Finance Analyst

Job Title:

Finance Analyst

Department:
Finance

Contract:

Full-time, 9-month fixed-term contract (to commence at the end of August)

Are you a qualified accountant looking for a role where you can combine strong financial analysis with the opportunity to shape how AI transforms finance?

We are seeking a reliable Finance Analyst to work alongside our Finance Manager and commercial stakeholders. You will be responsible for managing promotional and marketing accounting, partnering with Sales and Marketing teams and delivering meaningful financial insight that supports better business decisions. You will be instrumental in ensuring the accuracy and integrity of budgets for our financial planning. If you are detail-oriented, ready for hands-on responsibility and enjoy improving processes, we encourage you to apply.

This is an exciting opportunity to join an award-winning big-five publisher in a fast-paced, dynamic and supportive finance team. The Finance team works with each department in the business on budgeting and forecasting revenues and costs, and then tracking how we perform against these targets by producing management information and analysis, and helping teams with cost control. We support all commercial decisions such as acquiring the rights of the books we publish and negotiating our contractual terms with our customers and suppliers.

Reporting to the Finance Manager – Overheads, International & Promotion, you’ll become a trusted finance partner to our Sales and Marketing teams. This role combines financial control, business partnering and analysis, while giving you the opportunity to help introduce AI tools and smarter ways of working across Finance.

• Promotion & marketing finance: Manage promotional and marketing cost accounting, ensuring accuracy across actuals, budgets and forecasts. Prepare promotion budgets and forecasts alongside Sales and Communications teams. Partner with budget holders to monitor spend, challenge costs and provide meaningful financial insight. Analyse promotional performance against budgets and forecasts. Manage accruals, balance sheet reconciliations and support invoicing queries. Help improve reporting and identify opportunities to simplify financial processes.
• Business partnering: Build strong relationships with Sales and Marketing teams. Support the Finance Manager in providing commercial insight that helps drive better business decisions. Produce clear, accurate management information and financial analysis.
• AI & digital innovation: Identify opportunities to automate repetitive finance activities using AI and digital tools. Explore technologies such as Gemini, Claude and other emerging tools to improve reporting and analysis. Share ideas that help the Finance team become more efficient, innovative and data-driven.

• Technical expertise: Fully qualified accountant (ACA, CIMA or ACCA or international equivalent), preferably with relevant industry experience.
• Analytical skills: Analytical and financial modelling experience with excellent Excel skills.
• Process improvement: Proven ability to proactively review existing financial workflows and investigate opportunities for efficiency gains.
• Organizational skills: Organized and proven ability to meet multiple deadlines.
• Commercial acumen: Commercially minded and adaptable to change.
• Communication: Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Inclusion and representation: An active dedication to promoting diverse voices and inclusive practices, taking personal responsibility for ensuring our workplace and publishing reflect the communities we serve.
• Community: A collaborative approach to building a supportive and vibrant environment.
• Curiosity: A strong drive for learning and a readiness to embrace different perspectives.
• Integrity: A foundation of openness and honesty, taking responsibility for actions and learning from mistakes.

• Systems and tools: Knowledge of SAP, Tableau and exposure to AI tools such as Gemini and Claude.

In return we can offer you a…