At a Glance
- Tasks: Support transformation projects with financial analysis and reporting improvements.
- Company: Join Halfords, a leader in motoring and cycling innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, employee discounts, and personal development opportunities.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace with a focus on wellbeing and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on projects while developing your finance skills in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Working towards CIMA or ACCA, strong Excel skills, and project finance experience.
About us
At Halfords, our mission is to inspire and support a lifetime of motoring and cycling. As a specialist retailer, we lead the market through customer-driven innovation and a distinct product range. We are dedicated to providing our customers with an integrated, unique, and convenient service experience—from e-bike and electric vehicle servicing to on-demand solutions. Our commitment is to foster customer loyalty by offering compelling reasons to keep coming back to our stores, ensuring a lifetime of motoring and cycling enjoyment.
The teams at our Redditch Support Centre work with every other area of our business, putting them at the heart of the action and playing a key role in our success and growth. Everyone brings their individual knowledge and experience to work every day, working as one team to keep things moving smoothly.
If you’re willing to get stuck in, you’ll love it here too. So put yourself at the heart of a dynamic, fast-paced working environment where expertise and focus take people far. At Halfords, we operate a 2 days per week on-site hybrid working policy at our Support Centre in Redditch Worcestershire.
The role
As a Senior Finance Analyst within our Avayler and Group Functions Finance Team, you'll take on a broad and varied role that sits at the intersection of financial analysis, business partnering, and reporting improvement. You'll work closely with the business, supporting multiple active transformation projects with the financial analysis, forecasting, and governance that keeps them on track. This is very much a data and partnering focused role rather than a traditional management accounting position.
Day to day, you'll be building and improving reporting suites, automating manual processes where possible, and producing analysis that helps project stakeholders understand their numbers and what it means for decisions ahead. You'll support month end activity including accruals, outturns, reforecasting, and budgeting, and you'll present financial information clearly to non-finance audiences across multiple teams and seniority levels. The data environment isn't perfect, so you'll need to be comfortable working through ambiguity and finding solutions rather than waiting for things to be straightforward.
There's a lot of freedom to put your own stamp on how things are done. If you enjoy problem solving, building relationships across a complex business, and seeing the direct impact of your analysis on real projects and decisions, this is a role with genuine variety and the scope to improve things meaningfully. You'll have support from your manager but will need to be autonomous enough to take ownership and run with things from early on.
Key responsibilities
- Partner with project stakeholders and teams across multiple projects, providing financial analysis, forecasting, and governance support to help them manage performance and make informed decisions.
- Build, maintain, and continuously improve reporting suites, identifying opportunities to automate manual processes and create efficiencies.
- Support month end activity including accruals, outturns, reforecasting, and budgeting, ensuring financial data is accurate and clearly communicated to relevant stakeholders.
- Analyse large datasets in Excel to produce clear, actionable insight, presenting financial information to non-finance stakeholders in a way that tells a coherent story.
- Support the PMO and Transformation Office with day-to-day project governance, helping the business adhere to policies, processes, and documentation requirements for project finance.
- Monitor and track project spend and benefits, supporting business case modelling and flagging risks and opportunities as they emerge.
- Support the wider team with analysis and reporting, contributing to overall team objectives across a variety of business areas.
About you
- Working towards a professional qualification such as CIMA or ACCA, with a solid understanding of finance concepts and principles including the distinction between CAPEX and OPEX.
- Proven experience in project finance or project accounting, with a good working knowledge of how capital investment and project spend is tracked and managed.
- Strong Excel skills, comfortable working with large file sizes and datasets, including lookups, pivot tables, and building analytical models from scratch.
- Confident presenter who can translate complex financial information into clear, accessible language for non-finance stakeholders at all levels.
- Strong communicator with good stakeholder management skills, proactive enough to reach out to people across the business and build relationships without being prompted.
- Comfortable working autonomously in an environment where the data isn't always clean and the answer isn't always obvious, with the initiative to find a way through.
- Experience with SAP or AI tools is advantageous, as is any exposure to reporting automation or process improvement within a finance function.
Reward & benefits
- A fair and competitive salary evaluated against market data, annual discretionary bonus scheme, pension, life assurance, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and enhanced family leave.
- Commitment and dedication to your ongoing personal and professional development. We help you to own and grow your potential so you can be at your best in your current role and to support your future career aspirations.
- We offer hybrid working with a blend of working in our Support Centre and from home.
- You will have access to a wealth of employee discounts across the Halfords suite of products and services.
- Wellbeing and inclusion are at the heart of our colleague experience. We offer resources and ongoing support to enhance your wellbeing at work and active Colleague Networks supporting inclusion initiatives across Halfords.
Not sure you meet all the criteria? We'd encourage you to take the wheel and apply anyway! At Halfords we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for our colleagues. We're an equal opportunities employer and proud to welcome applications from all backgrounds and embrace diversity within our one Halfords Family.
Senior Finance Analyst - Transformation employer: Halfords Careers
Halfords is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture, where every team member's expertise contributes to our collective success. Located in Redditch, our Support Centre offers a hybrid working model, competitive benefits, and a strong commitment to personal and professional development, ensuring that employees can thrive while making a meaningful impact on the business. With a focus on wellbeing and inclusion, we provide resources and support to enhance your experience at work, making Halfords a great place to build your career.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Finance Analyst - Transformation
✨Tap into Campus Networks
If you're still in uni, don’t forget to engage with your campus's career services and attend finance-related events. Banks often do presentations and recruitment drives on campus, so put yourself out there and make use of these opportunities to show off your passion for the field.
✨Get Certified
Consider pursuing relevant certifications like the CFA or ACCA while you’re job hunting. They not only beef up your CV but also connect you with professional bodies which can lead to networking opportunities and even job openings in banking and financial services.
✨Connect on Professional Platforms
Join finance-focused groups on platforms like LinkedIn and engage in discussions. This can really help you stand out from the crowd, allowing potential employers to see your knowledge and interest in industry trends. Plus, you might stumble upon job postings shared exclusively within the group.
✨Apply Directly and Be Proactive
Don’t shy away from reaching out directly to firms like Halfords Careers. Use their websites and apply through them, but also consider following up with a polite email to express your enthusiasm. Being proactive can make a huge difference in getting noticed in the competitive financial services sector.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Finance Analyst - Transformation
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Numbers!:In the banking and financial services world, quantifiable achievements are key. Make sure your CV highlights your grades in relevant subjects, any financial certifications you hold, and specific projects where you've delivered measurable results. Employers love to see how your skills translate into real-world success.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to the Role:When applying for a full-time position, your cover letter should make a direct connection between your experience and the job description. Don't just state your enthusiasm for finance—dive into how your background in banking or financial analysis sets you apart. Let your passion shine through while being specific about what you can bring to Halfords Careers.
Include Relevant Financial Software Experience:If you've worked with financial modelling tools or software like Excel, SAP, or specific analytical tools during your studies or internships, bring that up! Highlighting your proficiency can really make your application pop and show you're ready to hit the ground running in a full-time role.
Research and Reflect:Before hitting that 'apply' button on Halfords Careers's website, do a little digging. Look up their recent projects, values, and culture. Reflecting their ethos in your application can make a huge difference and show you’re genuinely interested in being part of the team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Halfords Careers
✨Brush Up on Financial Analysis Skills
Make sure you're well-versed in financial concepts and analytical techniques relevant to banking and financial services. Get comfortable with tools like Excel for modelling or financial forecasting, as technical questions in this area are common during interviews with Halfords Careers.
✨Prepare for Case Studies
Expect to tackle case studies that demonstrate your problem-solving skills in real-world banking scenarios. Familiarise yourself with the types of problems you might face—think risk assessments or investment evaluations—and be ready to articulate your thought process clearly.
✨Show Your Passion for Finance
Since this is a full-time position, employers at Halfords Careers will be keen to see your genuine interest in finance. Be prepared to discuss recent industry trends or news articles that excite you, showcasing your enthusiasm and engagement with the field.
✨Network with Industry Professionals
Before your interview, reach out to current or former Halfords Careers employees on platforms like LinkedIn. They'll offer unique insights into the company's culture and the interview process, which can give us a delightful edge in showcasing a good fit for the team.
