Business Finance Manager

Johnson Controls; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global technology company is seeking a Finance Partner in Manchester to oversee the General Ledger, conduct financial analysis, and improve finance processes. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in finance roles, excellent communication skills, and the ability to influence and drive change within the organization.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in complex finance or controlling roles.
• Experience in audit, internal control, financial compliance, and FP&A.
• Proven track record of effective collaboration and leadership in a shared service center.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the General Ledger, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Conduct comprehensive financial analysis for strategic decisions.
• Collaborate in deploying strategic business transformations.

Skills

Financial analysis

Stakeholder communication

Interpersonal skills

Process improvement

Analytical skills

Education

Degree in Finance & Accounting or equivalent

Job description

Finance Partner

• Take ownership of the General Ledger (GL), serving as the first point of contact for GL reports, queries, and audits, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Conduct comprehensive financial analysis to empower leadership in achieving short and long-term financial strategies. Lead the preparation and presentation of Monthly/Quarterly Outlooks, Weekly Pulses, and Budget creation aligned with Corporate and Business requirements.
• Provide clear visibility and analytical insights on financial performance to management and operational teams, driving accountability across the organization to enhance profitability and cash flows.
• Support and proactively advise on key business decisions and projects, ensuring that financial matters are fully integrated into strategic discussions and operational execution.
• Collaborate in deploying strategic business transformations and simplification programs to optimize Finance processes and tools, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness.
• Ensure timely production of financial results analysis, identifying trends, variances, and operational drivers, and facilitating early identification of risks and opportunities.
• Review and validate bid economics (including terms and conditions, technical requirements, manufacturing cycle times, margin analysis, and cash flow optimization) to support informed decision-making by leadership.
• Act as the primary contact for Orders-to-Cash (OTC) & Commercial matters, partnering with functional experts in sales, project management, pricing, controllership, tax, legal, and treasury to structure compliant and profitable deals.
• Exhibit strong interpersonal skills, communicating complex information clearly and effectively to stakeholders, and driving cultural change through influence.
• Lead cross-functional process improvement initiatives, implementing policies, automation, simplification, and standardization that elevate financial performance and operational excellence.
• Maintain a robust internal control environment, ensuring compliance with relevant internal policies, SOX controls, and US GAAP standards.

Engagement Manager

• Foster effective communication between the Bratislava Business Center (BBC), International Business Center (IBC), and business units, leveraging firsthand knowledge of processes and issues.
• Serve as the first escalation point for unresolved issues between the business and functional owners, ensuring timely resolution.
• Act as an intermediary to ensure close cooperation and effective communication between the business and internal service providers (CFS, BBC, treasury, etc.), driving the allocation of activities per agreed taxonomies and SLAs.

Essential Qualifications:

• A degree in Finance & Accounting or equivalent; professional qualifications such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or CPA are desirable.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in complex finance or controlling roles, with a proven track record in audit, internal control, financial compliance, and FP&A.
• Experience working in a shared service center environment and leading teams, demonstrating effective collaboration and leadership.
• Industry experience in a matrix environment, particularly within manufacturing, engineering, or consumer goods sectors, ideally in large multinational companies.
• Excellent communication skills with a strong customer and business orientation, demonstrating the ability to influence and drive change.
• Strong analytical skills with a desire to develop business acumen and leadership capabilities.