Financial Planning & Analysis Assistant Accountant

81425- Financial Planning & Analysis Assistant Accountant

This Financial Planning & Analysis Assistant Accountant will report to the Financial Planning & Analysis Manager and will work within Finance based in our Crawley office. You will be a permanent employee.

You will attract a salary of £45,000 and a bonus of 7.5%. This role can also offer blended working after probationary period (6 months) - 3 days in the office and 2 remote

Close Date: 26/09/2025.

We also provide the following additional benefits

• 25 Days Annual Leave plus bank holidays.
• Reservist Leave – Additional 18 days full pay and 22 unpaid
• Personal Pension Plan – Personal contribution rates of 4% or 5% (UK Power Networks will make a corresponding contribution of 8% or 10%)
• Tenancy Loan Deposit Scheme, Season Ticket Loan
• Tax efficient benefits: Cycle to Work, Home & Tech, and Green Car Leasing Schemes
• Occupational Health support
• Switched On – scheme providing discount on hundreds of retailers' products
• Discounted gym membership
• Employee Assistance Programme

About UK Power Networks

UK Power Networks (UKPN) is the UK's largest electricity distribution network. We provide electricity infrastructure to deliver electricity supply to our customers safely, reliably, efficiently and sustainably. We operate across three DNO licence areas; London, the East and the South East of England, serving over 8.5 million

Employing over 6,000 people, UKPN's primary role is to deliver safe, reliable and sustainable electricity to customers. UKPN has a key role to play in the UK's ambition to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, in connecting renewable energy to its network and facilitating the uptake of low carbon technologies.

UKPN is a high performing company and widely recognised as the leading electricity distribution company in the UK. UKPN is regularly recognised as a Top 25 Best Big Company to Work For and is among just 5% of companies in the world awarded Investors in People's highest status - Platinum.

Job Purposes

This is an exciting opportunity for a recently qualified (or partly qualified) finance professional to join the UKPN finance team. You will report to the Financial Planning and Reporting (FP&A) Manager and support the preparation and reporting of the Annual Budget and quarterly forecast. You will also support the Financial Reporting team in the production of monthly performance reporting and analysis for the UKPN Group and in the preparation of statutory financial statements.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience in financial planning and financial reporting in a commercial environment.

Principal Accountabilities

• Support the FP&A team in the preparation of the annual Financial Budget and Strategic Plan.
• Preparation and consolidation of Budget information and schedules, ensuring integrity of financial models and of all outputs (both financial and non-financial).
• Help prepare in year financial forecasts, covering profit and loss, cash flow, balance sheet, net debt and financial ratios.
• Contribute to the analysis of Budget and Forecast information. Investigating variances and exceptions, providing clear explanations and dealing with and resolving queries with other stakeholders
• Help prepare materials for Executive Management and the Board to communicate key messages relating to Budgets and Forecasts.
• Maintain the SAP Budget system for all Budget & planning related activities. Assist and resolve queries from wider finance in use of the system.
• Manage the processing budget change control process with the wider finance team.
• Assist the Financial Reporting Team with the preparation of the monthly Performance Reporting pack and Finance Board papers. Help produce insightful and accurate reporting of financial performance, investigating and resolving variances to budget and to prior years.
• Maintain the monthly reporting file that provides budgetary and forecasting information in the monthly Performance Report as agreed with the Financial Reporting team.
• Assist with the month end reporting processes, including journal postings in SAP, the preparation of financial reports and reconciliations.
• Support the preparation and external audit of statutory financial statements.

Nature and Scope

You will support the Financial Planning and Analysis team, which is responsible for the preparation and communication of financial budgets and forecasts, to Senior Management and external stakeholders/ shareholders.

The role will also assist the Financial Reporting team in the preparation of Performance Reporting and the month end process, as well as statutory reporting.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of key financial processes and systems and contribute to key outputs from the Financial Planning and Financial Reporting teams.

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

• Recently qualified, or partly/ nearly qualified accountant, (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
• Educated to degree level (or equivalent)
• Highly numerate (demonstrated by strong grades in GCSE and/ or numerate A-level or undergrade studies)
• Knowledge of financial models or cash flow forecasting would be desirable
• Experience working in finance team, either in financial planning or reporting is desirable
• Knowledge of financial statements, including P+L/ Balance Sheet/ Cash flow
• Must have good awareness of double entry book keeping/ accounting (either through study or experience)
• IT skills: must have a knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
• Analytical skills, ability to analysis data and understand charts/ financial information

Health & Safety Responsibilities:

Managers and supervisors carry both legal and company responsibilities for ensuring the health and safety of their employees, those under their control and those who might be affected by the work undertaken, i.e. public, visitors and employees of other organisations. This includes briefing individuals working for them and ensuring there is the necessary understanding, competence and application of requirements to work safely and without harming the environment.

Employees will ensure they understand the health and safety risks involved in their work activities and their responsibility to apply the controls needed to manage those risks to acceptable levels. Similarly where work activities can have an adverse impact upon the environment, and where there are legal requirements, employees will understand those impacts and the controls they must ensure are applied.

If in doubt ask!

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

If you have any queries in connection to this vacancy or your application, please contact us at careers@ukpowernetworks.co.uk quoting the vacancy reference number and a member of the team will get in touch with you as soon as possible.