Junior Commercial Analyst, HQ

To help the senior members of the HQ Commercial Finance team deliver a gold standard service to the publishing department. The role works across our imprints – HQ, HQ Digital, Pavilion, Akan Books and Mills & Boon. Tasks will include, but are not limited to, assisting with preparation of annual budget, acquisition P&Ls, month end analysis and reporting, monthly forecasting, profitability reviews, royalties reporting, and other ad hoc reporting (internal and external).  You will work closely with the Commercial Manager and Commercial Director and are expected to support the Publishing teams (e.g. Sales, Editorial, Marketing and PR, Production and Design).

This role requires a high level of accuracy and attention to detail. The Junior Commercial Analyst should be able to prepare reporting that requires minimal review and should be focused on ensuring that systems and data reconcile where appropriate. They should develop a sound understanding of the publishing P&L.

Responsibilities include:

Forecasting and Budgeting:

• Ensure timely and accurate delivery and reporting to stakeholders across the business:

• Ensure the publishing schedule of titles is accurately reflected in budgeting and forecasting

• Liaise with publishing teams to collect data needed for budgeting and forecasting

• Collate and upload this data into the Hyperion Planning system and ensure outputs reconcile to expectation. Inform the Commercial Manager of any issues with uploading or any unforeseen time pressures

• Prepare summary schedules for Commercial Manager review, where appropriate

• Assist with preparation of deck for budget and commercial review presentations

Acquisitions:

• Responsible for the preparation of investment cases for acquisition, for review by the Commercial Manager/Commercial Director.

• Accurately maintain schedule showing pipeline of acquisitions, including all financial detail to enable future analysis of performance against initial expectation

• Prepare profitability review to assist publishing teams with decision-making in author recontracts

 Month end accounting and reporting:

• Complete a variety of month end tasks that will grow with experience, including, but not limited to, preparation of provision for retrospective discounts granted to retailers, preparation of provisions for unearned advances, reviewing exception errors from the royalty system, and preparation of plant accruals.

• Ensure timely preparation of reports for review before monthly divisional executive meetings, including month end commercial reports and post-publication profitability reviews

•   Provide explanations of performance against expectation in key P&L areas

Tasks including, but not limited to:

• Ad hoc financial analysis to enable commercial decision-making in the division

• Quarterly royalties reporting

Skills and Experience:

•   Demonstrates desire to study for an accounting qualification (ACCA and CIMA)

• Ideally, experience in a fast-paced finance team, to include involvement in budgeting, forecasting and month end reporting OR office experience in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines and changing priorities

• Comfortable explaining financial concepts to non-finance colleagues

  Benefits

  • Hybrid working model (3 days in the office)

  • 28 days holiday plus bank holidays (option to buy and sell holiday days) 

  • Enhanced pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave 

  • Private healthcare cover and life assurance 

  • Summer Hours  

  • Free access to HeadSpace, employee assistance programme (24 hour helpline), mental health first aiders, and a wellbeing portal 

  • Season ticket loans (from day 1 for entry level) and cycle to work scheme 

  • Relocation Rent Support Loan  

  • Employee networks: HC All In (open forum), Elevate (for ethnic minority colleagues), HarperParents, Menopause at Work, Pride at HC, Social Mobility Network and Neurodiversity at Work

  • Unlimited training on our Learning and Development portal, management courses (up to MA level) and mentoring programmes 

  • Virtual GP and eyecare vouchers 

  • Gym membership discount 

  • Onsite physiotherapy (London only) 

  • Charitable donation matching and 2 volunteering days 

  • We're a certified Carbon Neutral company

  • Green Electric/Hybrid Car Benefit Scheme (salary sacrifice)

  • With Trees for Life we plant a tree in the Highlands of Scotland for every permanent hire

  • Free e-books and audiobooks, digital newspaper subscriptions and discounts on books 

  • Subsidised canteen and retail discounts 

  • Onsite prayer room 

    At HarperCollins, we value authenticity and integrity in our recruitment process. To ensure a fair and accurate evaluation of all applications, we ask that all responses to assessment questions reflect your own thoughts, experiences, and capabilities.  This allows us to fairly assess your knowledge, skills, and experience to determine how they align with the role. We value diverse perspectives and genuine contributions, even if answers are not perfect. The use of AI tools or external assistance to generate responses is discouraged unless explicitly permitted for specific tasks.

    If you wish to discuss anything regarding this position and/or your application to this role, please reach out directly to [email removed - click apply for more details] with subject heading ‘Vacancy Query’ plus the job title and we will aim to get back to you within 5 working days.

    Please note, if you are interested in the role you would need to submit your application via Applied. We do not accept email applications.