Expense Analyst

Job title:

Expense Analyst

Company

First Central Insurance & Technology Group

Job description

We’re First Central Insurance & Technology Group (First Central for short), an innovative, market-leading insurance company. We protect the things customers love so they can get on with what matters to them in life.Data drives us. It fuels our outstanding distribution, finance, technology and legal services. Our underwriting skills are built on data expertise; it creates the insights we need to give the right cover to the right customers at the right price. But, it’s the people inside and outside our business that power us. They make us stand out, help us succeed. We’re ambitious. We’re growing. We’ve won awards.Are you a detail-oriented finance professional with a passion for cost analysis and business insight? Do you want to play a key role in shaping financial planning and decision-making within an evolving and growing organisation?At First Central, we’re looking for an Expense Analyst to join our Group Expenses Team. This team is instrumental in developing our financial 5-year plan, annual budget, and reforecasting processes, ensuring that our non-indemnity expenses are well managed and optimised.As an Expense Analyst, you’ll support the Group Expenses Lead in reviewing and analysing costs across the business. You’ll work with stakeholders across Finance and beyond, providing insightful financial analysis to help manage costs, identify opportunities for efficiencies, and support strategic decision-making.Must-have skills to be successful in this role:

• Experience in Finance – You might be working as a Financial Analyst, Cost Accountant, or Assistant Accountant, with a background in financial planning, forecasting, or accounts payable.
• Strong Communication Skills – You’ll be confident in conveying financial insights clearly, whether through reports, presentations, or discussions with stakeholders. Your ability to translate complex data into meaningful insights will help drive informed decision-making across the business.
• Analytical & Problem-Solving Mindset – You’ll have a keen eye for detail and the ability to interpret financial data effectively.
• Proactive & Collaborative Approach – A team player with a commercial mindset, deadline-driven, and eager to contribute to business improvements.

We’re big on working flexibly – you’ll spend most of your time working from home, with 1 day per week in the office at Haywards Heath, West Sussex – because collaborating with colleagues is always great, right? But of course, it’s your choice – if you prefer to be in the office more – that’s good with us too.What’s involved:Strategic and Commercial Acumen

• Understand business strategy and provide highly relevant insight into business performance
• Develop an understanding and knowledge of the cost base and cost key business performance drivers (KPI’s)
• Add value through support of the business’s management of costs, providing insightful financial analysis as necessary

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders across Finance and the wider business, particularly the Business Partners and Financial Accounts team

Planning and Forecasting

• Support the Group Expenses Lead in the review and challenge of Group costs across financial 5-year plan, annual budget and reforecast processes
• Support the Group Expenses Reporting Lead with the roll out of cost forecasting within Adaptive planning across the expense team
• Provide analytical support in the production of cost forecast outputs including, succinct review files, standardised Business Partner outputs, insightful Exco and Board pack outputs, relevant and insightful cost KPIs
• Provide support in the collation of capital expenditure forecast against agreed deadlines/timetable
• Support identifying and tracking of cost Risks & Opportunities (R&Os) between forecasting cycles

Financial Analysis

• Support the Group Expenses Lead in the end to end review, close and analysis of expenses at month end, working to deadlines set by the FP&A team
• Actively maintain central expense analysis tools used across Finance and activity seek to make iterative improvements
• Produce insightful expense outputs and a clear narrative for inclusion in Exco and Board papers
• Support the Group Expense Lead with the Strategic Cost Management agenda, assisting in the production of material for the monthly committee, participating in working groups to implement cost efficiencies and supporting benchmarking core cost KPIs externally
• Support the build of the new Adaptive cost centre reporting suite, which is due to go live in 2025, this will include gathering requirements from Business Partners

Experience, knowledge, skills & qualifications

• Previous experience within a Financial Analyst, Cost Accountant, Assistant Accountant role, or similar
• Experience in operational/transactional accounting in particular accounts payable is an advantage
• Basic modelling experiences an advantage
• Experience of planning and forecasting cycles is an advantage
• Good communication skills, both verbal and written
• Good time management and organisation skills
• Problem solving skills with the ability to adopt a logical approach to resolving problems
• Good numeracy, data manipulation and interpretation skills
• Computer literate, including intermediate to expert level Excel skills
• Preferably studying early stages of CIMA or ACCA

Behaviours

• Team player and ability to forge relationships
• Deadline driven
• Commercially aware and inquisitive
• Driven and pro-active, self-starter, and enthusiastic
• Flexible approach to work and adopts a positive attitude
• Strives to drive business improvements and contribute to the success of the business

At First Central, we offer a supportive work environment where you can grow and develop your career. You’ll have the opportunity to work on high-impact financial projects, collaborate with talented teams, and gain exposure to strategic cost management initiatives.If you’re looking for a role where you can make a real difference and be part of a forward-thinking business, we’d love to hear from you!What can we do for you?People first. Always. We’re passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. We owe it to them so that’s what we offer. Our workplaces are energetic, inspirational, supportive. To get a taste of the advantages you’ll enjoy, take a look at all our perks in full .Intrigued? Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what we’re offering, so feel free to get in touch.

Expected salary

£37000 – 45000 per year

Location

Haywards Heath, West Sussex

Job date

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 03:32:56 GMT

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