Lead Financial Insights Analyst - Value Creation

Co-op Group; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A well-known UK retailer in Manchester is seeking a Lead Financial Insights Analyst to support performance insights, data modeling, and reporting. This hybrid role involves analysis and partnership with the finance team to drive financial strategies. Ideal candidates will have an accountancy qualification and experience in FP&A. Competitive salary and excellent benefits are provided, including an annual bonus and career development opportunities.

Benefits

Annual bonus

28 days holiday plus bank holidays

Pension with up to 10% employer contributions

Subsidised onsite gym access

Coaching and training for career development

Money management app access

Emotional and financial support services

Qualifications

• An accountancy qualification or in the final stages of working towards one.
• Experience in insight, analysis, or FP&A teams with strong knowledge of budgets and forecasts.
• Proficient in analytical methods, including hypothesis-driven approaches, and advanced Excel skills.
• Strong communication abilities, capable of presenting and influencing stakeholders.
• Skilled at prioritising tasks in complex environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide value analysis to support the propositions team.
• Deliver detailed and accurate reports and financial plans.
• Identify risks and opportunities impacting forecasts.
• Provide reconciliation and variance analysis regularly.
• Communicate with leadership teams for informed decisions.
• Support trial analysis for key projects.

Skills

Accountancy qualification (ACA, CIMA, ACCA or equivalent)

Experience in insight, analysis, or FP&A

Proficient in analytical methods

Strong communication abilities

Skilled at prioritising tasks

Education

Accountancy qualification

Tools

Advanced Excel skills

Job description

Overview

Lead Financial Insights Analyst - Propositions
£40,000 - £50,000 plus excellent benefits (Work Level 6A)
Manchester City Centre - We're now working in a hybrid way, with colleagues dividing their time between home/remote working and the office
12-month fixed-term contract/secondment (maternity cover)

We're looking for a Lead Financial Insights Analyst to join our Commercial Finance team to support performance insights, data modelling and reporting across our retail business.

In this role you'll be partnering with our finance business partners and wider Propositions/Commercial team to support change initiatives, identifying any opportunities or risks that might have a financial impact, and adding those into our forecasts, budgets, and strategic plans. If you can bring us the financial and analytical skills that we need, we can offer you the opportunity to build your career with a business that always puts people at the heart of its strategy.

What you’ll do

• Use your commercial insight and data modelling skills to provide value analysis to support the propositions team, with a focus on insights where we can take action and improve business performance
• Work closely with key business leaders to deliver detailed and accurate reports, financial plans and insightful analysis
• Make sure any risk and opportunities are identified and embedded into future forecasts, presenting any financial impacts they might have
• Provide reconciliation and variance analysis across the different business areas on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis
• Support communication with the leadership teams to make sure they can make well informed decisions that improve business performance and helping to tell the story of performance
• Provide trial analysis and support for key projects, including test and learn analysis
• Look out for any new techniques and methodologies to improve insights and regularly report on any changes to the external economic market

This role would suit people who have

• An accountancy qualification (ACA, CIMA, ACCA or equivalent) or in the final stages of working towards one
• Experience in insight, analysis, or FP&A teams with strong knowledge of budgets and forecasts
• Proficient in analytical methods, including hypothesis-driven approaches, and advanced Excel skills
• Strong communication abilities, capable of presenting and influencing both financial and non-financial stakeholders
• Skilled at prioritising tasks in complex environments and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement

Why Co-op?

Here you'll do work that matters. We're a commercial organisation with a purpose beyond profit, you'll have an opportunity to help us build a stronger Co-op and stronger communities. You'll also get a package that includes

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• Coaching and training to support your career development
• Wagestream - a money management app that gives you access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Grocery Aid - 24/7 access to a range of emotional, financial, and practical support services for you and your family

Building an inclusive work environment

We're actively building diverse teams and we welcome applications from everyone. If you have a disability, we can make reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process according to your needs. We're also part of the Disability Confident scheme, meaning we'll always offer an interview to disabled candidates who apply through the scheme if they meet the minimum criteria for a job.

We'll ask whether you'd like to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme when you apply.

If we invite you to take part in the recruitment process for any of our jobs, we'll ask you if you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate.

You can find out more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process

You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme and all our commitments to diversity and inclusion at colleagues.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion-and-wellbeing

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.