Commercial Analyst

PeoplePlus; Gisborne; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

LeaderBrand is seeking a commercially minded analyst to turn financial data into actionable insights. Based in Gisborne, you will blend month-end accounting, reporting and business partnering to improve performance across the business.

You will investigate variances, build dashboards, support capital decisions and explore automation with AI, ensuring accurate, timely information and practical improvements. You will work closely with operational leaders to drive better decisions.

Qualifications

• Experience in finance, accounting, reporting or commercial-analysis.
• Practical month-end capability including journals, reconciliations and variance investigation.
• Strong Excel and analytical skills to simplify complex information.
• Understanding of month-end reporting, variance analysis and financial controls.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and improve monthly reporting, KPI reporting, commentary and variance analysis.
• Support the month-end process, including journals, stock variances, reconciliations, and timely financial information.
• Analyse financial and operational performance to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
• Build financial models and analyses for business cases, capital projects and cost-saving initiatives.
• Develop and improve reports, dashboards, metrics and reporting processes.
• Use AI, automation and reporting tools to reduce manual work and improve decisions.
• Partner with operational managers to understand results and support better decisions.

Skills

Financial analysis

Month-end close

Variance analysis

Excel

Communication

Problem solving

Power BI

ERP systems

Automation tools

Tools

Power BI

ERP systems

Automation tools

Inventory systems

Job description

Turn numbers into better decisions—and ideas into real improvements.

LeaderBrand is looking for a commercially minded analyst to help us understand performance, improve how we work and make better decisions across our business.

Based in Gisborne and reporting to the Financial Controller, you will combine financial analysis, month-end accounting, reporting, process improvement and business partnering. One day you may be investigating a stock variance or preparing a journal; the next, developing a useful dashboard, supporting a capital business case, or finding a way to automate a manual process using AI or other technology.

This is not a role for someone who only wants to analyse from a distance. We are looking for a practical team player who is comfortable getting into the detail, completing the core finance work, and then using that knowledge to improve it.

What you’ll do

• Prepare and improve monthly reporting, KPI reporting, commentary and variance analysis.
• Support the month-end process, including preparing and processing journals, investigating stock and other variances, completing bank and balance-sheet reconciliations, and ensuring financial information is accurate and timely.
• Analyse financial and operational performance, identifying trends, risks and opportunities.
• Build financial models and analysis for business cases, capital projects, investment decisions and cost‑saving initiatives.
• Develop and improve reports, dashboards, metrics and reporting processes.
• Use AI, automation and reporting tools thoughtfully to reduce manual work, improve reporting quality and help people make better decisions.
• Partner with operational managers and leaders to understand results and support better decisions.

About you

You may be a management accountant, commercial accountant, assistant accountant, financial analyst, management reporter, systems accountant or commercially capable analyst ready for a broader role.

Most importantly, you are comfortable moving between analysis and the underlying work that makes good analysis possible. You do not need to hold an accounting degree, but you must have practical experience and confidence with month‑end processes, journals, reconciliations and management reporting.

You will bring

• Experience in a finance, accounting, reporting or commercial‑analysis role.
• Practical month‑end capability, including journals, balance‑sheet reconciliations, bank reconciliations, stock or inventory analysis, and variance investigation.
• Strong Excel and analytical skills, with the ability to make complex information clear and useful.
• A sound understanding of month‑end reporting, variance analysis and financial controls.
• Confidence working with operational leaders and explaining the story behind the numbers.
• A practical, curious and improvement‑focused approach.
• High standards of accuracy, integrity and follow‑through.
• Experience with Power BI, ERP systems, reporting tools, automation platforms, inventory systems or AI‑enabled finance processes will be an advantage

Why LeaderBrand?

LeaderBrand is a proudly New Zealand‑owned, family business with more than 400 people, farming operations across Gisborne, Pukekohe and Chertsey, large‑scale processing and packing facilities, and a nationwide sales team, we are a broad and operationally complex business—not simply a head‑office finance environment.

From growing and harvesting through to processing, packing and supplying fresh produce nationwide, LeaderBrand is investing in people, systems, technology and smarter ways of working. This role gives you visibility across the business and the opportunity to make an impact on how we report, analyse and improve performance.

Closing date: 5pm, Friday 18 September.