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 Scotland
From Glasgow to Edinburgh, Gretna Green to Inverness, Scotland is a beautiful country that offers plenty of opportunity for those seeking Finance Analyst vacancies.
Scotland has had a long and tumultuous history, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries when relations with England were fraught with difficulty.
In 1707, the Acts of Union were passed and the Kingdom of Great Britain was created. This resulted in the abolishment of trade tariffs and the Scottish economy quickly grew. Clippers carried tobacco to Glasgow from the New World during the 18th century. Then, during the Industrial Revolution, everything from ships and locomotives through to coal, textiles and steel were produced on a massive scale.
Fast forward to today and Scotland's economy is more focused on the service sector - although manufacturing and oil production are still important.
Edinburgh is one of Europe's largest financial centres, home to companies like Lloyds, Standard Life, the Bank of Scotland and the Royal Bank of Scotland. It's also the seat of Scottish government and an important tourist destination, hosting one of the largest culture festivals in the world.
Whisky is one of Scotland's best-known exports, with numerous distilleries and bottlers located around the country, including Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie and Teacher's Highland Cream, as well as liqueurs like Drambuie and Glayva.
Other companies with headquarters or regional facilities in Scotland include IBM and Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Amazon, BAE and Rolls-Royce.
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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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