JDUK - Commercial Finance Analyst

JDSports; Bury; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

JD Sports in the UK is seeking a Commercial Finance Analyst to support the UK Commercial Finance team with high quality insight and decision support, turning financial and operational data into actionable recommendations.

You will own budgeting and reforecasting of direct cost lines, collaborate with budget holders and finance and retail teams, and deliver timely management reports to senior stakeholders to drive profitability and efficiency.

Qualifications

• CIMA-qualified or studying toward CIMA required.
• Strong numerical ability with large datasets.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting and direct costs.
• Ability to translate data into actionable insights.

Responsibilities

• Own budgeting and reforecasting of direct cost lines across UK P&L.
• Collaborate with budget holders to challenge assumptions and identify risks.
• Track store wage actuals and improve efficiency through automation.
• Automate recurring finance processes and analysis.
• Deliver weekly trading reports with actionable insight.
• Provide financial models for commercial initiatives and business cases.

Skills

CIMA

Analytical skills

Advanced Excel

Budgeting & Forecasting

Data analysis

Stakeholder communication

Education

CIMA qualification

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Job description

Commercial Finance Analyst – UK

Role purpose

The Commercial Finance Analyst will support the UK Commercial Finance team by providing high quality insight, analysis and decision support to the business.

This is a broad and fast paced role requiring someone who is commercially curious, highly motivated and comfortable taking ownership. The successful candidate will work closely with Finance and retail teams, turning financial and operational data into actionable insight and helping identify opportunities to improve sales, profitability and efficiency.

The role will also take responsibility for budgeting, reforecasting and analysing a significant proportion of the UK direct cost base.

Key responsibilities

• Take ownership of budgeting and reforecasting a broad range of direct cost lines across the UK P&L, ensuring forecasts are accurate, well supported and reflect the latest business outlook.
• Work closely with budget holders to understand direct cost drivers, constructively challenge assumptions and identify emerging risks and opportunities.
• Own and improve the tracking of store wage actuals against target, using automation to strengthen the process and providing clear insight into variances and opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Identify and implement opportunities to simplify and automate recurring finance processes and analysis.
• Own the delivery of the weekly trading report to key stakeholders, ensuring it provides timely, accurate and commercially relevant insight into performance.
• Translate complex data into clear, actionable insight and recommendations for both finance and non finance stakeholders.
• Build and maintain financial models to support commercial initiatives, investment decisions and business cases.
• Produce high quality management reporting, presentations and performance updates for senior stakeholders.
• Track the financial delivery of commercial initiatives, highlighting risks, opportunities and areas requiring action.
• Undertake ad hoc commercial analysis in response to emerging business priorities.

Skills and experience

• CIMA qualified. Candidates actively studying towards the CIMA qualification or holding an equivalent recognised accountancy qualification may also be considered.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills, with the ability to work confidently with large and complex datasets.
• Advanced Excel skills, with experience of improving or automating finance processes.
• Experience of budgeting, forecasting and analysing direct costs within a P&L.
• Able to move beyond reporting the numbers to identify meaningful insights, recommend actions and influence decisions.
• Able to communicate financial information clearly to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Commercially minded, with the confidence to challenge constructively and form an independent view.
• Strong attention to detail without losing sight of the wider commercial picture.
• Able to manage competing priorities and deliver high quality work to tight deadlines.
• Experience within retail, a consumer facing business or another fast paced commercial environment would be advantageous.

Personal attributes

• Ambitious, driven and committed to delivering a consistently high standard of work.
• Proactive and willing to take ownership rather than wait for direction.
• Naturally curious, with a desire to understand what is driving performance and how it can be improved.
• Improvement focused, with the confidence to challenge established processes and suggest better ways of working.
• Resilient and comfortable working at pace in a changing environment.
• Collaborative and able to build strong relationships across Finance and retail teams.
• Keen to learn, develop and progress within commercial finance.

What the role offers

This is an opportunity to join a high-profile commercial finance team supporting a significant UK retail business. The role offers ownership of key direct cost lines within the UK P&L, broad exposure to Finance and retail stakeholders, and the opportunity to influence commercial decisions and improve how financial insight is delivered across the business.