Strategy & Operations Analyst

Xero is a beautiful, easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and their accounting and bookkeeping advisors grow and thrive. 

At Xero, our purpose is to make life better for people in small business, their advisors, and communities around the world. This purpose sits at the centre of everything we do. We support our people to do the best work of their lives so that they can help small businesses succeed through better tools, information and connections. Because when they succeed they make a difference, and when millions of small businesses are making a difference, the world is a more beautiful place.

How you’ll make an impact

The Strategy & Operations Analyst is a critical role supporting the UK operational execution of key initiatives and strategic programmes of work. The role will closely support our Head of Operations in the UK to drive success in the region and ensure we achieve our 1-2 year performance objectives.

Bringing high energy and visibility across the organisation, you will create clarity for the key areas of focus for the region. Through collaboration with regional and global teams, you will provide analysis to support the development and execution of clear regional operating plans, turning our corporate strategy into action. You will be an expert collaborator and work across the broader UK and global teams to deliver key programmes of work and ensure cross functional plans align with the overall strategy for the region.

A key support for the UK Country Manager and their leadership team, you will provide analysis and inputs into global and regional operating rhythms including, but not limited to, quarterly business reviews, quarterly forecasts and annual planning processes.

What you’ll do

Operational planning & execution:

Support in driving initiatives, collaborating with key leads and tracking progress to enable delivery of our UK operating plan. As required to meet regional strategic needs, provide input into clearly defined business cases, that guide and inform planning with clear commercial modelling and measurable goals. Support with defining key results, measures and targets for regional initiatives. Using data analysis, proactively voice proposals / insights to help drive business decisions and required adjustments to plans and processes.

Reporting:

Coordinate and input into management reporting for the region, including monthly business performance and Quarterly Business Reviews. Put forward suggestions for improvements and optimisation of reporting rhythms and materials.

Operational Excellence:

Work with the UK Head of Operations and GTM teams to gather feedback and improve on existing processes to build in efficiencies. Foster a “continuous improvement” culture to drive innovation and efficiencies. Create and implement best practice guidelines to improve business performance and drive team productivity.

Strategy:

Support hypothesis-driven problem solving efforts by identifying key questions and the associated analyses. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to help in the development and evaluation of strategic options. Conduct thorough market and competitor research to identify emerging trends, synthesising information into clear recommendations

Success looks like

- Successful delivery of regional operating plans, aligning to Xero Corporate strategy

- Delivery of region specific and globally aligned strategic initiatives

- Strong alignment across regional GTM and functional teams

- Optimising efficiency across the UK business

- Timely delivery of relevant and accurate data / information / insights meeting the needs of the GTM teams

- Continuous adherence to Data Use and Governance processes and standards

- Clear articulation of market dynamics, target segments and required propositions

- Establishing a data-driven fact base to support forecasting and performance measurement

- Exceptional feedback - you will be seen as someone who collaborates widely and can get stuff done!

What you’ll bring with you

Critical competencies

- Self motivation, energy, passion and determination to succeed

- Ownership mentality, curiosity and comfort with ambiguity and a high-paced environment

- Experience in project management and delivery

- Clear and concise communication and outstanding interpersonal skills.

- Attention to detail and follow-up

- Ability to operate under pressure and multi task across a number of deliverables

- Ability to analyse data/information to make recommendations and/or decisions1-5 years experience in a strategy or operations environment, with strong analytical skills

Experience

- Experience in project or programme management and delivery

- Preferably, use of programme/workflow management tools e.g Asana

- Intermediate/advanced knowledge of Excel and / or Google Sheets, including financial modelling

- High level of detail and confidence working with numbers

- Preferably, experience with SQL for data extraction and analysis

Why Xero?

Offering very generous paid leave to use however you’d like (plus statutory holidays!), dedicated paid leave to care for your physical and mental wellbeing as well as an Employee Assistance Program to access mental health care for you and your family, private medical insurance, gym passes, employee resource groups, 26 weeks of paid parental leave for primary caregivers, an Employee Share Plan, beautiful offices, flexible working, and many other benefits that reflect our human value, you’ll do the best work of your life at Xero.