Finance Business Partner

Job Description

My client is recruiting two finance business partners in Essex & Cambridgeshire ( ACA / CIMA) to join their team.Role Purpose:

• As a finance Business Partner you will work closely with the directorships and leadership teams to deliver and maximise value.
• You will provide finance business partner support to a number of senior stakeholders up to and including FD/MD, Commercial and Operational Directors and Group CFO, building key relationships with their teams whilst providing decision making support throughfirst class financial information, analysis and recommendations. All while maintaining a strong system of financial controls.
• You will foster effective working relationships and collaborative approach across the Group, including the wider finance team.

As the Commercial Finance Business Partner you will work closely with the Group Retail & Commercial Director, Head of Group Retail and Group Head of Commercial.Your key responsibilities will be:

• Analysis of business case appraisals with supporting sensitivity analysis for key commercial agreements and contract negotiations.
• Delivery of the annual business plan, quarterly forecasting and ongoing performance review processes for retail and commercial, ensuring forecasts are meaningful, identifying risk and opportunities around future performance, and looking for ways to mitigaterisks and exploit opportunities.
• To proactively investigate performance and trends to assist in providing "early warnings" to the business and senior management.
• To assist stakeholders with understanding the financial implications of all business decisions through the production of ad hoc analysis, modelling and ongoing tracking of business performance.
• To proactively engage with and manage stakeholders focusing on supporting with relevant and insightful management information and analysis.
• To Understand and challenging current business practice, identifying and implementing initiatives to improve processes and deliver business growth objectives.
• To support long term investment decisions and business case development, particularly the Transformation Programme, to ensure we maximise revenue / EBITDA.

As the Operations Finance Business Partner you will work closely with the Managing Director and Assets Maintenance Director.Key responsibilities will be:

• To develop and support delivery of Operations budget and quarterly forecasts alongside the ongoing performance review process. Ensure risks and opportunities are identified and look for ways to mitigate risks and exploit opportunities.
• Work proactively with key business partners and stakeholders to develop successful partnering relationships, providing forward looking insight and challenge, adding demonstrable value through delivering business insights - acting as a catalyst for the businesschange.
• Provide strong financial review together with effective support for business development initiatives and supporting business cases (e.g. insourcing of elements of engineering and maintenance), ensuring there are clear, financially robust evaluations whichachieve financial targets.
• Proactively investigate spend trends to assist in providing "early warnings" to the business and senior management.
• Assist stakeholders with understanding the financial implications of all business decisions through the production of ad hoc analysis, modelling and ongoing tracking of business performance.
• To deputise for the Head of Finance as required.

The ideal candidate will offer:

• Qualified Accountant, with relevant post qualification experience essential.
• Previous Business Partnering experience with a proven ability to work in a matrix management structure, across multiple business lines and streams.
• Proactive, driven and solutions-focused approach. You will be a self-starter who is able to apply best practice appropriately, use internal and external insights, spot trends, patterns and connections and make recommendations - and you will be empoweredto do so.
• Business Planning experience in an FP&A/Forecasting role, with strong analytical skills, attention to detail and commercial awareness.
• Experience preparing business case appraisals including key investment metrics
• Effective communicator, with exceptional stakeholder management skills, able to constructively challenge and influence senior stakeholders. Able to provide credible and compelling presentation or challenge, underpinned with effective use of data/evidence/marketinsight, communicated in a way that is tailored to the stakeholder.
• Proven ability to plan, organise and prioritise demanding workloads in order to meet deadlines.
• Strong Excel, Word and PowerPoint skills with experience of financial modelling. Knowledge of SAP will be beneficial.