Senior Finance Business Partner

Job Description

Company description Location: Oldbury (flexible working available)Salary: £55K- £65K DOE + benefitsContract: PermanentHours: Full TimeSolution bringers. Day makers. Extra milers. We are the AA. And we keep everyones show on the road. There for our members wherever and whenever they need us, were always ready for anything. Thats why, for over 100 years, weve continued to evolve andadapt. Today, as the nations number one motoring organisation, we offer a range of excellent products and services to millions of customers. As a Senior Finance Business Partner, youll join our exciting journey to fulfil our future vision. We aim to supportthe UKs 17m drivers and to facilitate their driving lives through data and innovation; to succeed with this, we require a step-change in pace and thinking. Join us as we transform and deliver on this ambitious vision. This is the job As Senior Finance Business Partner, you will be a key member of the commercial finance team responsible for the financial management of the AAs Patrol Operations business.Patrol Operations is the Customer Service element of Britains leading Breakdown provider, including the provision of Outdoor (Patrols/Garages) Customer Service. Focused on its position as UK market leading breakdown organisation, servicing as efficientlyand effectively with a current cost base of approx. £270m and approx. 3,000 employees.You will take accountability and ownership for the Financial Management and Reporting of the Outdoor cost base, comprising but not limited to; Patrol costs, Garaging & Fleet costs, including P&Ls, Balance Sheets & Cashflows. The role provides all aspectsof financial support to the business and their teams, including commercial support, challenge and strategic decision making.Key partnerships with the Heads of Operations North/South, Head of Roadside Supply & Head of Operational Analytics, and their respective teams, to understand how key operational KPIs link to and impact the operational cost base.This role will also partner within Finance with the Financial Planning & Analysis team and the Financial Reporting Team, to provide reporting and insight in to historic and projected performance. What will I be doing

• Accountable for integrity of reporting, understanding and explanation of operational performance for £270m of Road operations outdoor costs
• Understanding the financial impact of Operational KPI performance, with ability to understand and explain the financial impact of these clearly to senior management.
• Proactively contribute to the strategic direction and decisions of the business area, constructively challenging and influencing to optimise performance.
• Work across the Operations finance team to develop and embed an outdoor cost to serve measure, ensuring clarify of definition and calculation. Use this to ensure operational performance develops such that the cost to serve is minimised and deviations fromthe forecast level are well understood and explained.
• Understand key Outdoor Operational cost saving/efficiency projects, ensuring benefit delivery is tracked against forecast
• Develop full understanding of financial modelling undertaken for the outdoors cost base. Work with the business to agree and own financial assumptions to be input into any financial forecasts, and understand and track Risks & Opportunities against theseforecasts on an ongoing basis
• Drive forward cost efficiency projects, working with the business to ensure accurate benefits calculation, leading to effective decision making
• Be an integral part of the improvement of Road Operations reporting, forecasting and MI to provide both accurate and timely financial information, giving transparency and insight into business performance.
• Act as a deputy where required to the Head of Finance in reporting and understanding the finance view for Road Operations.
• Mentor and lead junior team members to drive forward change and meet the collective team deliverables
• Contribute to the monthly business review packs, for director and exec review meetings, including completion of detailed commentary over cash, balance sheet and EBITDA performance for Outdoors, with all variances explained and understood.
• Pro-actively work with and challenge the business on all aspects of performance
• Ad-hoc projects and involvement to support the wider Finance team.
• Responsible for building and maintaining key stakeholder relationships.

What do I need Capability, Knowledge and Experience:

• Proven experience working in a Senior Business Partnering role in a large, fast-paced, complex organisation
• You will have strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, including tenacity, and credibility, to influence, negotiate and communicate at a senior level within the business
• A dynamic, hands-on approach with an eye for detail is essential. The successful candidate will have strong analytical skills and demonstrate ability to assimilate information and make decisions quickly
• A confident self-starter, with a hands-on approach and the ability to operate within a dynamic environment
• Have excellent interpersonal skills and be able to work well in a team environment
• Strong motivational skills with the ability to work using your own initiative to tight time scales
• Manage to tight timeframes and manage the time scales of other stakeholders to ensure that activity is focused
• Knowledge of the industry is an advantage
• Strong analytical skills, including structured problem solving, modelling, business analysis
• Commercial acumen and a proactive, results orientated approach
• Adaptable and flexible, with the ability to prioritise and deliver under tight or conflicting deadlines
• Accurate, thorough and reliable
• Experience of SAP/BPC preferable
• Excellent Microsoft Excel/Office skills