Financial Planning Analyst

Job Advert Summary

Woolworths, a leading South African retailer committed to transformation and excellence, is seeking a talented Financial Planning Analyst to join our Fashion, Beauty and Home (FBH) team based in Cape Town, Western Cape.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to support the Central Financial Planning team in delivering key business analytics and financial insights that drive strategic decision-making across the FBH business. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in sales forecasting, inflation modelling, markdown and margin analysis, budgeting, reporting, and performance forecasting to optimise business performance and profitability.

Minimum Requirements

• Relevant business 4-year degree (Retail business management / BCom/ CA)
• Minimum 5 years retail experience or relevant equivalent experience
• Extensive retail knowledge
• Forecasting knowledge/experience
• Advanced excel skills and computer literate
• Effective communication skills
• Analytical skills
• Problem solving ability
• Process thinking ability
• Conceptual ability

Duties and Responsibilities

• Performance Review and Analysis:
  • Timeous and accurate reporting to support strategy execution.
  • Monitor and analyse the group plans against high level merchandise financial and forecast plans. Identify risks/issues and opportunities.
  • Assist with ensuring accuracy of daily/weekly/monthly forecasting model of sales and sales margin.
  • Provide Finance with quarterly forecasts.

• Budget Process:
  • Assist with the budget process, provide guidance on weekly phasing of sales and markdowns.
  • Thorough checking and analysis of budgets to ensure reasonable and accurate.
  • Provide Finance with detailed weekly budgets down to sales margin.

• KPI/Incentive Scorecard:
  • Update, check and publish scorecard bi-annually for completion of performance documents (IPM process).

• Forex Management:
  • Assist with the maintenance of forex forecasts as required by Treasury for hedging compliance.
  • Monitor purchase orders on a weekly/monthly basis to ensure forecasts are aligned, up to date and accurate.

• In season trade:
  • Daily, weekly and monthly analysis of sales & sales margin, including markdowns and chain intake margins, as well as clearance sale analysis, determination of markdown provision for Finance and competitor analysis.
  • Provide formal and ad hoc reports, analysed with recommendations to support senior management decision making in managing the business and delivering strategy.