Lead Financial Analyst – Financial Planning & Analysis

£45,000 - £55,000 plus great benefits (Work Level 6A)

12-month fixed-term contract

Manchester city centre - in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and the office (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy).

We’re looking for a Lead Financial Analyst to join our Central Costs Finance team at Co-op, supporting Technology and Transformation. You’ll play a key role in planning, forecasting and reporting, working with stakeholders to turn complex financial data into clear insight that supports informed decision-making.

You’ll play a key role in consolidating financial information, building models, and telling the story behind performance. This is a great opportunity to gain exposure to senior stakeholders, varied business areas, and high-impact finance projects.

Why this role matters

At Co-op, we believe in doing business differently, putting our values into action and making a positive difference in our communities. As a Lead Financial Analyst, you’ll help ensure we’re making the right decisions across our Co-op, supporting sustainable growth and long-term success. Working across Retail, Wholesale and Life Services, your insights will help shape key strategic decisions, highlighting risks and opportunities and influencing where we invest for the future. If you’re looking for a role with real breadth, visibility and impact, this is an exciting opportunity to grow your FP&A career.

What you’ll do

• Support the consolidation of budgets, forecasts and long-range plans across multiple business units
• Produce accurate and timely weekly, monthly and quarterly performance reporting
• Deliver clear variance analysis, highlighting key drivers, trends, risks and opportunities
• Build and maintain financial models, including scenario planning and sensitivity analysis
• Turn complex financial data into clear, meaningful insight for senior stakeholders
• Support the preparation of materials for Executive and Board review
• Partner with stakeholders across the business to improve reporting and decision-making
• Drive continuous improvement in planning, reporting and forecasting processes

What you’ll bring

We’re committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you’ll need to bring:

• A recognised accountancy qualification (ACA, CIMA, ACCA or equivalent), or actively working towards one
• Strong experience in FP&A, financial analysis or performance reporting
• Advanced Excel skills, including financial modelling and working with large datasets
• Experience working with budgets, forecasts, and financial statements
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with great attention to detail
• Confidence communicating insights to financial and non-financial stakeholders
• The ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• A proactive mindset with a passion for continuous improvement

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.