Lead Financial Planning Manager

Co-op; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail cooperative in Manchester is seeking a Lead Financial Planning Manager. This role involves leading commercial planning and reporting across the Food business, engaging with senior leaders, and driving continuous improvement in processes. Ideal candidates will have an accountancy qualification and experience as a finance manager focused on planning, analysis, and reporting. Competitive salary, hybrid work model, and excellent benefits are offered.

Benefits

Annual bonus based on performance

28 days holiday plus bank holidays

Pension with up to 10% employer contributions

Private healthcare

Subsidised onsite gym access

30% discount on Co-op products

Virtual healthcare support

Training and development support

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing budgets and forecasting.
• Experience with planning, analysis, and reporting.
• A track record of owning key projects and teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Lead the commercial planning and reporting across the Food business.
• Engage with senior teams to reflect financial impacts.
• Produce communication packs for a range of audiences.
• Drive innovation in processes and outputs.

Skills

Accountancy qualification (CIMA, ACA, ACCA)

Experience working as a finance manager

Strong communication skills

Knowledge of finance systems and processes

Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

Education

Relevant accountancy qualification

Tools

General Ledger

BI tools

Job description

Lead Financial Planning Manager

£60,000 - £70,000 plus excellent benefits (Work Level 5)

Manchester city centre

We’re now working in a hybrid way, with colleagues dividing their time between working from home and our Manchester office. You can visit our Hybrid Working Policy for more information https://colleagues.coop.co.uk/hybridworkingpolicy. Please note Co‑op does not offer visa sponsorship for this role.

We’re looking for a Lead Financial Planning Manager to join Co‑op Finance and lead the commercial planning and reporting across our Food business. You’ll be working closely with senior finance leaders and the wider business, ensuring that all strategies, initiatives, risks, and opportunities are accurately reflected in our future plans. We’ve got a big job on our hands to transform the way we do business at Co‑op, and when we get it right, it’ll have even bigger benefits for our members, customers, and colleagues.

Why this role matters

As a Lead Financial Planning Manager, you’ll be playing a key part in the team responsible for analysing commercial performance and trends, providing insights from that data and forecasting, budgeting, and planning for the future. We’ll look to you to co‑ordinate delivery across the team and act as the glue that binds our planning and reporting activities together in line with our finance strategy. If you can bring us the great people skills and strong technical knowledge that we need, we can offer you the chance to build your career with a business that puts people at the heart of its strategy.

What you’ll do

• Lead the commercial planning and reporting across the Food business
• Engage with senior teams across the business to make sure any financial impacts, risks, and opportunities are understood and reflected in the budget and forecast
• Co‑ordinate the team delivery of periodic latest views, together with more formal budgets and forecasts, as well as co‑ordination of the multi‑year plan, making sure that the correct assumptions accurately reflect how we expect to outturn
• Present accurate and meaningful insights into the data, telling the performance story and informing our strategic decision making
• Produce clear planning and reporting communication packs for a range of audiences up to senior level
• Have a focus on continuous improvement and drive innovation in processes and outputs

What you’ll bring

• An accountancy qualification (CIMA, ACA, ACCA etc.)
• Experience working as a finance manager in a similar role, with a focus on planning, analysis, and reporting
• Proven experience managing budgets and forecasting
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present to financial and non‑financial audiences, challenging and influencing to senior level
• Good knowledge of finance systems and processes, including general ledger and/or BI tools
• The ability to work in a fast‑paced environment with a culture of continuous change
• A track record of owning key projects and working as a team to deliver them

Why Co‑op?

• 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
• Private healthcare
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co‑op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle‑to‑work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone, and our support centre is an inclusive environment where all our colleagues can thrive.

If you have a disability, we’ll make reasonable adjustments to support you through the recruitment process. We’re also proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme – if you’re disabled and you meet the minimum criteria for this job, we’ll guarantee you an interview.

Learn more about our recruitment process at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process

Explore our commitments to diversity, inclusion and wellbeing at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion-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.