Finance Analyst
Businesses survive or fail on the strength of their ability to accurately measure the way they perform in their sectors, and to make solid forecasts on how the market is going. This number-crunching is vital for choosing investment pathways, deciding on boosting or scaling back service streams, and making decisions about locations, staffing and all manner of opportunities and threats. It’s why the finance analyst plays such a pivotal role in any ambitious company.
The successful finance analyst will be able to see the big picture regarding the business’s performance, but they are also detail people, able to spot the beginnings of trends from the merest financial signal. They’ll be able to accurately model a range of potential responses, which can then be taken to the board to make informed decisions about future directions.
Skills required by finance analysts
Finance analyst jobs naturally require a thorough understanding of the way investment and business performance work, and will be able to distinguish patterns from outliers as they are analysing the data. Most positions demand CIMA, ACCA or ACA qualifications as a minimum with experience, but you might also require a CFA Charter.
Since you’ll be presenting cases to the directors to base decisions on, you’ll need to be able to condense extremely complex datasets into simple, readable and convincing reports and forecasts that can be relied upon. Finance analysts with a good track record in this area are highly sought after.
Finance Analyst Jobs in Belfast
As Northern Ireland's capital and largest city, Belfast offers a number of opportunities for those seeking Finance Analyst positions.
The region was first settled during the Bronze Age and had become a thriving community by the 17th century.
During the Industrial Revolution, Belfast was known for producing a broad range of goods, including linen, rope and tobacco.
Meanwhile, its proximity to two large bodies of water - Belfast Lough and the River Lagan - made the city an ideal location for shipbuilding.
Over a period of 150 years, Harland and Wolff - once one of the city's most famous shipbuilders and currently fabricating equipment for the marine, offshore and renewable energy sectors - constructed numerous vessels. These included luxury liners like the Titanic, Olympic and Britannic, as well as the HMS Belfast, a Royal Navy light cruiser that is now permanently moored on the River Thames in central London.
Following the First World War, Belfast's economy began to slowly decline and by the 1960s and 1970s, the city's situation gradually deteriorated as civil unrest of the period known as The Troubles created a fragile financial situation and a community riddled with violence.
However, since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, Belfast has once again emerged as a city with a viable economy and there has been rapid redevelopment.
These days, Belfast is a centre for education and commerce and companies based here include Allstate NI, Moy Park, Bombardier Aerospace and Translink - Northern Ireland's main provider of public transport.
Popular locations
Finance analyst recruitment at Cast UK
When you’re looking for the type of finance analyst who can really get under the skin of your company’s performance and prospects, turn to Cast UK to find the right person. We have the details of incredibly talented finance analysts who are looking for a career move right now. Call us on 0333 121 3345 to talk to a consultant.
If you’re an experienced and qualified finance analyst, we want to hear from you so we can introduce you to some of the UK’s most forward-looking businesses. Register with us below to get started.
Contact us