6 MONTHS FIXED TERM CONTRACT
BASED IN LONDON, PADDINGTON - HYBRID (2 days working from home)
About the Role
We have an exciting opportunity for a results-driven and analytical Senior Finance Analyst to join our Packaging Division Commercial Finance team on a 6 months Fixed Term Contract basis, with potential to be extended. This role is focused on the fundamentals and includes: forecasting accuracy analysis, participation in the budget cycle and building compliance frameworks for global reporting tools. You will play a vital part in consolidating data from various finance systems to support the broader team with analysis and insight generation.
Your profound capabilities in data analytics and the quick understanding of the broader business picture will add valuable insights into the decision-making process at the central sales level and will give you the the opportunity to contribute in a significant way.
Key Responsibilities:
Forecast Accuracy and Performance Tracking:
Analyse forecast variances and work closely with business teams to improve forecasting methods and accuracy.
Provide actionable insights that enhance decision-making and planning processes.
Continuously improve forecast models and performance tracking tools.
Budget Planning and Management:
Support the annual budgeting process.
Coordinate data collection and validation across business units.
Conduct variance analysis and help drive alignment across regions.
Global Reporting Platforms Reconciliation & Governance:
Maintain the integrity of financial data across sales tools and platforms.
Implementation of governance processes to ensure data consistency and reliability.
Partner with commercial and operational stakeholders to optimise data flows and system use.
Data Consolidation for Analysis:
Pull together and validate data from multiple finance systems (e.g., ERP, CRM, BI platforms).
Ensure completeness and accuracy of data used in financial models and strategic analysis.
Support the wider finance team with high-quality, ready-to-use data for deeper analysis and scenario planning.
About You
Graduate calibre - Finance at degree level or above, qualified accountant.
Strong, demonstrable analytical skills, able to interpret large amounts of financial data into meaningful business insights (experience in the FMCG industry preferred).
Advanced skills in Excel are a must; skills in Power BI would be an advantage.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively manage upwards communication.
Commercial acumen, with the ability to be agile, pro-active and independent, delivering to sometimes tight deadlines.
A Continuous improvement mindset and the drive to improve our processes.
Cognos Analytics & Hyperion experience beneficial.
To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.
#LI-TG
DS Smith Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about DS Smith and has not been reviewed or approved by DS Smith.
-
Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered okay to good across many roles, with some plants indicating competitive or above‑market hourly rates for operators and similar positions. This supports a broadly fair perception of base pay even as experiences vary by site.
-
Healthcare Strength — U.S. offerings include day‑one medical/vision and dental, employer HSA contributions, and 100% company‑paid life and short/long‑term disability, alongside an EAP. Some role descriptions also highlight mental‑health and fertility options.
-
Retirement Support — Packages commonly reference a 401(k) with company match and, in some locations, pension eligibility or company‑funded retirement contributions. This positions retirement benefits as a meaningful component of total rewards.
DS Smith Insights
Similar Jobs
What We Do
DS Smith provides innovative packaging solutions, paper products and recycling services with a commitment to sustainability and a circular economy. Our core purpose is to Redefine Packaging for a Changing World, and our expert teams work closely with like-minded partners to incorporate renewable resources for products that minimize our environmental impact, reduce complexity and increase profitability through supply chain optimization
