Head Of Commercial Finance

We're looking for a Finance Business Partner - Central Services to join our Finance team at our Head Office in Caledonian Road.

£50,000.00 per annum, working 35 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.

Want to feel like you're making a difference? You'll feel at home here.

Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.

This role will fill two very important functions:

Business Partner to Central Services - Supporting the Head office functions to manage their budgets

FP&A - support the Senior Manager for FP&A to run the budgeting, forecasting and business planning processes.

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

What you'll do:

Work with Central Services (Head office) colleagues to review their management accounts on a regular basis ensuring that risks are understood and actions are identified to mitigate these.
Support Central Services colleagues to get help from other relevant finance team members, this could include advocating with finance on behalf of Operations or supporting Operations to understand finance policies, concepts and processes.
Lead on budgeting and forecasting for Central Services.
Support the Senior FP&A Manager to lead the Group budgeting, forecasting and 30 year business planning processes.
Deputise for Senior FP&A Manager when required. This may include working with CFO on budgeting analysis or longer term modelling.
Lead on maintaining all budgeting and forecasting templates and reports. Identifying areas of improvement and ensuring that the templates are kept relevant as the organisation develops
Support with financial evaluation of new business opportunities and their impact on Look Ahead's long term financial viability.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:

Previous experience of planning and budgeting and delivery of key reports in a large organisation.
Be capable of managing (sideways and upwards) senior individuals across multiple disciplines and have extensive, demonstrable people management experience and a clear understanding of the people implications and people agenda on the success of the business.
Financial expertise to understand requirements, produce reports, provide financial analysis and to identify underperformance and risks.
Confident, ability to lead, and communicate with others to influence business decisions and financial performance.
Meticulous, accurate and attention to detail
Experience in business modelling and financial forecasting.
Advance skills in using Excel and to learn specific planning systems such as Bricks

What you'll bring:

Essential:

ACA, ACCA, CIPFA, CIMA or equivalent full professional qualification.
Ability to analyse complex financial information, identify issues, recommend solutions and express them clearly to "lay" managers.
Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals and all levels internally and externally.

Desirable:

Experience in business partnering of FP&A

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 120 services, providing support to around 6000 customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:

We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.