Finance Analyst

Harper May is working with a founder-led retail group operating across physical and digital channels, with a regional footprint and strong growth momentum. The business has scaled meaningfully over the past three years and is now investing in its finance capability to support expansion into new markets and product lines. They are seeking a Finance Analyst to strengthen their financial reporting and analysis function. The Role Reporting to the Finance Director, you will own financial analysis and reporting across the retail operations, translating complex data into insight that drives commercial decision-making. This role sits at the intersection of finance and the business-you will need to be as comfortable with spreadsheets as you are communicating findings to store managers and the trading team. It suits a qualified or part-qualified accountant who thrives in a retail environment where priorities shift and clarity is valued over process. • Deliver weekly and monthly reporting on sales, margin, and cash position by location and channel • Conduct variance analysis on trading performance and highlight drivers of deviation from plan • Support annual budgeting and quarterly reforecasting across the store and online estate • Analyse promotional effectiveness, range performance, and category profitability • Manage balance sheet reconciliations, accruals, and month-end close procedures • Build and maintain financial models to support planning and scenario testing • Work with operational teams to improve data quality and strengthen financial controls What we are looking for • ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified or part-qualified • Previous retail experience or exposure to multi-site, high-transaction environments • Confident with Excel; comfortable working with large datasets and building analytical tools • Knowledge of margin mechanics and stock accounting • Ability to explain numbers clearly to non-finance audiences without losing accuracy • Resilient and pragmatic; comfortable with ambiguity and tight deadlines