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 Northampton
Situated in the East Midlands on the banks of the River Nene, Northampton is a market town with a history dating back to the 6th century. By the end of the 11th century, the community had grown significantly and the Domesday Book records it as having a population of around 1,500 inhabitants.
During the 19th century, the city experienced further expansion thanks to the construction of the Grand Union Canal, which connected London and Birmingham with each other, as well as cities like Leicester, Slough and Northampton. Railways also arrived at the city around this time, further simplifying trade with the rest of the country.
Northampton was best known for producing shoes and other leather goods during the 1800s and a few companies that were established during this period still provide specialist, high-end items today - including Edward Green Shoes, Trickers, Church's and Crockett & Jones.
Over the years, most of the other footwear factories have been converted to offices or residential buildings and, although the shoe industry has declined, a number of other sectors have taken its place, including distribution, finance and manufacturing. So those seeking Finance Analyst roles in the area will have an array of employers to consider.
Just some of the well-known companies that have offices, factories or headquarters in Northampton include Coca Cola, Schweppes, Carlsberg, Texas Instruments, Avon Products, Blacks Leisure Group and Panasonic.
Meanwhile, Nationwide Building Society, Barclay Card, the University of Northampton and St Andrew's Healthcare are all major employers.
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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.
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