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SalaryGroup FP&A Analyst
Date: 14 Mar 2024
Location: London, UKM, GB
Company: British Council
British Council Pay band: Pay band 8, up to £50k ( plus London allowance of £3,300 for London based candidates)
Department: Finance
Contract type: Indefinite Contract
Contract type: Indefinite Contract
Closing Date: Monday 1st of April (23:59 GMT)
Location: UK ( Edinburgh, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester or London)
You must have the legal right to work in the above locations. There is no relocation or sponsorship support.
British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service. This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview
Benefits Include, but are not limited to:
- 32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays
- 3 days volunteering leave
- Career average defined benefit pension scheme
- An unrivalled opportunity for you to get to use all the experience you’ve built up working in and/or leading global organisations to support us in building trust across the world.
Role Purpose:
Reporting to the Group Planning and Reporting Manager, the Group FP&A Analyst will have a key role in producing all aspects of management information and in delivering planning and forecasting cycles at Group level. Combining and aligning the different aspects of reporting and analysis requires a person who has financial planning & analysis (FP&A) experience within a Group/ Head Office environment and in particular delivery to tight reporting timetables. You will need a good understanding of how to operate in a complex international structure and how to work effectively with colleagues across different disciplines and time zones.
You will be a forward-looking finance professional with the ability to help the British Council manage the changing emphasis in its commercial business model and to provide support from the centre to the Strategic Business Units (SBUs) and Regions during a period of significant organisational change, including within Finance. You must also display an understanding of the organisations’ aims and the ability to connect with operational colleagues.
Role Context:
This role sits within the Group Financial Planning and Analysis (Group FP&A) team within the Group Finance directorate. Group FP&A is responsible for delivery of monthly management reporting, cashflow forecasting, long-term plans, annual budgets and in-year forecasting to the CFO, Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Board of Trustees and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Managing diverse stakeholder relationships and keeping abreast of wider corporate developments is key to the success of the role.
Key relationships include:
- Group Planning & Reporting Manager
- Director Group Financial Planning and Reporting
- Group Finance Director
- Corporate Finance teams, including English & Exams and Cultural Engagement (SBU) FP&A, Investment Finance, Transformation Finance and Corporate Indirect Costs Business Partners
- Regional Financial Directors and regional FP&A teams
- Shared Service Centre
- Finance Operations (Financial Control)
- Corporate Planning and Data, Evidence & Performance teams
Main Accountabilities but not limited to the following:
Professional services expertise
- Provide a comprehensive financial planning and management reporting service to identified recipients of Group level financial information internally and externally, including:
- Delivery of monthly management information (MI) reports,
- Co-ordination and delivery of annual budget, quarterly forecasts and monthly re-forecasts,
- Provision of balance sheet and cashflow forecasting,
- Tracking and forecasting of financial key performance indicators.
- Support the Group Planning & Reporting Manager and Director Group Financial Planning and Reporting in preparing clear and precise papers for the Board of Trustees, SLT and FCDO on these reporting and planning deliverables.
- Undertake financial analysis and investigations in support of regular and ad-hoc business demand, identifying trends and supporting decision making.
Service improvement
- Continuous improvement of all outputs and processes, such as monthly close, quality of financial commentary and analysis, forecasting accuracy across P&L, balance sheet and cashflows.
Consultancy, analysis and problem solving
- Ensure that MI and forecasts remain aligned to the business during a period of transformation and significant structural change.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of a new planning and reporting tool expected to be implemented as part of the Finance Transformation programme. Provide input to the design to ensure that new tools meet Group reporting requirements.
Relationship and Stakeholder management
- Manage the day-to-day relationship with the Shared Service Centre (SSC) FP&A team located in Noida, India and identify opportunities for SSC process standardisation and improvement.
- Act as a key point of contact for the global community of FP&A professionals, ensuring clear processes and guidance are in place to support activities in these areas.
Role Specific Knowledge and Experience
- Experience of providing comprehensive finance support to senior stakeholders at Group level
- Demonstrable experience of operating in international and multi-cultural organisations
- Excellent excel skills
- Report writing and presentation skills
- Recognised International Accounting or Finance qualification or equivalent such as a relevant Accountancy or Finance degree
