Commercial Finance Accountant - 12 Month FTC

Join us in Pets at Home’s growing Veterinary Group as a Commercial Finance Accountant on a fixed-term contract, where you’ll play a key role in supporting Practice Owners, driving commercial performance and shaping the future growth of our nationwide practice network.

About the Role

As part of our Regional & Strategic Finance team, you’ll be a trusted business partner to Operational Teams and Practice Owners. You’ll provide insightful financial analysis, build robust business plans and support new openings, extensions, relocations and succession planning.

This is a hands‑on and varied role with real scope to make an impact.

The role offers a 12-month fixed-term contract and hybrid working (two office days per week) from our Support Office in Handforth, Cheshire.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Resolving financial queries from Regional Finance Managers, Business Development Partners and Practice Owners within agreed Service Level Agreements
• Leading periodic practice reviews and highlighting key financial risks and opportunities
• Attending regional meetings and providing clear commercial insight
• Analysing practice performance to support improvements
• Producing high‑quality business plans for new and existing practices
• Working with internal teams to model accurate revenue and cost forecasts
• Managing multiple ongoing projects with clear communication to stakeholders
• Partnering with Treasury on bank loan options
• Reviewing surplus cash positions and recommending loan repayments and dividend declarations
• Supporting practices through annual budgeting and testing of financial data
• Managing the relationship with external valuation advisors
• Gathering, coordinating and validating financial information for valuation processes
• Challenging and refining financial model assumptions
• Identifying ways to improve modelling and reporting processes

About You

• Studying towards / part‑qualified ACA/ACCA/CIMA (study support available)
• Strong Excel skills and confident with wider MS Office tools
• Skilled at explaining financial concepts to non‑finance colleagues
• Experience in financial modelling or similar commercial analysis (desirable)
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced environment with competing deadlines
• Experience in a franchise or practice‑owner model is beneficial
• SAP knowledge is helpful but not essential

What You Bring

• Clear, confident communication at all levels
• A collaborative, service‑driven mindset
• Strong ownership, organisation and attention to detail
• A passion for accuracy, improvement and delivering high‑quality work

Pets just see people. They aren’t biased and they don’t discriminate. We take our inspiration from pets, and we value and respect difference in all its forms. Our aim is to reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, and every colleague can help us achieve this. We encourage our people to be themselves so even if your skills and experience don’t perfectly align, if you think you can make a unique contribution through your values and behaviours, we want to hear from you!

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