goals for secure, affordable, and sustainable electricity. These two private limited companies, wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, were created to deliver key elements of the government's Electricity Market Reform Programme. EMR facilitated this vital investment through the introduction of two schemes: the "Contract for Difference" (or "CFD") and the "Capacity Market". LCCC is the counterparty to CFDs, a role which involves management of the contracts as well as the Supplier Obligation Levy that funds CFD payments. In all of its operations, LCCC is led by its guiding principle to "maintain investor confidence in the CFD scheme and minimise costs to consumers". LCCC also runs Capacity Market settlement operations on behalf of the ESC. ESC's role is to oversee the settlement of the Capacity Market to ensure that regular payments are made to capacity providers who have agreed to provide capacity at times of system stress. These capacity arrangements help to keep the lights on across Great Britain. Across both schemes around £3.5b flows through LCCC each year between generators and electricity supply companies. Furthermore, LCCC will have similar roles in the emerging Hydrogen (H2) and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCUS) industries, alongside the settlement of the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model for new nuclear, including significant new development of systems, processes and controls to support settlements in these new areas. The Low Carbon Contracts Company is seeking a Financial Planning Analyst to support a growing FP&A function, responsible for strengthening financial insight, improving forecasting accuracy, and enhancing forecasting processes as LCCC's schemes continue to scale. The Financial Planning Analyst, reporting to the Financial Planning Manager, is responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of core FP&A outputs, including forecasting, variance analysis, payroll time allocation, and month-end/outturn reporting. The role plays a central part in enabling forward-looking financial decision-making by connecting financial performance to operational drivers and producing high-quality insights. In this role, you will be accountable for executing structured financial processes, maintaining rigorous reconciliation standards, and identifying opportunities to improve automation, efficiency, and forecasting accuracy. This position suits a self-driven, analytically curious individual who takes ownership of outcomes, collaborates effectively with stakeholders, and is committed to continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Time Allocation for Payroll: Perform monthly time allocation for all employees and ensure payroll percentages are accurately calculated across schemes, maintaining accuracy and transparency.
• Variance Analysis & Forecasting: Capture, document, and interpret key drivers of monthly variances through stakeholder engagement, and use these insights to prepare Reforecast across different dimensions.
• Monthly Outturn Calculation: Prepare monthly outturn by combining YTD actuals with forward-looking forecasts and contingencies.
• EPM Forecast Submission: Prepare & submit approved forecasts/outturns into the DESNZ EPM system, ensuring accuracy, alignment with business goals, and full compliance with monthly deadlines.
• Quarterly Reforecast (Re-FC) to Detailed Excel Conversion: Update Month End Reports with quarterly reforecast figures, ensuring correct mapping across all functional, scheme, and P&L line items.
• Enhance FP&A Processes: Identify and deliver process enhancements and automation opportunities across key FP&A activities, to streamline workflows, improve the link between actuals and forecasts, and drive efficiency. Implement improvements using tools such as Power BI, Python, and Excel automation, and work with users post-implementation to ensure effective adoption and impact.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Organise and participate in monthly meetings with key stakeholders, collaborating closely with functional teams.
• Standardise Process Documentation: Develop complete, version-controlled process documentation in Confluence across all key FP&A activities. Ensure 100% coverage of critical FP&A processes with quarterly reviews to maintain relevance.
• Ad-hoc Support: Provide flexible support to the Finance and Procurement teams on any ad-hoc requirements or urgent projects.

Qualifications

• Professional Development: Strengthen finance and accounting knowledge, with particular focus on standards and analytical techniques.
• Accounting Qualifications & Experience: Part or fully qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, ACA, ICAS, CIPFA, or equivalent) with relevant commercial experience.
• Financial Data Management: Proven expertise in managing and analysing financial data, including planning, forecasting, and budgeting. Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills to ensure accuracy in financial planning.
• Variance Analysis: Ability to connect actual financials with forecasts, conduct variance analysis, and clearly explain any discrepancies.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, for effective stakeholder management and fostering collaboration.
• Technical Proficiency: Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Excel, ERP System and FP&A systems for financial processes.
• Adaptability & Relationship Building: Ability to adjust to evolving business needs and build productive relationships to support organizational objectives.

Desirable

• Automation & Process Optimisation: Exposure to finance automation, process improvement, or systems optimisation.

Benefits

• Annual performance based bonus, up to 10%
• 25 days annual leave, plus eight bank holidays
• Up to 8% pension contribution
• Financial support and time off for study relevant to your role, plus a professional membership subscription
• Employee referral scheme (up to £1500), and colleague recognition scheme
• Family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity leave and shared parental leave
• Free, confidential employee assistance, including financial management, family care, mental health, and on-call GP service
• Three paid volunteering days a year
• Season ticket loan and cycle to work schemes
• Family savings on days out and English Heritage, gym discounts, cash back and discounts at selected retailers
• Employee resource groups