Senior Finance Analyst

Location: Essex
Working Pattern: Hybrid
Contract: Full-time

Copello are recruiting on behalf of a leading organisation within the defence and aerospace sector for a Senior Finance Analyst to join a high-profile Programme Finance team based in Essex.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance professional to take ownership of financial analysis and reporting for a major programme, providing trusted commercial and financial insight to senior stakeholders and programme leadership.

As Senior Finance Analyst, you will act as a key business partner to the Programme Manager and wider programme team, supporting financial performance, forecasting, planning, governance and decision-making across a complex defence programme.

You will play an important role in ensuring financial performance is understood, accurately reported and effectively managed, while identifying opportunities to improve processes and drive better business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, accurate and actionable financial analysis and insight to Programme and Finance leadership.

• Develop a strong understanding of the relationship between programme delivery and financial performance, translating financial data into meaningful insight for key stakeholders.

• Act as a trusted financial business partner to the Programme Manager and wider programme team.

• Support the delivery of key financial processes, including forecasting, Earned Value Management, Risk & Opportunity Management and programme reporting.

• Support the achievement of key business metrics, including bookings, sales, profit and cash.

• Lead and support quarterly Estimate at Completion (EAC) reporting.

• Contribute to the development of the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and five-year strategic plan.

• Ensure adherence to financial governance, policies and internal controls.

• Provide financial insight and challenge within the business risk and opportunity management process, including development, analysis, mitigation and review.

• Promote accuracy, predictability and value-added financial analysis across programme deliverables.

• Build strong working relationships with stakeholders across Finance, Programme Management, Commercial and other business functions.

• Support the Finance Manager with financial analysis relating to new business opportunities, investment decisions and pricing.

• Identify opportunities to improve financial systems, processes and ways of working, championing best practice across the organisation.

• Provide ad-hoc financial analysis and decision support as required.

Required Experience

• Qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA or ACA) or actively working towards qualification/finalist stage.

• Proven experience within project or programme accounting.

• Strong business partnering capability, with experience working collaboratively across multiple functions.

• Commercial finance experience gained within a defence, aerospace, engineering or other complex contracting environment.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret financial information and communicate key insights to non-finance stakeholders.

• Excellent attention to detail and a strong understanding of financial governance and process adherence.

Desirable Experience

• Experience using SAP, Power BI and Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

• Experience working within a complex engineering, manufacturing or project-based environment.

• Knowledge of Earned Value Management, forecasting and Estimate at Completion processes.

• A proactive, inquisitive and commercially minded approach.

• Experience identifying and implementing improvements to financial processes and systems.

Security Clearance

Due to the nature of the programmes involved, candidates will need to be eligible and willing to obtain BPSS and SC security clearance.

About the Opportunity

This role offers the opportunity to join a high-performing finance function supporting major programmes within the UK defence and aerospace sector. You will have significant exposure to programme leadership and will play a key role in providing the financial insight required to support delivery, performance and strategic decision-making.