At a Glance
- Tasks: Join us as a Financial Planning Analyst to drive business performance through insightful financial analysis.
- Company: Outcomes First Group is a leading provider of specialist education in the UK, dedicated to neurodivergent children.
- Benefits: Enjoy a four-day work week, life assurance, and a flexible benefits platform tailored to your needs.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on lives while working in a supportive, award-winning environment focused on wellbeing.
- Qualifications: Ideal candidates are studying or have qualifications in finance/accounting with strong Excel skills.
- Other info: This role offers hybrid working and a salary up to £40,000, depending on experience.
The predicted salary is between 32000 - 40000 £ per year.
#### Job description Increase your chances of an interview by reading the following overview of this role before making an application. **We are really proud to say that in 2024, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the fifth year running.** **Were on a mission to give our colleagues an amazing worklife balance! We are trialing the four-day working week, get paid 100% for 80%!** **Job title: Financial Planning Analyst – Reporting & Analysis** **Location: Bolton office – hybrid twice per week** **Salary: Up to £40,000.00 per annum dependent on experience** **Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm** **Contract: Permanent** **UK applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship.** **Job Purpose** To provide high-quality financial planning, analysis and reporting to the finance leadership and operational teams to drive business performance, foster understanding and support growth. **Key Responsibilities:** Financial performance: * Lead month-end reporting and analysis to Operational leaders, delivering clear and accurate financial results in a timely manner. * Analyse monthly financial results prepared by the accounting team to highlight and comment on key variances to budget or forecast. * Collaborate with and support stakeholders to understand, track and analyse site financial performance, building rapport and holding them accountable for budget targets. * Ensure that financial KPIs for relevant divisions are clearly and accurately reported on, with key trends highlighted to support informed decision making. * Communicate performance effectively and objectively to the business, challenging budget holders and fostering a culture of accountability. * Manage and maintain the month-end query tracker, ensuring site leaders receive prompt and clear responses to aid their understanding of financial results. * Continuously review and improve the reporting processes and analysis across the FP&A; and wider Finance team where appropriate. * Work closely with the Business Intelligence team to create and distribute financial results and scorecards through systems and automation. Budget and Forecast: * Support the Finance Business Partners in the budgeting process across all areas of the Group, ensuring alignment to strict timelines and relevant analysis is adhered to. * Maintain a budget and forecasting financial model to ensure consistency of data across all areas, including relevant KPIs. * Support the Lead FP&A; Analyst, Head of FP&A; and Business Intelligence team in implementing system-driven automation for reporting, budgeting and modelling tools. Customer service: * Build strong relationships with senior leaders and operational teams, including relevant department heads. * Act as the main point of contact on behalf of the wider finance team for responding to queries raised directly to the job holder. * Demonstrate strong financial business partnering skills by: * * Providing timely delivery of monthly reports and scorecards (with support from the Business Intelligence team) * Offering training and guidance on financial awareness to key senior leaders in operational teams as needed. * Model a positive, professional and collaborative ethos in the Finance team, fostering a supportive and productive work environment. **Experience, Skills & Qualifications:** * Studying towards or completed a relevant accounting qualification (CIMA ACCA ACA etc.) * A relevant degree (Accounting Finance Maths etc.) or AAT qualification. * Unqualified candidates with significant relevant experience would be considered. * Advanced Excel skills is critical – data manipulation (including extraction from financial ledgers), analytical and presentation skills at a level suitable for Senior Manager review. * Proven ability to influence financial outcomes and work closely with operational managers. * Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to communicate and build relationships with people at different levels. * Ability to present complex data and analysis in a high impact visual manner to senior stakeholders, drawing out the key messages and findings. * Relevant management accounting experience. * Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office including PowerPoint. * Experience of Access Dimensions and Power BI would be advantageous, though not essential. **Why join Outcomes First Group?** **About the Group** Outcomes First Group is the leading provider of specialist education in the UK. We exist to give neurodivergent children and young people access to a great education that caters to their specific needs, abilities and aspirations. There are three brands in our Outcomes First family: Acorn Education, Options Autism and Momenta Connect. Together, we educate, care for and support children, young people, and adults across the UK, empowering them to be happy and make their way in the world. We are really proud to say that in 2024, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the fifth year running. **Our Vision** We believe that with a great education, every neurodivergent pupil can thrive and make their way in the world. **Our Mission** Every day we improve the lives of our pupils, their families, and local communities through a relentless focus on wellbeing and learning. **Our Promise** *We are kind to ourselves and each other…We work together… and we make things happen.*Our Promise sits alongside our Vision and Mission. It describes the sort of people we are and our commitment to how we treat each other, work together, and behave. **Benefits** **Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:** * Life Assurance * Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions * “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks * Family Growth Support – _inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support._ **And a market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:** * A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits * 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad * Cycle to Work Schemes * Electric Car Purchase Scheme * Critical illness cover * Family Growth Support – inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support. **And that’s not all, we place the outcomes of the pupils and vulnerable young adults in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others.** **We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.** **We are an Equal Opportunities Employer.** **Equal Opportunities******
Financial Planning Analyst – Reporting & Analysis (Apply in minutes) employer: Outcomes First Group
Contact Detail:
Outcomes First Group Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Financial Planning Analyst – Reporting & Analysis (Apply in minutes)
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarize yourself with the key responsibilities of the Financial Planning Analyst role. Understanding the specifics of month-end reporting and analysis will help you speak confidently about your relevant experience during the interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Highlight your advanced Excel skills in conversations. Since data manipulation and presentation are critical for this role, be prepared to discuss specific examples of how you've used Excel to influence financial outcomes.
✨Tip Number 3
Build a strong understanding of the company's mission and values. Being able to articulate how your personal values align with Outcomes First Group's commitment to improving lives will set you apart as a candidate.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss your interpersonal and communication skills. This role requires building relationships with senior leaders, so think of examples where you've successfully collaborated with others to achieve financial goals.
We think you need these skills to ace Financial Planning Analyst – Reporting & Analysis (Apply in minutes)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience and skills that align with the job description. Focus on your financial analysis, reporting capabilities, and any experience with budgeting processes.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your enthusiasm for the role and the company. Mention specific aspects of Outcomes First Group that resonate with you, such as their commitment to wellbeing and their mission to support neurodivergent children.
Highlight Technical Skills: Emphasize your advanced Excel skills and any experience with financial software like Access Dimensions or Power BI. Provide examples of how you've used these tools in previous roles to drive financial performance.
Showcase Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrate your ability to build relationships and communicate effectively with stakeholders. Include examples of how you've influenced financial outcomes or collaborated with operational teams in past positions.
How to prepare for a job interview at Outcomes First Group
✨Showcase Your Financial Acumen
Be prepared to discuss your understanding of financial performance metrics and how they relate to business outcomes. Highlight any relevant experience you have in month-end reporting and analysis, as well as your ability to communicate complex financial data clearly.
✨Demonstrate Advanced Excel Skills
Since advanced Excel skills are critical for this role, be ready to provide examples of how you've used Excel for data manipulation and analysis in previous positions. If possible, mention specific functions or tools you've utilized that would be relevant to the job.
✨Build Rapport with Stakeholders
Emphasize your interpersonal skills and your ability to build strong relationships with senior leaders and operational teams. Prepare examples of how you've successfully collaborated with others to achieve financial goals or improve processes.
✨Prepare for Behavioral Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving abilities and how you handle challenges. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses, particularly when discussing past experiences related to financial analysis and reporting.