Financial Analyst in Didcot

Support defence finance and future bid campaigns at Britain's civil helicopter hub.

About Airbus Helicopters UK

Airbus Helicopters UK (AHUK) is part of the world's largest helicopter manufacturer, and its site at Oxford Airport is Britain's civil helicopter hub. From helicopter sales and bespoke completions to maintenance and spares support, AHUK's in-house engineering capability spans design, customisation, installation, flight-testing and certification, alongside technical support, training and ongoing spares supply for both civil and military customers. AHUK also holds a particularly high-profile piece of national defence work: it is the Ministry of Defence's chosen provider of helicopters and maintenance for the Defence Helicopter Flying School (MFTS), based at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire and RAF Valley in Anglesey.

It's this blend of civil aviation heritage and live defence programme delivery that sets AHUK apart, and it's exactly the environment this role sits within.

The Opportunity

We're recruiting a Financial Analyst to join AHUK in Oxford at a genuinely interesting point for the finance function: this role sits across day-to-day financial control and the numbers behind future bid campaigns, meaning your work feeds directly into decisions on how AHUK wins and delivers defence contracts. It's a role with real variety, moving between structured month-end processes and the sharper-edged, deadline-driven world of bid support.

You'll be joining a small, close-knit finance team where your contribution is visible, working alongside colleagues who understand both the commercial and technical sides of the business, on a site that combines the rhythm of a working helicopter base with the discipline of a defence contractor.

What You'll Be Doing

• Processing payroll journals accurately and on schedule
• Controlling and monitoring fixed assets across the business
• Preparing and submitting VAT returns
• Completing balance sheet reconciliations as part of the month-end cycle
• Managing inter-company invoicing between AHUK and group entities
• Supporting the annual statutory audit with accurate, well-evidenced records
• Producing forex reporting to track currency exposure
• Owning your share of the wider month-end timetable, working to deadline

What You'll Bring

• A good working knowledge of finance principles, with hands-on experience of payroll, asset control and monitoring, invoicing, and forex reporting
• Confident oral and written communication skills - you'll be liaising across finance and operational teams
• Strong report and procedure writing skills
• Solid MS Office skills, with particular confidence in Excel
• The organisational skill to run several tasks in parallel, prioritise effectively, and hit tight deadlines without dropping the detail
• A solid understanding of work package management and control
• An awareness of risk management principles and how they apply to financial reporting

Why This Role

• Work on live defence finance, with visibility of how bid campaigns are built and won
• Genuine variety across payroll, assets, VAT, audit and forex - not a single-task role
• Hybrid working: 3 days onsite in Oxford, with flexibility on the rest
• A stable, structured working pattern - 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 08:30-17:00
• A straightforward virtual interview process, so you can get moving quickly

The Details

• Location: Oxford, hybrid - minimum 3 days onsite per week
• Contract length: 6 months initially
• Pay: £27.67 per hour PAYE, or £37.01 per hour Umbrella
• Hours: 37.5 per week, Monday to Friday, 08:30-17:00
• Travel: occasional, within the UK and Europe
• Interview process: virtual
• Driving licence: preferred but not essential

Please note: this role falls under Off-Payroll Working (IR35) rules. Candidates must be eligible for MoD Security Clearance and hold current DBS clearance (SC preferred). All applicants must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK.