Senior Finance Business Partner

The purpose of the role is the provision of high quality and pro-active Finance Business Partnering to Centre(/s) of Excellence within Technology & Operations.

Client Details

My client is the largest university press in the world, publishing for three primary markets: research, education, and English language teaching. Their mission is to create world-class academic and educational resources and make them available as widely as possible.

Description

1) Provide Finance Business Partnering support to Technology & Operations Centre(/s) of Excellence:

• Enhance the understanding of financial performance and use financial data to support and influence decision making.
• Develop and maintain a full understanding of the underlying financial cost base and its drivers.
• Partner with management to ensure that forecasts/budgets reflect strategic planning/ direction and help them take decisions over resource allocation and actions to be taken in response to forecast performance.
• Work with management & Procurement on commercial relationships with suppliers.
• Balance risk management with identifying cost efficiency options, working capital efficiency and known/ required investment areas.
• Request ad hoc reports, analysis and support from FP&A team to help achieve the above.

2) Prepare investment appraisals and business cases as required to support initiatives.
3) Work with Group Functions FP&A on:

• the development of accurate financial budgeting and forecasting processes for Technology & Operations to enhance financial control and support to strategy development, scenario planning and decision-making processes.
• The presentation of results for Technology & Operations, supporting measurement of performance and option evaluation, plus commentary to interpret the results.
• Support Finance with any Group Functions escalations or queries. Enhance financial control and risk management within Technology & Operations areas, plus respond to internal audit activity.
• Work with Divisional Technology & Operations Business Partners, to ensure that financial direction aligns with Divisional priorities and that cross-functional dependencies are considered.

Profile

A successful 'Senior Finance Business Partner' should have:

• Qualified accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA or equivalent).
• Proven success in a commercial finance role, with a detailed knowledge and understanding of key commercial drivers.
• Experience of working with operational management in a commercial organisation
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to interpret and analyse data to make informed and insightful business recommendations pointing management towards opportunity for value addition.
• First-rate communication skills with the ability to present complex financials to varied populations, and to develop and maintain effective working relationships at all levels within the organisation.
• Ideally working in a matrix management environment within an international group with FP&A and Finance Operations disciplines

Job Offer

• A competitive bonus scheme, in addition to pension benefits
• A generous holiday leave package
• Opportunities for professional development within the organisation
• A positive and inclusive company culture that values employee wellbeing