Senior Finance Business Partner

Job Purpose

The Senior Finance Business Partner is responsible for supporting and managing the Finance Business Partners in conjunction with performance management, decision taking and commercial support, pricing support/product profitability analysis, product modelling/profitability, budgeting/forecasting, business case preparation and review, market/customer/competitor analysis and are a key agent of change.

Key Responsibilities

Business Partner Activities

• Manage and support Finance business in their functions and output to key stakeholder to ensure consistency and accuracy
• Act as the main link between the Finance function and the business (e.g. Operations and Sales teams)
• Provide proactive business, functional and external (market, competitor and customer) insight based on in–depth business knowledge
• Solve key business problems in a timely manner
• Improve business decision making, influencing and drive optimal business outcomes
• Develop and sustain long term relationships with business stakeholders (e.g. CFO, Business Heads, BLT Group)
• Identify and challenge ways of working that impact efficient performance delivery and influence stakeholders to initiate changes with the COE and GPOs
• identifying gaps and close out timely manner
• Coach non finance managers for gaps identified
• Form judgements based on ambiguous and incomplete data
• Partner closely with business decision makers to gain deeper understanding of business operations (Technology, Finance, Customer Interaction Centre and Logistics) and challenges

Compilation of Business Plan

• Enable the compilation of the Business Plan for the Business Unit
• Facilitating and compiling the Business Unit plans Integrating BU operational plans with financial plan to enable operating plan delivery
• Influencing strategic direction of the Business Unit through interpretation of the financial and sustainable impacts of strategic direction
• Challenging Business Unit assumptions and strategies to ensure that these align to common realities and to those as issued by Group functions
• Review finance business partners business plans
• Governance and Financial Risk

Ensure appropriate governance and financial risk management

• Create business risk awareness to identify risks for the short and medium-term financial strategic objectives, and to develop and implement the necessary risk mitigating plans in line with the organisation Risk Management Framework
• Provide specialist input into financial risk matters and fulfil a governance role in accounting, tax, insurance, procurement, financial information management systems by liaising with Centres of Excellence
• Ensure the operation of robust internal control system in the Business Unit to enhance control effectiveness and address process inefficiencies by liaising with Design Authority Team

Customer Service

• Manage and enhance customer service expectations and ensure continuous improvement and service
• Use a formalised process to understand customer needs
• Ensure customer needs and requirements are satisfied through appropriate systems / processes / procedures
• Initiate change to continually improve all aspect of service delivery

Resource Management

• Focus team on key performance areas to achieve business objectives and identify and manage risk / opportunities in this regard
• Embed appropriate performance management with direct reports

Functional Strategy Formation

• Contribute to the formation of a key element of functional strategy through specialist expertise and insights, to ensure that the strategy meets business needs

Information and Business Advice

• Provide specialist advice on the interpretation and application of policies and procedures, resolving complex or contentious queries and issues and enabling others to take appropriate actions

Requirements

Competencies

• Data Collection and Analysis
• Planning and Organizing
• Assessment
• Compliance Management
• Costing and Budgeting
• Numerical Skills
• Policy and procedures
• Financial Modelling
• Risk Management
• Strategic Planning
• Strong analytical skills with good proven track record of being able to develop practical recommendations from financial and data insights.
• Collaboration and communication skills
• Commercial awareness and judgement

Education

• Bachelor's degree, Qualified Accountant (CIMA/CA (TOPP) or equivalent)

Experience

• Proven experience (at least 5 years) in working as a finance business partner and/or financial planning and analysis in a management position.
• Experience of planning, managing and organising resources within a short/ medium timescale within the overall policy framework. (Over 6 years to 10 years).
• Strong analytical skills with good proven track record of being able to develop practical recommendations from financial and data insights.
• Collaboration and communication skills
• Commercial awareness and judgement