Finance Analyst

**Work with a historic British retailer and growing international brand**:

- **Fast-paced, contemporary flexible working environment**:

- **Exciting Retail industry opportunity**

**About the Company**

WH Smith is a historic British retailer focusing on news, books and convenience, and is a renowned, competitive leader in the travel market worldwide. Operating across Airports, Hospitals and Train Stations, our Australian operations currently operate 7 diverse brands. As we thrive in our post-COVID recovery, we are looking for a Finance Analyst to join us and support our growth. As a business, we believe in being safe, legal and compliant, and value each of our team members and their development.

**Position Summary**:
This exciting opportunity as a Financial Analyst will be responsible for managing data and building reports & presenting their findings to stakeholders. You will research and analyse financial information to help company make well informed decisions, build reports and monitor financial movements. This role will have significant contribution to the reporting function, annual planning, annual budgeting & forecasting and monthly financial reporting.

**Role responsibilities include**:

- Delivery of presentations to senior stakeholders i.e Daily/Weekly Sales reporting, Monthly reports, ad hoc business insights reports
- Analysis of sales statistics whilst maintaining an independent view of key metrics such as Sales growth, GP, Mix, Rate
- Deep dive assessment on performance through diagnostics on performance vs plan & prior years
- Create financial modelling through analysing data & create meaningful reports while conducting benchmarking and process analysis
- Consolidate and analyse financial data (budgets, income statement forecasts etc) taking into account company’s goals and financial standing
- Provide creative alternatives and recommendations to reduce costs and improve financial performance
- Assemble and summarise data to structure sophisticated reports on financial status and risks
- Conduct business studies on past, future and comparative performance and develop forecast models
- Identify trends, advise company and recommend actions based on sound analysis
- Track and determine financial status by analysing actual results in comparison with forecasts
- Reconcile transactions by comparing and correcting data
- Gain and update job knowledge to remain informed about novelty in the field
- Drive process improvement and policy development initiatives that impact the function

**Key criteria include**:

- CA/CPA/CFA or MBA qualified or part-qualified
- Strong Management Accounting experience
- 1-3 years’ experience in a Financial Analyst capacity
- Proficient in Excel and Financial modelling experience
- Outstanding presentation, reporting and communication skills
- Proven knowledge of financial forecasting and diagnosis, corporate finance and information analysis
- Strong problem solving and analytical skills