Financial Analyst, Retail & eCommerce (FP&A)
Ralph Lauren Corporation is seeking an ambitious and highly analytical person to join the Ralph Lauren North America Retail FP&A team. The individual will work together with key business partners to support the group’s baseline financial operations including driving the budget, forecasting, monthly financial close and reporting processes. A key portion of the job will be monthly financial analysis and reporting, forecasting, annual planning and ad-hoc analysis.
The ideal candidate will be a proactive and strategic financial professional with the ability to multi-task with a high degree of analytical proficiency and integrity. This position requires good foundational knowledge and experience in finance/accounting and a firm understanding of both financial and retail concepts with ability to work with wide range of business partners as their finance partner and resource.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities P&L Management
- Perform monthly close, forecasting, and reporting objectives for North America B&M Retail. Analyze operating results against budgets and prior year (variance analyses) and compile all deliverables per monthly timelines.
- Prepare monthly forecasts for store level expenses, and overhead expenses; Engage functional and corporate partners to update forecasts for supply chain, rent/occupancy/depreciation, marketing, store operations, and creative/brand presentation
- Participate & oversight of monthly close process (reclasses, accruals, etc.), ensuring proper entries are recorded by Corporate Accounting that appropriately reflect business activities
- Serve as a Finance resource to business in managing expenses. Liaise with business partners on regular basis to gather information and provide reporting and information as needed to facilitate informed financial decision-making by business and achievement of budget/forecast targets.
- Assist departmental leads in identifying risks, efficiencies and/or opportunities through analysis. Alert management to potential areas of exposure and recommend solutions to ensure on-budget performance.
- Create executive level reporting to inform and facilitate decision-making. Identify and perform focused analysis of key business drivers to support operating & strategic initiatives.
- Provide support in the preparation of annual Budget and LRP process for B&M Retail divisions.
- Perform ad hoc analyses, prepare various reports and presentations
Real Estate / Capital Management
- Support manager with evaluation of strategic initiatives including new store openings, store remodels and store closures by preparing Pro-Forma models and Capital Request forms for management approval
- Manage capital appropriation request models of all projects in the retail store pipeline by proactively interacting with internal groups to assess sales and expense assumptions used to determine ROI
- Build and analyze detailed Store P&Ls to determine opportunities for 4-Wall improvement
- Provide guidance on treatment of expenditures as capital and/or expense
Process Analysis and Improvement
- Through financial partnership with business partners, ensure teams are following appropriate Corp and Financial policies/processes. Alert management of potential areas of exposure or risk of proper compliance
- Analyze existing processes and identify process improvement opportunities and provide support as new processes are coordinated and put in place within and across divisions
- Build finance reporting that leverages systemic reporting and global standards for consistency
Experience, Skills & Knowledge
- Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and/or Accounting
- Finance or Accounting experience; FP&A in a multinational or retail company preferred
- Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint
- Systems experience with SAP, Hyperion/Essbase, a plus
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written, along with the ability to influence and demonstrate confidence in communications with senior level management
- Strong organizational, analytical and interpersonal skills are required
- Agile learner – able to quickly assimilate relationships between variables under analysis
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, including deadline-sensitive priorities
- Flexibility in adjusting and reprioritizing to meet changing needs in a fast-paced work environment
- Must have highest degree of accuracy with a strong attention to detail
- Must be self-motivated/self-starter with the ability to work independently
- Team player possessing a strong work ethic