Financial Analyst in London - Robert Half

Financial Analyst - Inventory, Margin & Reporting

Luxury Retail Business
London | Office-based (5 days)

A leading luxury retail business is looking to appoint a Part-Qualified Financial Analyst to join its Inventory, Margin & Reporting team. This is a commercially focused role offering excellent exposure to stock, margin, and costing across a complex retail environment.

Reporting into a Senior Finance Manager, the role will suit a hands-on, analytically minded finance professional who enjoys working with data, understanding product economics, and partnering closely with Merchandising, Operations, and Group Finance.

The primary purpose of this role is to ensure the accuracy, integrity, and insightfulness of financial reporting related to inventory, product costing, and margins. You will play a key role in producing analysis that supports inventory optimisation, margin improvement, and effective cost management.

Financial Analysis & Reporting

• Produce weekly retail margin reports with clear commentary on trends and variances

• Deliver monthly margin analysis by season, product category, FX impact, and regional mix

• Support margin simulations for new wholesale accounts and clearance scenarios

• Partner with Merchandising to provide ad hoc margin and performance analysis

• Analyse markdown performance versus budget and prior year

• Maintain inventory coverage reporting and supporting models

• Analyse problematic and slow-moving stock and track monthly movements

• Maintain high-discounted P&L tracking, including sales, margin, and EBIT

• Build and maintain WIP and margin forecasting models

• Perform ad hoc analysis on stock provisions, freight, and duty costs

Costing

• Execute the monthly costing run, aligning Moving Average Cost (MAC) with system costs

• Identify and upload missing cost data to ensure accurate product costing

• Cost new products and submit information to Group Accounting

• Review and validate MAC movements, escalating material variances where required

Month-End & Reconciliations

• Reconcile stock between ERP and warehouse management systems

• Prepare and reconcile inventory-related balance sheet accounts

• Perform stock ageing analysis in collaboration with Logistics and Retail Operations

• Analyse movements in second- and third-choice stock with Quality teams

• Reconcile sales, COGS, margin, capex, and stock for management reporting

• Reconcile operational and merchandising-related costs with local finance teams

• Part-qualified accountant (ACCA / CIMA / ACA)

• Degree-educated or equivalent practical experience

• Strong grounding in accounting fundamentals

• Experience in inventory, stock, or cost-based environments (retail, FMCG, wholesale, manufacturing)

• Comfortable working with large data sets and financial models

• Previous exposure to ERP systems (SAP experience advantageous but not essential)

• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple priorities

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy

• Confident communicator who enjoys working cross-functionally

• Curious, analytical, and keen to continue developing professionally

• Exposure to luxury retail operations and complex inventory models

• Strong learning curve with clear progression for a part-qualified candidate

• Close partnership with commercial and operational teams

• A role where your analysis genuinely influences decision-making

Robert Half Ltd acts as an employment business for temporary positions and an employment agency for permanent positions. Robert Half is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Suitable candidates with equivalent qualifications and more or less experience can apply. Rates of pay and salary ranges are dependent upon your experience, qualifications and training. If you wish to apply, please read our Privacy Notice describing how we may process, disclose and store your personal data: gb/en/privacy-notice.