Financial Planning Analyst

Low Carbon Contracts Company; England; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance-based bonus up to 10%

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Pension contribution up to 8%

Study support and membership subscription

Employee referral scheme

Family-friendly policies

Free employee assistance

Paid volunteering days

Cycle to work schemes

Employee resource groups

Job summary

A key player in energy sustainability in the UK is seeking a Financial Planning Analyst for a 6-month fixed-term contract in London. The candidate will focus on enhancing financial forecasting processes and ensuring accuracy in financial outputs. This role requires strong analytical skills and communication abilities, aiming to contribute to the organization's decarbonisation and energy efficiency initiatives. Flexible working options are available, with a hybrid work model expected. Competitive benefits include performance bonuses and extensive leave.

Qualifications

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

Responsibilities

• Perform monthly time allocation for payroll and ensure accuracy.
• Capture and interpret key drivers of monthly variances.
• Prepare monthly outturn combining YTD actuals with forecasts.
• Submit forecasts/outturns into the DESNZ EPM system with deadlines.
• Update month-end reports with quarterly reforecast figures across P&L items.
• Identify and implement FP&A process improvements and automation using Power BI and Excel.

Skills

Accounting qualifications

Financial data management

Variance analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Technical proficiency in Excel

Adaptability

Automation and process optimisation

Education

Part or fully qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, ACA, ICAS, CIPFA)

Tools

Power BI

Excel automation

Job description

Join to apply for the Financial Planning Analyst role at Low Carbon Contracts Company

Contract type: 6 Month Fixed Term Contract

Hours: 37.5/week

Location: London

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

The key responsibilities of the role are outlined below, covering both LCCC and ESC. While not exhaustive, they reflect the core operational duties required to support the organisation’s day-to-day settlement activities. As schemes continue to grow, the dynamic nature of the role may lead to further enhancements, and the expectations for the role will increase. LCCC recognises the evolving nature of the responsibilities and reserves the right to assign other duties commensurate with the role as required. This presents an exciting opportunity for the successful candidate to contribute to a growing and dynamic environment, making a meaningful impact as the role evolves.

• 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.
• Professional Development: Strengthen finance and accounting knowledge, with particular focus on standards and analytical techniques.

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

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

Employee Benefits

As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. Key benefits that may be available depending on the role include:

• 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

About Low Carbon Contracts Company

The Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) exists to help decarbonise the generation of electricity and make it more affordable for the future. Our work is central to the delivery of the Government’s objective to achieve Net Zero target by 2050.

Please take the time to answer the optional diversity questions

At LCCC, we are powered by curiosity, driven to learn from different perspectives and experiences as we work towards a flexible energy future. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can be their authentic selves and feel empowered to own every outcome.

We believe that we are better together – and that diverse teams, reflective of the communities we serve, help us thrive, innovate and deliver greater impact. Your diversity data helps us track how well we’re progressing towards our inclusion goals.

Please note that any diversity data you share is completely anonymised and used only in aggregated reports that are not linked to individual candidates.