Job Title: Retail Cost Accountant

Location: Head Office, Leicestershire
Salary: Competitive plus bonus & benefits

Are you a finance professional looking for a role with variety, impact, and exposure to senior management? Join the Retail Cost team at Next PLC and play a pivotal part in managing branch costs and forecasting group capital expenditure for the UK’s largest fashion retailer.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work at the heart of our Commercial Finance function, supporting key operational areas and helping shape financial decisions that drive our success.

What You’ll Be Doing:

As a Retail Cost Accountant, you’ll take on a broad range of responsibilities:

Branch Repairs & Maintenance Costs: Support the teams that maintain over 460 stores, ensuring they operate efficiently and look their best. Monitor and manage expenditure on store repairs and equipment maintenance. Company Energy Costs: Account for and monitor energy costs across our store network, addressing a critical and rising area of expenditure. Provide senior finance management with market insights on medium and long-term energy costs. Group Capital Expenditure (Capex) Forecasting: Oversee our £160m+ annual capex forecast, acting as the central point of contact within finance. Collaborate with Retail, Warehousing, and Systems finance teams to provide updates on spend vs. forecast to senior management.

Your Responsibilities Will Include:

Forecasting and Budgeting: Collaborate with cost centre managers to prepare accurate forecasts and budgets. Balance Sheet Reconciliation: Complete balance sheet reconciliations monthly, with supporting documentation and commentary. Ad Hoc Queries: Respond to stakeholder requests and investigate queries as they arise.

What We’re Looking For:

Qualifications: CIMA/ACCA/ACA qualified or nearly qualified. Skills: Proficiency in Excel is essential, alongside the ability to analyse, interpret, and communicate complex information clearly. Attributes: Strong attention to detail, excellent organisational skills, and a proactive, self-motivated approach. Adaptability: A talent for prioritising workloads and meeting tight deadlines.

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