Head Of Commercial Support - Higher Education And Canada

We have been a leading figure in publishing for more than five hundred years. We have always been a forward-looking organization, maximizing the technology of the day, but the digital revolution is bringing enormous change, fast. That same spirit of adventure and entrepreneurialism is critical to our future success. In a fast-changing publishing landscape, OUP welcomes the inquisitive, the inventive, and the ambitious; people who challenge the conventional, and pioneer the possible.

The Academic division publishes books, journals, and digital resources for the research, professional, and Higher Education markets, covering a broad range of subject areas. 

About the Role

As Head of Commercial Support you will provide financial and Commercial Support to the Higher Education group (including OUP Canada), within the Academic division of OUP. Reporting into the Finance Director, Academic the key components of the role are delivery of financial results, strategy, budgeting & forecasting, Commercial Support, major product launches, business & market analysis, and teamwork.

• Work with management team to ensure results are delivered for the financial year, tracking, and understanding risks and putting mitigation plans in place.
• Work alongside HE leadership team to devise and deliver strategy, including appropriate allocation of resources and targeted investment.
• Deliver budget and forecast for the group. Needs to have a clear understanding of how financial targets will be delivered, and a clear understanding of risks.
• Ensure all major decisions taken within HE and Canada, including investment appraisals, are taken with sound commercial judgement.
• Hold business to account for major product launches, ensure tracking mechanisms and governance in place to help ensure return on investment.
• Perform ad-hoc business analysis to aid effective decision making.
• Work effectively as part of the Academic Finance team, the Academic Division and across the wider OUP group.

We operate a hybrid working policy that requires a minimum of 2 days per week in the Oxford office. 

About You

This is a finance business partnering role and we are looking for someone with strong experiences of developing and executing strategy, decision making, and facilitating conversation within a changing environment. The person taking on this role will have the following skills and experience:

• Qualified ACA (or CIMA / ACCA) with post-qualification experience.
• Experience in commercial or business partnering role.
• Initiative and the ability to successfully implement innovative ideas, with the drive to see them through to delivery.
• Self-starter and able to work independently.
• Outgoing, persuasive and a good communicator with the ability to communicate complex financial matters to colleagues all levels.
• Can manage a complex workload with multiple deadlines and stakeholders.
• Strong Excel skills
• Considerable experience of data analysis, interpretation, reconciliation, and presentation
• Familiarity with ERP systems (SAP preferred)
• Discrete and trustworthy
• A good collaborator

Benefits

We care about work/life balance here at OUP. With this in mind we offer 25 days’ holiday that rises with service, plus bank holidays and Christmas closure (3-days) and a 35-hour working week. We are open to discussing flexibility in respect to working patterns, dependent on role. We also have a great variety of active employee networks and societies. 

We help make your money go further by contributing to your pension up to 12%, offering loans and savings schemes through our partnership with Salary Finance, in addition to travel to work schemes and access to a wide range of local discounts. 

This role comes with the added benefit of private medical insurance, a car/allowance, and a management bonus.

Please see our Rewards and Recognition page for more information.

Queries

Please contact claire.rees@oup.com with any queries relating to this role. 

We are committed to supporting diversity in our workforce, and ensuring an inclusive environment where all individuals can thrive. We seek to employ a workforce representative of the markets that we serve and encourage applications from all.