FET Analyst

Unilever is currently hiring for: FET Analyst

Function: Finance

Reports to:FET Lead - Senior Finance Manager

Scope: Southern Africa

Location: Durban

Terms & Conditions: Full time

ABOUT UNILEVER

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world. 

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

JOB PURPOSE

As the FET Analyst, you will provide analytical, planning, and reporting support to the FET Finance Lead across strategic planning, performance optimisation, and other growth pathways and initiatives. You will collaborate with global teams, divisional partners, and cross-functional colleagues to deliver high‑quality insights, modelling, and performance reporting that enables effective decision‑making.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

1. Strategic Support and Planning

• Assist in strategic planning and insights development robust data analysis, scenario modelling, and insights preparation.

• Prepare materials that support senior stakeholder discussions and leadership reviews.

• Support transformation projects including portfolio optimisation by delivering robust analysis, scenario modelling, and insights that inform strategic recommendations.

• Contribute to the development and enhancement of business planning processes, performance dashboards, modelling tools, and forecasting frameworks.

• Understand core business objectives and support delivery against KPIs by tracking performance, identifying insights, and flagging risks or opportunities.

• Prepare robust business cases, including financial modelling, ROI analysis, and strategic rationale to support decision‑making.

• Gather, analyse, and interpret economic data, benchmarking Unilever performance against industry trends and key competitors.

• Contribute to the preparation and refinement of the Future Growth Model, ensuring accurate assumptions, data inputs, and scenario analysis.

• Build effective working relationships with divisional, global, and Southern Africa teams, acting as a key support point for coordination and data exchange.

2. Performance Management

• Conduct detailed analysis to support growth, margin improvement, and profitability initiatives.

• Support the development and implementation of pricing strategies, applying NRM/NRR principles to identify opportunities.

• Assist in preparing corrective action plans and updating forecasts when business conditions change.

• Support divisional partners with portfolio reviews and long‑term strategic assessments.

• Assist in coordinating and managing elements of the end‑to‑end budget process, including templates, consolidation, and performance insights.

3. Team, Stakeholder & Collaboration Support

• Support the FET Finance Lead and broader team with high‑quality analysis, insights, and deliverables.

• Work collaboratively with cross-functional and global partners, maintaining strong communication and alignment.

• Uphold and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion principles through day‑to‑day interactions and project work.

4. Information & Analytics (I&A) Support

• Contribute to simplification, automation, and digitisation initiatives aligned to the Finance Digital Agenda.

• Liaise with I&A teams, offshore partners, and digital capability teams to support the adoption of RPA, automation tools, and improved reporting systems.

Experiences & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree plus a professional finance qualification (CA, CIMA, or equivalent).

• 6 - 8 years’ experience in various finance roles with strong business partnering credentials.

• Experience working with multi-geographical and multicultural teams is desirable.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment with flexibility.

• Strong influencing and leadership skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire.

• Proven effectiveness in complex environments and driving business performance.

• Ability to manage multiple senior stakeholders and drive change management initiatives.

• Skilled in presenting complex information simply and explaining finance concepts to non-finance stakeholders.

Skills

• Financial Analysis

• Proficiency in SAP and Microsoft Excel

• Excellent communication and influencing skills.

• Stakeholder Management

Leadership

• You are energized by delivering fantastic results. You are an example to others – both your results and your resilience. You are constantly on the lookout for better ways to do things, engaging and collaborating with others along the way.

• As an individual you are the one responsible for your own wellbeing and delivering high standards of work. You must also focus on the Consumer and what they need. You are humble and have your head up, looking around to interpret evidence and data smartly, spot issues and opportunities to make things better.

Unilever is an equal opportunities employer and committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.  We are intentional in employing the best talent that reflects the demographics of our country, and which will help build representation of currently under-represented groups. We therefore invite applications from all candidates representing diversity of age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief. When appointing potential candidates, the South African Employment Equity and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Legislation will be considered.  

We are required by law to verify your ability to work lawfully in South Africa. If you are applying as a foreign national, please note that you may be requested to provide supporting documents supporting this.

This is an office-based role in Durban and requires 100% of time attendance on site.

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.