Finance Associate: Finance & Performance - Arla Foods UK- Leeds Do you thrive on building strong business partnerships that turn insight into meaningful, measurable impact? Do you want the opportunity to influence financial performance while gaining exposure to senior stakeholders across the UK and Europe? How you will make an impact As a Finance Associate (Finance & Performance), youll play a pivotal role in delivering high-quality financial insight and supporting business leaders across Commercial and the wider organisation. Youll take ownership of core forecasting and reporting processes, drive cost discipline, and act as a trusted finance partner- enabling informed, data-driven decision making. Key responsibilities include; Lead the monthly forecasting cycle including loading, validating, and reconciling forecast data, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment to Zone and Group requirements. Review and control SG&A costs, ensuring accurate monthly figures that support effective decision-making, while partnering with stakeholders to identify risks, opportunities, and improvement actions. Oversee cost control and financial compliance in areas such as Packaging Recovery Notes (PRN) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Deliver clear, timely, high-quality reporting that enables strong operational and commercial decision-making. Act as a trusted finance partner, providing proactive guidance, challenging assumptions, and continuously improving forecasting and reporting processes. What will make you successful? Whether youve recently completed a finance qualification or graduate programme (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) or are soon to be qualified, wed love to hear from you. To thrive in this role, youll bring a strong analytical mindset and a passion for turning data into meaningful financial insight. Youll work confidently with stakeholders across functions- challenging constructively and communicating clearly- while applying solid financial acumen o support decision-making. Your strong Excel skills and understanding of financial processes, gained through hands-on experience or placements, will help you make an immediate impact as you continue to grow. What do we offer? Were committed to supporting your growth and development, offering internal and external training opportunities. Youll enjoy a competitive salary, 26 days of holiday plus Bank Holidays, matched pension contributions up to 6%, life assurance, and flexible benefits. Would you like to join us? Please apply directly or contact Olivia Pine, Talent Acquisition Partner at Arla Foods, for more information. The closing date for this position is the 17 th February 2026 and only CVs sent directly via the link will be considered.