Finance Manager - Planning & Forecasting

Finance Manager - Planning & Reporting

£37,000 - £42,000 + Benefits

12 months FTC - Potential for perm

Yorkshire - Home Working

Join this impressive Insurance business in their Commercial Finance team in Leeds who have an exciting opportunity for a hardworking accounting professional to join the team. The role is 12 months FTC that could go permanent for the right candidate.

The Commercial team is a dynamic, engaging and hardworking team with responsibility across the following broad categories:

• Group Reporting and forecasting including month end reporting, half-yearly external news releases and quarterly interim management statements, quarterly forecasts, planning and stress and reverse stress testing;
• Costs & Investment benefits reporting and business partnering;
• Financial control team with activities including journal processing, daily/ month reconciliations and a range of treasury related activities.

You will have exposure to multiple areas of the business. This provides an excellent opportunity for personal development, career progression, and a chance to create a real difference to the way Finance operates. If you enjoy working in a fast paced environment across a wide range of partners, want to improve your business understanding and have a desire to continually improve and innovate in a collaborative fashion, you'll be well suited to the role. The role requires a self-starter accustomed to managing priorities, a clear-thinker who can work independently and to tight deadlines with strong interpersonal, communication and analytical skills. Flexible approach is required - given the demands of the role will continue to vary.

Key responsibilities;

• Lead the planning process, helping set the timelines, process, shape & presenting the consolidated plans
• Work with the Business & Finance Partners to build challenging and credible plans
• Complete detailed analysis, consolidation and review of planning outputs as well as challenging and modelling income assumptions and scenarios.
• Producing standard and ad hoc reports & analysis to the FD, Business Partners, & business/ divisional stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement and simplification of the planning and forecast processes
• Produce schedules required for Group Committees and board
• Operate effective and efficient control and governance processes over the planning process
• Support planning requirements for regulatory returns, capital & liquidity processes
• Financial Oversight of planning models and methodology including supporting annual validation process
• Manage Risk & Opportunities & Financial Out turns/ Forecasts
• Manage the Stress Testing & Scenarios modelling
• Provide Finance SME on Finance projects impacting planning providing ad hoc data analysis.
• Support planning negative income, working alongside the Cost Management team, CMUs & Sourcing.
• Provide input into the liquidity forecasting process for premiums & commissions
• Establish and build relationships with senior business stakeholders
• Establish and build relationships with customers to maintain an understanding of expectations, remain relevant, and provide appropriate support and guidance

Key skills & Experience

• Finance professional with a proven track record gained in a range of roles, with a good knowledge within planning and reporting disciplines.
• Qualified or part-qualified accountant with relevant experience.
• Strong analytical & numeracy skills
• Display attention to detail and accuracy
• Commercial awareness - Experience of and understanding of market and industry environment.
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Excel and good knowledge of PowerPoint
• Good understanding of finance systems, architecture and processes.
• Self-motivated, ability to work under pressure both in isolation/others with controls
• Ability to communicate and influence effectively at senior levels.
• Strong self-management and organisational skills.