FP&A Analyst in Manchester

Workplace: ITV Manchester, Media City + Hybrid (Team meets in the office every Wednesday)

The Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) team operates in a highly collaborative, fast-moving, and rewarding environment. We act as a critical steering function across the organisation, translating complex financial data into actionable strategic insights. Our team values continuous process improvement, digital innovation, and open collaboration, working closely with various departments to drive financial discipline and support informed decision-making across the business.

We’re looking for an FP&A Analyst to join our Central Services Division on a 12 month fixed term basis. Reporting to the Head of FP&A (Central Services), your core purpose will be to deliver high-quality budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and financial analysis that translates overhead data into clear commercial value. This is a dynamic, high-impact role acting as a financial guardrail for overhead spend. You will partner closely with the Finance Business Partner and Budget Managers within the Technology function, helping them manage resources effectively and align central budgets with wider business objectives. It is an ideal opportunity for an analytically minded professional looking to operate at both a granular and strategic level within a major media brand.

Some of your key day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Supporting the development of robust annual budgets, rolling forecasts, and long-term financial plans.
• Ensuring overheads are accurately reported during month-end, capturing and thoroughly investigating variances against budgets and plans.
• Preparing clear financial bridges to illustrate financial movements, translating complex datasets into digestible insights for key stakeholders.
• Delivering timely, high-quality financial reports and commentary, actively discussing performance and future spend forecasts with business partners and management.
• Gathering and interpreting cost data to model different business scenarios, driving a deeper understanding of cost drivers and business performance.
• Proactively identifying and quantifying financial risks and opportunities to optimise overhead spend and improve overall EBITA.
• Partnering with HR and department heads to track headcount movements, accurately forecasting payroll costs and investigating variances.
• Reviewing and challenging overhead spend to maintain financial discipline and ensure compliance with central budgets and controls.
• Identifying inefficiencies in current processes and driving continuous improvement initiatives to automate and streamline workflows.
• Championing data accuracy across financial systems, investigating root causes of anomalies, and collaborating with teams to improve data quality.

Skills you’ll need (minimum criteria):

• Proven professional experience working in a dedicated FP&A role.
• Demonstrable hands-on experience assisting with month-end reporting, financial analysis, and budget/forecast preparation.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, specifically the ability to manipulate large datasets using advanced formulas.
• Qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, ACA) OR equivalent practical experience working within a corporate finance function.

Other things we’re looking for (key criteria):

• Proven experience operating within a large, complex matrix organisation, navigating strict controls and rigorous reporting deadlines.
• Highly skilled in gathering, compiling, and evaluating large volumes of financial data from multiple sources to generate insights.
• Ability to work comfortably at both a granular data quality level and a strategic executive-summary level.
• Excellent ability to build collaborative relationships and translate complex financial results into clear language for non-financial stakeholders.
• A naturally curious digital mindset with an eagerness to leverage AI tools, challenge the status quo, and streamline processes.
• Highly organised with a proven ability to prioritise competing responsibilities and multitask effectively under pressure.
• Prior experience using Oracle EPBCS and creating interactive financial dashboards is highly desirable.

Potential Challenges:

• Requirement for longer working hours during intense budget periods.

Please note, on occasion we may receive a very large volume of applications which means applications for a role may close earlier than the referenced closing date. We’d encourage you to apply as soon as possible if interested.