The posting
To work alongside the Commercial Director for Harper Non Fiction and Harper North to deliver a gold standard commercial finance service to the publishing department. This will include, but is not limited to, assisting publishers with investment cases for acquisitions, profitability reviews, annual budget, month end analysis and reporting, monthly forecasting, long term planning and ad hoc reporting (internal and external). You will work closely with the Commercial Director and will be expected to support the Publishing teams.
This role will also be responsible for assisting the Commercial Director in the set-up and ongoing provision of financial reporting and analysis, both routine and ad-hoc, for the Direct-to-Consumer side of the business.
This role requires a high level of accuracy and attention to detail. The Senior Commercial Analyst should be able to prepare high quality reporting and reconciliations, requiring minimal review. They should also have a sound understanding of the impact of commercial decisions on the P&L and be able to think through the future impact of these decisions.
Key Responsibilities
Forecasting and Budgeting:
Alongside the Commercial Director, manage the budgeting and forecasting process for both divisions to ensure timely and accurate delivery and reporting to stakeholders across the business. This will include:
- Continuously working with the Commercial Director to identify ways in which the forecasting and budgeting processes can be rendered more efficient
- Helping to plan the budget and forecast process and organising the finance team and external data providers from the publishing teams to ensure reasonable and achievable deadlines
- Track timely provision of data from the publishing teams and work with junior commercial analyst to ensure accurate and timely uploads, modelling a culture of self-assessment and review
- Ensure all summary schedules are prepared and reconcile for Commercial Director review
- Applying the principle of adding value in budget/forecast (and other) reporting and striving to incorporate rich detail, illuminating insight and surprising content
- Assist with preparation of schedules for budget pack or commercial review
Acquisitions
- Responsible for the preparation of investment cases for acquisition, for review by the Commercial Director
- Accurately maintain schedule showing pipeline of acquisitions, including all financial detail to enable future analysis of performance against initial expectation
- Prepare profitability review to assist publishing teams with decision-making in author recontracts
Financial Reporting
- Complete a variety of month end tasks including, but not limited to, the preparation of provision for retrospective discounts granted to retailers, preparation of provisions for unearned advances, reviewing exception errors from the royalty system, analysis of overheads and preparation of plant, retail spend, marketing and publicity accruals. These should be completed with a high degree of accuracy, requiring minimal review from the Commercial Manager. May be required to cover junior commercial analyst’s month end tasks where necessary.
- Be a key liaison point for group management accountant and an active participant in the monthly review meetings to identify significant variances to budget and/or forecast and analyse the reasons for these variances. Consider the impact for forecasting and future planning.
- Ensure timely preparation of reports for review before monthly divisional executive meetings, including month end commercial reports and post publication profitability reviews.
- Work with key stakeholders in the Direct-to-Consumer areas of the business to create value-adding financial reporting.
Other activities, including value-add: Performed personally or delegated, including, but not limited to:
- Review and approval of purchase orders under a materiality level via JDE, liaising with division where necessary
- Long term profitability analysis of individual departments/imprints
- Analysis of costs and ROI – production, marketing, plant, royalties
- Attendance at print and excess stock meetings to give financial guidance and to further understanding of costs, retail behaviour and risk
- Rolling out finance guidance and training to new starters in the division
- Deputising for the Commercial Director (e.g. in attendance at meetings, approvals etc.)
- Supporting and coaching the junior commercial analyst, and furthering their development wherever possible
Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
- Ideally in the process of qualification (ACCA/CIMA) or already qualified ACA/ACCA/CIMA.
- Experience of budgeting and forecasting.
- Proven business partnering experience.
- Proven experience of presenting financial information to non-finance staff.
- Experience of working as a finance professional giving guidance and advice to non-financial staff.
- Highly numerate and detail-oriented.
- Self-starter who can generate ideas and take the initiative in making improvements and developing strategy.
- Excellent administrator, takes pride in being organised.
- Advanced Excel skills
- Comfortable with thinking through commercial decisions and presenting solutions to Commercial Director.
- Demonstrable love of and interest in books and publishing.
- Ability to work under pressure and adapt to shifting deadlines.
- Positive approach to problem solving.
- Strong sense of accountability.
- Positive attitude to new challenges.
- Enjoys working as part of a team.
