Senior Financial Planning Manager

AI overview

Own all Group Planning processes and provide timely forecasts that assist executive decision-making while leading a team to improve financial reporting and analysis.

About us.

We are The Very Group and we’re here to help families get more out of life. We know that our customers work hard for their families and have a lot to balance in their busy lives. That’s why we combine amazing brands and products with flexible payment options on Very.co.uk to help them say yes to the things they love. We’re just as passionate about helping our people get more out of life too; building careers with real growth, a sense of purpose, belonging and wellbeing.

About the team.

The role sits within the Group Planning, Analysis & Reporting Finance Team, a pivotal team within the Finance Community of The Very Group.

Our team is responsible for the provision of insightful & consistent management reporting, for the Exec Team and Group Board, that influences strategic thinking and facilitates the creation of Budgets, Quarterly forecasts and Long-range plans. Our work ensures accurate, quality information is shared with a wide range of stakeholders, both internal and external.

We develop close relationships with all teams across Finance and teams across the wider business.

Success in the team requires an engaging individual who embraces every challenge, who can communicate effectively and will seek to find better ways to achieve the team’s goals.

About the role.

The role requires you to take ownership of all Group Planning processes and deliver forecasts with supporting information that is relevant, accurate and timely; assisting the Executive team and Board to make business decisions. You will manage a team of three individuals.  

You will be comfortable with changes in priority, reacting quickly to ensure all your stakeholder needs are met through high quality communication.  

Key Responsibilities.

  • Ownership of all Group Planning Processes  
    • Work with, and challenge, cross-functional teams to prepare and deliver analysis in support of Board decision-making. 
    • Ensure all Group planning and forecasting processes are clearly defined, communicated, and managed to deadlines. Ensure financial outputs are accurate, presented to the highest standard and aligned to Group governance and control frameworks 
    • Use experience and judgement to assess the strength and quality of the information provided to your team, directing focus to the matters that require most attention. You will be a trusted partner to the function. 
    • Drive an environment of continuous improvement with a view to identifying and delivering efficiencies in forecasting and ways of working across the function. 
  • Development of Planning tools 
    • Understand the potential for improvement of planning tools and propose solutions that fully utilise the existing planning tools (Hyperion and Excel). 
    • Work cross-functionally to develop a roadmap that sets out an ambition to migrate to an Oracle EPM solution  

About you.

  • A qualified accountant, with more than 3 years post-qualified experience, and a proven track record of delivering change.  
  • Demonstrable organisational skills and experience in managing complex financial processes. 
  • FP&A experience.  Comfortable working with financial models. 
  • A driven and determined leader who possesses the social confidence and charisma to develop highly productive stakeholder relationships. 
  • A strong team player, with low ego, who can work cross-functionally. 
  • Commercially focussed, placing attention on accounting detail and end-to-end value.  
  • Proven successes of developing insightful reporting and analysis to use for major decision-making at Exec and Board level. 
  • Technical ability, strong aptitude for analytical work, preferably having experience with Hyperion/Oracle EPM products. 
  • Sound understanding of all primary financial statements. 

Some of our benefits.

  • £6,500 flexible benefits allowance to suit your needs
  • 30 days holiday + bank holidays
  • LinkedIn Learning access
  • Bonus potential (performance and business-related)
  • Up to 25% discount on Very.co.uk

How to apply

Please note that the talent acquisition team are managing this vacancy directly, and if successful in securing this role, you will be required to undertake a credit, CIFAS, Right to Work checks and if a specific requirement of your role a DBS (criminal records) check. Should your application progress we require you to let the team know if there is anything you need to disclose in relation to any of these checks prior to them being undertaken, including any unspent criminal convictions.

What happens next?

Our talent acquisition team will be in touch if you’re successful so keep an eye on your emails! We’ll arrange a short call to learn more about you, as well as answer any questions you have. If it feels like we’re a good match, we’ll share your CV with the hiring manager to review. Our interview process is tailored to each role and can be in-person or held remotely.

You can expect a two-stage interview process for this position:

1st stage - An informal 30-45 minute video call with the hiring team to discuss your skills and relevant experience. This is a great opportunity to find out more about the role and to ask any questions you may have.

2nd stage -  A one-hour formal task based interview. This will be held in-person at our Liverpool office.

As an inclusive employer please do let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

If you'd like to know more about our interviews, you can find out here.

Equal opportunities

We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.


Perks & Benefits Extracted with AI

  • Flexible Work Hours: Flexible, hybrid working model
  • Learning Budget: LinkedIn Learning access
  • Pension matching: Matched pension up to 6%
  • Paid Time Off: 30 days holiday + bank holidays

Hey, we’re The Very Group. Home of Very.co.uk, Littlewoods.com, and a team of 4,500 super-talented people. We’ve been reinventing shopping experiences for over a century. Technology has played a huge part in that, helping us transition from catalogues’ to pureplay online retail, but we’re not the finished article. As the UK's largest integrated retail and financial services provider, we have a pretty unique position across three huge industries (technology, credit and retail). This makes for complex challenges and exciting opportunities. Our ambition is to build the number one shopping destination for shoppers who value credit anywhere online. It’s bold, but we believe with our passion and track record for reinvention, we can improve how the world pays and shops for the things they love. Sound good? We’re looking for analysts, engineers, creators and more to join our retail revolution. People like you. Get in touch to find out more!

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