For a quarter of a century, the Jellycat family have brought joy, wonder and playful fun to people of all ages, in every part of the world. Utterly original and in a class of their own, they are currently among the most loved and collected toys of their kind. How has this gentle tribe endeared themselves to so many? Perhaps it is their whimsical expressions. Or the deliciously soft fabrics. Or the beautiful way in which they sit in your hand. Whatever it is, there is something magical and unmistakeable about each one of them.

We are currently seeking a Finance Business Partner – Margin & Operations to join our Global FP&A team. This role will focus on budgeting & forecasting, month end P&L reviews, reporting, business modelling and analysis and business case creation and post investment reviews for Gross Margin and the Operations department.
You are expected to build excellent working relationships across the company to be able to influence, challenge and drive decision making to improve business performance and profitability. The successful candidate will be a key contributor to our company's financial success and will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on our growth and profitability.

You'll be;

• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with senior managers and their teams across key stakeholders (Product, Production, Operations)to understand their needs and challenges.
  • Acting as a trusted advisor, providing financial insights and strategic advice to support decision-making.
  • Acting as a key point of contact for financial queries and support.
  • Working closely with the Merch and Production teams to budget and forecast margin movements.
  • Taking ownership of the Group consolidation of budgeting and forecasting of the Operations P&L.
  • Coordinating and working closely with the budget holders and regional FP&A teams for submissions to create global reporting for presentation to senior management.
  • Implementing, preparing and updating rolling forecasts to reflect current business conditions.
  • Assisting with presentations & production of formal budget and forecast packs.
  • Building and setting up forecasting models where needed and doing sensitivity analysis and scenario planning.
  • Analysing Gross Margin at Group level and explain variances to budget/forecast/LY. This includes explaining FX rate movements, FOB price changes, inward freight and duty variances and entity/channel/customer/product mix impact.
  • Leading the preparation of the Group Operations departmental monthly P&Ls with variance analysis in close collaboration with the regional FP&A managers. Ensuring balances are reviewed for accuracy.
  • Analysing financial data to identify trends, discrepancies, and opportunities for cost & margin optimisation and to provide actionable insights to management.
  • Reviewing departmental spending, analysing actuals against budget/forecast, and providing insightful commentary on variances to budget holders and Senior Management.
  • Supporting the Product team in setting the pricing matrix and proactively advising them of any adverse (external) impacts to Gross Margin, with suggestions to mitigate these.
  • Working with the Production team to model impacts of FOB changes as well as with the Operations team on Inward Freight & Duty changes and advise on mitigating actions that can be taken.
  • Creating business cases for large new projects or investments relating to the Operations department and perform post investment reviews.
  • Working with the regional FP&A managers and Group Finance BPs on analysing distribution charges and delivery mix, with suggestions on how to optimise these.
  • Providing the business teams with ad hoc financial analysis and reporting to support departments or key projects to ensure good cost control practices and/or enable operational decision-making.
  • Provide insights and recommendations for cost reduction, revenue enhancement, and profit optimisation.
• Working closely with the global BI and BA teams in developing reporting.
• Overseeing reconciliation of margin reporting to BI reports and investigate discrepancies.
  • Supporting the financial accounting team with the audit process, providing necessary support or documentation.
  • Getting involved with other various projects and ad hoc work requested by senior management or other departments to assist the wider business.
  • Continuously improving financial processes and reporting systems to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and the overall effectiveness of financial operations.

You'll have;

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA) with post-qualification experience of at least 3+ years in FP&A/Commercial finance.
  • Previous experience in FP&A/Commercial Finance, including budgeting and forecasting, business partnering, business modelling and month end reporting, with a focus on Gross Margin and Operations.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong relationships and the ability to translate complex data into meaningful insight.
  • Collaborating on cross-functional projects to drive business performance, key reporting and achieve strategic objectives.
  • Influencing and challenging key business decisions by providing financial expertise and strategic guidance.
  • An analytical mind and quantitative skills to analyse data and key trends quickly and easily for the business.
  • The ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment. Sense of urgency and ability to execute quickly and accurately.
  • A detail-oriented mindset with a focus on accuracy and efficiency in managing financial data and transactions.
  • Advanced Excel skills.
  • PowerBI experience preferred, but not essential