Commercial Accountant - 18 Month FTC

Location: We welcome applications from those looking for hybrid working, based 2 days in our Handforth (Cheshire) Office.

Pets at Home Group Plc is the UK’s leading pet care business, providing pets and their owners with the very best advice, products and care. Pet products are available online or from over 450 pet care centres, many of which also have vet practices and grooming salons. The Group also operates a leading small animal veterinary business, with over 440 veterinary general practices located both in our pet care centres and in standalone locations.

“We put pets first” is our number one value at Pets at Home. Every colleague has a part to play to ensure that we deliver on this value every day. Our love and understanding of pets led us to develop our long-term goal to improve the life of every pet in the UK.

This covers not only the pets in our care, the pets of owners that use our products and services but also the pets that we can help through our charity work and through educating and advocating for change in society and the wider pet care and veterinary industry.

Our business is fast-paced, innovative and fun and it's our people that make the real difference.

About the Role

We are seeking a dynamic and driven Commercial Accountant to join our finance team, on an 18-month FTC. As a key business partner, you will collaborate closely with our Regional Finance Manager (RFM), Business Development Partners (BDPs), and Practice Owners (POs) to ensure financial success and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities - what you'll be doing

• Owning and efficiently resolving queries from RFM, BDPs, and POs within Service Level Agreement timelines.
• Proactively conducting periodic practice reviews and providing key discussion points for financial reviews.
• Reviewing surplus cash position and proposing strategic bank and partner loan repayments, as well as Interim and Year End dividend declarations.
• Attending and presenting at Regional Meetings as required.
• Conducting in-depth analysis of practice performance, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for future improvement.
• Providing support for performance analysis to the Group Reporting team and FP&A team.
• Assisting in the budget process by collating, loading, and testing data.
• Providing cover for RFM as required.
• Undertaking other finance-related tasks as needed.

About You - What you'll bring to the role

Education

• Part qualified Accountant / Finalist (ACA, ACCA, CIMA)

Skills & Knowledge

• 3 years experience
• Advanced Excel skills are essential, including PivotTable, VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP. Macros would be desirable but not essential.
• Knowledge of other MS Office applications
• SAP – desirable but not essential
• Ability to work at pace with a high level of organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver exceptional customer service.
• High level of attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritize workload and manage strict deadlines.
• Effective communicator at all levels, capable of simplifying complex financial issues for non-financial partners and colleagues.
• Strong team player with effective communication skills across disciplines.
• Demonstrates a strong service ethos and aligns with the vision and values of the vet group.
• Passion for accuracy and a drive for continuous improvement.
• Ability to take ownership of problems and drive them to a conclusion.

We take our inspiration from pets in embracing people from all walks of life, and we value, respect and celebrate difference. We encourage our people to be their best selves so that we can create a better world for Pets, our Planet, and People. Our ambition is to reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, and we are intentional in addressing and removing barriers to create opportunities for the exceptional talent and potential in our communities. Even if your skills and experience don’t perfectly align, if you think you can make a unique contribution through your values and behaviours, we want to hear from you.