Senior Finance Analyst – Portfolio Operations And Cost Governance

The Crown Estate; England; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Flexible working

Pension

Private healthcare

Life and critical illness cover

28 days holiday

Job summary

The Crown Estate is seeking a Senior Finance Analyst to translate complex operational data into actionable insight across the Portfolio Operations cost base. You will own detailed analysis, forecasts and monthly reporting to support transparent decision‑making and cost discipline.

You will partner with property managers and finance teams, build dashboards (Power BI), track service charges and BAU capex, and contribute to annual budgeting and three‑year planning.

Qualifications

• Qualified or part-qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) or equivalent professional finance experience.
• Experience in operational finance or property management (desirable).
• High level of analytical capability with advanced Excel skills; experience with BI tools (Power BI preferred).
• Excellent attention to detail with curiosity to understand cost drivers and operational trends.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of detailed tracking and reporting of operational costs, including property management, FM and engineering spend, hard services, operational contracts and managed offices.
• Report on service charge budgets, spend, recoveries and operational void costs.
• Build a deep understanding of operational activity and its financial implications.

Skills

Excel

Power BI

Analytical thinking

Attention to detail

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualification

Job description

Advert Closes: Wednesday 4th November

Are you ready to turn complex operational data into insight that shapes how our urban portfolio performs every day?

We’re looking for a Senior Finance Analyst to play a pivotal role in understanding and explaining the financial heartbeat of Portfolio Operations. If you enjoy getting into the detail, spotting patterns, building clear insight and partnering with teams to drive better decisions, this role offers a fantastic opportunity to make a real impact.

You’ll take ownership of detailed financial analysis, forecasting and reporting across operational costs, BAU Capex, service charge performance and recoveries, helping deliver transparency, cost discipline and informed operational decision‑making across the portfolio.

What You’ll Do

Portfolio Operations Cost Ownership

• Take ownership of detailed tracking and reporting of operational costs, including property management, FM and engineering spend, hard services, operational contracts and managed offices.
• Report on service charge budgets, spend, recoveries and operational void costs.
• Build a deep understanding of operational activity and its financial implications.

Forecasting, Budgeting & Insight

• Prepare monthly cost reports, forecasts, annual budgets and dashboards to a high standard.
• Analyse variances against budget and forecast, providing clear, concise and insightful commentary.
• Identify emerging risks, pressures and opportunities within operational spend.
• Support long‑term planning through trend analysis, sensitivities and scenario modelling.

Reporting & Business Partnering

• Create standardised reports and dashboards that deliver actionable insight for senior stakeholders.
• Play a key role in the annual budget and three‑year planning process, ensuring assumptions are robust and forecasts are accurate.
• Work closely with stakeholders to understand performance drivers and cost movements.
• Support monthly performance reviews with reliable, decision‑useful analysis.

Compliance & Process Improvement

• Maintain accuracy and consistency of financial data across ERP systems and reporting tools.
• Champion automation and continuous improvement to enhance efficiency and reporting quality.
• Ensure financial policies are followed, supporting audit readiness and strong governance.

Skills & Experience

• Qualified or part‑qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) or equivalent professional finance experience.
• Experience in operational finance or property management (desirable).
• High level of analytical capability with advanced Excel skills; experience with BI tools (Power BI preferred).
• Excellent attention to detail with curiosity to understand cost drivers and operational trends.
• Clear communicator able to explain financial information in a straightforward, accessible way.
• Collaborative team player who builds positive working relationships.
• Comfortable engaging with both finance and non‑finance stakeholders.

Capabilities & Attributes

• Positive, adaptable and collaborative team player.
• Excellent analytical thinking with problem‑solving mindset.
• Meticulous attention to detail while considering the broader business context.
• Highly numerate and comfortable working with complex data sets.
• Ability to build effective partnerships across functions.
• Confident, calm communicator who contributes to continuous improvement.
• High proficiency with Excel and strong IT skills.

Ready to build your impact in a high‑profile, fast‑moving environment?

Our Offering / benefits:

• competitive salary, pension and performance related bonus offering
• flexible working
• market leading family policies and shopping discounts in the West End
• private healthcare
• life and critical illness cover
• 28 days holiday with the option to buy more
• We value work life balance and your wellbeing highly, enabling you to be your best self to work.

Disability Disclaimer:

We are a proud disability confident employer and operate the offer of interview scheme Disability Confident employer scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

We are happy to offer alternative application methods or formats and can be flexible on our process to enable you to have the best opportunity.

If you have any questions about our recruitment process or would like to talk about adjustments, please contact us directly, or at [e-mail]