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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Support complex contracts with financial analysis and reporting, driving insights for operational actions.
- Company: Join a dynamic, PE-backed infrastructure business focused on growth and innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive day rate, hybrid working, and potential for extension.
- Other info: Opportunity to work in a transformative environment with excellent career prospects.
- Why this job: Make an impact in a hands-on role while collaborating with senior finance leaders.
- Qualifications: Experience in Commercial Finance and advanced Excel skills required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
Your new company
You will be joining a large, complex, contract-led infrastructure business, operating across major long-term frameworks. The organisation is PE-backed, commercially driven, and continues to invest heavily in its finance and commercial capability as its portfolio grows. Due to internal change and an expanding senior leadership remit, the business is now seeking 2x additional interim commercial finance support to ensure continuity and robustness across key contracts.
Your new role
As an Interim Commercial Finance Analyst, you will play a pivotal role supporting one of the organisation's largest and most commercially complex contracts. Reporting into the Head of Commercial Finance, you will act as a key link between finance, operations, and commercial teams.
This is a highly hands-on role, requiring someone who can hit the ground running, quickly understand contract mechanics, and work comfortably with detailed operational and financial data.
- Producing weekly and monthly P&L reporting, using operational and commercial data to drive insight
- Ownership of forecasting, variance analysis, and rolling reforecasts, ensuring forecast accuracy and transparency
- Detailed margin analysis, revenue recognition, and contract performance tracking
- Working closely with non-finance stakeholders, including Quantity Surveyors and operational leads, to translate financial performance into operational actions
- Operating within a manual-process, Excel-heavy environment, identifying risks, trends, and data inconsistencies
The role is offered on an interim basis for 6-9 months, with two days per week onsite.
What you'll need to succeed
- To be successful in this role, you will be a commercially minded finance professional with strong contract exposure and the confidence to operate independently.
- Experience in Commercial Finance, Finance Business Partnering, or Contract Finance roles
- Strong understanding of contract mechanics, revenue recognition, and margin drivers
- Advanced Excel skills, with the ability to manipulate and analyse large, complex datasets
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills, particularly with operational and commercial teams
- A day rate of £300-£375, depending on experience
- A 6-9 month interim assignment with potential for extension
- Hybrid working, with two days onsite per week
- The opportunity to work closely with senior finance leadership during a period of transformation
What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, please click "apply" and we will revert to the most relevant applications as soon as possible.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you're an accountant looking for a new job in finance, please contact Benjamin Stanton at the Hays Senior Finance team in Manchester.
Senior Finance Analyst (Financial Planning & Analysis) in Preston employer: Hays Accountancy and Finance
Contact Detail:
Hays Accountancy and Finance Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Finance Analyst (Financial Planning & Analysis) in Preston
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the finance world, especially those who work in commercial finance. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings or even a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your Excel skills and understanding contract mechanics. Be ready to discuss how you've tackled complex datasets and driven insights in previous roles.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your stakeholder engagement skills! Think of examples where you’ve worked closely with non-finance teams to translate financial data into actionable insights. This will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Finance Analyst (Financial Planning & Analysis) in Preston
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Senior Finance Analyst role. Highlight your experience in commercial finance and any relevant contract exposure. We want to see how your skills align with what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Mention specific experiences that demonstrate your ability to handle complex financial data and work with various stakeholders.
Showcase Your Excel Skills: Since this role involves a lot of Excel work, make sure to mention your advanced Excel skills in your application. If you have experience manipulating large datasets, let us know how you've done that in the past!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for the best chance of being noticed. It’s super easy, and we can’t wait to see your application come through!
How to prepare for a job interview at Hays Accountancy and Finance
✨Know Your Numbers
Make sure you brush up on your financial metrics and contract mechanics. Be ready to discuss how you've handled P&L reporting, variance analysis, and forecasting in your previous roles. This will show that you can hit the ground running.
✨Excel Like a Pro
Since this role is Excel-heavy, practice your advanced Excel skills before the interview. Be prepared to talk about how you've manipulated large datasets and identified trends or inconsistencies in your past work. Maybe even bring a few examples to share!
✨Engage with Stakeholders
This position requires strong stakeholder engagement, so think of examples where you've successfully collaborated with non-finance teams. Highlight how you translated financial data into actionable insights for operational leads or Quantity Surveyors.
✨Show Your Commercial Mindset
Demonstrate your understanding of margin drivers and revenue recognition during the interview. Share specific instances where your commercial acumen made a difference in your previous roles, especially in complex contract environments.