Finance
Finance makes sure everything adds up, interprets data and helps us make the most of all the exciting commercial opportunities out there. What do our weekly sales figures really tell us? How can we make the most of our new e-commerce website? New questions and opportunities come up every day - and that’s what makes it such an exciting and important part of our global business.
Finance doesn’t just support our business. It drives it too. Finance plays a vital role in driving all of our landmark projects around the world, from the global roll-out of SAP to the development of our state-of-the-art, purpose-built distribution centre in Street.
We divide Finance’s work into three key areas: Central Finance (incorporating Group Finance), Commercial Finance, and Tax and Treasury. Our responsibilities include:
- Management and financial reporting. Daily, weekly and monthly management and statutory financial reporting for our Group, including historic reporting.
- Strategic decision support. Strategic advice for planning, budgeting and forecasting; post-investment appraisal; and general commercial financial support - all to help drive profit across the globe.
- Stewardship, control and risk assessment. Safeguarding our assets and ensuring proper procedures are in place for insurance, risk management and cash/bank management.
- Transaction processing. Providing a range of services to employees, customers and suppliers - including payment of expenses, payments to suppliers and credit management activities.
In addition, we manage the Clarks pension scheme, Strategy and Governance, Membership Administration, and Investments and Treasury.
Spotlight on an ... Overheads Accountant
As an Overheads Accountant in our Finance function, you’ll help to steer and guide our global business by helping with financial planning. This involves producing annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, and ensuring accurate reporting of actual costs. You’ll have lots of contact with managers from across the business, getting to grips with their financial needs.
In a typical week, as much as there is one in a fast-moving global business like ours, you’ll work with our financial software, use spreadsheets, meet with managers and different members of the team, and follow up queries via email or telephone. Accurate forecasting’s essential to our continued success and our ambitious international growth plans, so it’s no exaggeration to say that you’ll be at the heart of our business.