Head Of Commercial Finance (FTC - 13 Months)

MISSION

The Head of Commercial Finance plays a key role in helping the UK business shape and deliver both short term forecasts and long-term strategic plans. Leading a team of 7, they are responsible for all aspects of SUK’s financial planning (3 y plan, budget, estimates & forecasts) for all brands in the SUK Portfolio and they are responsible for routine & ad hoc business analysis & insight in all areas of the P&L and Retail Sales. They provide business partnership to Senior SUK Leadership, supporting on shorter term P&L management decisions to bigger picture, medium to long term strategic decisions thus supporting the SUK business in delivering its KPIs and optimising commercial performance.  They are a key UK finance contact responsible for explaining financial performance and outlook to EMEA RHQ team.

ORGANISATION

Reports to: Finance Director

Job Location: London

Contract type: 12m FTC

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Forecasting and Business Planning

• Lead the annual budget, latest estimate and rolling forecasting processes for SUK, ensuring on time delivery of all aspects (presentations, BPC etc) and alignment with overall business strategy and objectives
• Identify areas for growth and efficiency and proactively identify risks and opportunities, ensuring that these insights are communicated to management in a timely manner to facilitate informed decision-making and suggest & implement corrective measures
• Drive improvements in estimate accuracy
• Support S&OP process from financial perspective

2. Business Partnership and commercial support

• Collaborate closely with LT to actively drive business performance by providing strategic insights and recommendations.
• Drive initiatives to enhance profitability and operational efficiency
• Fosters a culture of “high challenge, high support” between the finance function and other departments, encouraging open dialogue and collaboration to achieve business goals.
• Deliver comprehensive analytics to support critical business decisions, including but not limited to new retailer/door entries, promotional evaluations, resource allocation, contract negotiation, retailer profitability, providing high quality commercially focussed financial advice
• Prepare insightful commentary, presentations & present analysis as required for local and EMEA business reviews Provide critical,

3. Financial Control & Reporting

• Uphold accounting principles and promote adherence with policies & procedures to stakeholders
• Partner with Accounting team to support monthly close as required
• Ensure delivery of accurate, timely& relevant management reporting for the business, ensuring that reports are actionable and aligned with strategic objectives
• Drive consistency in data quality and automation initiatives to ensure a single trusted version of financial information is maintained through the organisation

4. Team Leadership

• Develop and mentor direct reports, providing guidance and support in the day-to-day operations of the brands, including month-end cycles and variance analysis.
• Foster an environment focused on continuous improvement through automation and process enhancement

CANDIDATE PROFILE:

1. 1. Essential

• Graduate-calibre qualified accountant (ACMA, ACCA, ACA) with approx. 10 years PQE
• Extensive experience operating in Senior FP&A/Commercial Finance roles within matrix of multi-stakeholder organisation (ideally Retail/FMCG)
• Strong expertise in planning/forecasting/budgeting and performance analysis Experience of leading a commercial strategic planning and forecasting process
• Leadership and Team Management: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team.
• Knowledge of SAP and reporting tools incl SQL & PBI

1. 2. Desirable

• Experience of the beauty industry and a strong understanding of business drivers

Behavioural Competencies:

• Commercial & Financial Acumen: Deep understanding of financial principles, & practices. Commercially astute with ability to apply analytical skills and to bring them to bear on a broad range of commercial issues and influence decisions, thinking “beyond the numbers”
• Collaboration and Influence: Ability to collaborate with other departments and excellent stakeholder management skills including relationship building & influencing
• Communication: Excellent communication skills to convey financial information clearly and effectively to both financial and non-financial stakeholders. Proven ability to communicate at senior levels and present information in an impactful way
• Prioritisation: Ability to work under pressure with agile mindset, able to manage deadlines across multiple stakeholders
• Innovation and Continuous Improvement mindset: Encouraging innovation and seeking continuous improvement in financial processes and systems. drive change within the finance department and the broader organization.