Job Introduction

In this highly commercial, dynamic and forward-looking role, you will work closely with the online operations teams as their business partner. You will be responsible for continuing to develop the business insight alongside improving the performance and strategic decision-making of your key stakeholders.

Role Responsibility

A.Performance measures to support and challenge the business

• Ensuring visibility and understanding of timely, clear and relevant KPI’s e.g. sales value and volume, conversion, and margin for two online channels. This will involve leading on the development of the reports available to our colleagues via our automated BI platform.

B.Financial Planning and profitability

• Preparing online sales and units forecast, and challenge assumptions in the annual online budgets and quarterly reforecasts
• Capturing risks and opportunities to improve margin and profitability

C.Analysis and insight to influence strategy

• Helping the business learn from past actions and identify new opportunities.
• Monitoring and review online sales and margin performance to challenge and galvanise action to keep performance on target.
• Preparation of ad hoc analysis to support decision making

D.Business partnering

• Be the face of finance amongst our online operations colleagues and bring a unique finance perspective to constructively challenge the business to improve performance and add value.

E.Reporting

• Preparing various weekly performance reports and presenting in weekly trading meetings
• Providing cover for BI reporting daily tasks.

The Ideal Candidate

• Qualified / Part-qualified accountant who is commercially minded and has a desire to add value
• Commercial background gained through a commercial role in industry, or an assurance / advisory role in a large professional services organisation
• Intellectual curiosity to understand the financial and non-financial drivers of the business and their implications
• Proven and demonstrable ability to build productive business relationships with a wide network of finance and non-finance colleagues, and manage workload according to priorities
• Excellent verbal and written communication styles and confidence to influence a variety of senior stakeholders
• Desire to bring insight and challenge to the business through the use of data to improve revenue and profitability
• Excellent analytical and Excel skills, and a desire to proactively adopt and use business insight platforms such as Power BI. Experience of Power BI would be a significant advantage
• Passionate about being part of a culture where continuous improvement is delivered
• Proactive and takes pride in output / robustness of financial analysis
• The tenacity to work through details and deliver rigorous and meaningful insight

Package Description

A superb role within the Finance function with Card Factory.

Card Factory plc is the UK’s number one retailer of greeting cards, wrap and gifts, selling a third of all cards in the UK. Since we set out in 1997, our disruptive business model has fueled organic growth to over 1,000 stores in every corner of the UK and Republic of Ireland. We have an outstanding growth story, consistently opening 50 new stores a year in recent years – with more new openings planned for next year following encouraging sales performance post-lockdown.

Card Factory focuses on the value and mid-market segments of the UK’s large greeting card market. Our scale and vertically integrated business model (in-house design team, print facilities, central warehousing and retail operations) differentiate us from competitors through price and quality. We enjoy impressive brand equity with UK shoppers.

We are embarking on the start of our recently refreshed strategy to be recognized as the world’s best greetings card retailer: everywhere, and for all occasions, the first choice for greeting cards.

About the Company

Card Factory is the UK’s leading specialist retailer of greetings cards, dressings, and gifts with over one thousand stores across the UK and Ireland.  In 2020 we launched our exciting 5-year business strategy including our vision of becoming a true Omni-channel retailer.  This strategy sees significant investment into our colleagues across the business creating multiple opportunities to join a fast-paced environment and be part of our exciting journey.  

In return, we offer a wide range of benefits to support your physical, mental, and financial wellbeing.

Benefits

• Pension
• 15% Card Factory colleague discount in-store and online
• Save As You Earn scheme
• Financial Wellbeing Support       
  • Financial Education Tools
  • Salary Advance
• Seasonal incentive schemes
• Retail Management Apprenticeship Programmes with local providers with access to a virtual internal network for learning together
• Discounted gym membership, mobile phone contracts, and car leasing
• Discounts across 100’s of UK retailers
• Employee Assistance Programme – access to tools to support mental, physical, and financial wellbeing
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption leave

This is an exciting role with genuine prospects for the right candidate. If this role describes you and your career aspirations, click apply now.

For any questions email: vacancies@cardfactory.co.uk (we do not accept CVs/Applications via email) 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once sufficient suitable applications have been received. We advise applying early to avoid disappointment as applications will be reviewed regularly. 

No agencies, please.

Sportswift Ltd T/A cardfactory