The Commercial Finance Controller will liaise with Global HQ and serve as a key finance partner for major direct market regions (UK & EU), providing financial insights and recommendations for decision making and profitable growth.
Result-driven with strong project management skills, responsible for regional P&L and BS, and financial modeling.
Possesses a strategic business partner mindset, excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities, and a proven track record of building strong relationships with business partners and local commercial teams to manage and develop annual budgets and multi-year strategic plans, identifying opportunities for value creation.
Main Responsibilities:
Business Partnering and Commercial Support
Collaborate closely with Regional Leaders and the regional Team by providing essential financial insights.
Support the business in evaluating the financial implications of commercial initiatives that drive growth by conducting analyses to identify opportunities.
Serve as an advisor to the regions, maintaining a business-focused mindset and assessing ROI on trade investments, promotions, and retailer activities, while identifying opportunities to enhance profitability.
Collaborate on cross-functional initiatives, including commercial plans, marketing campaigns, product launches, and Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP).
Partner with the local team to ensure accurate monthly closing actuals, budgeting and reforecasting processes.
Strategic Business Leadership:
Drive commercial strategy execution by managing financial planning processes, budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.
Oversee Regional P&L and Balance Sheet financials, ensuring accurate reporting to identify actionable needs for achieving profitable targets.
Perform scenario and sensitivity testing to assess the financial impact of business decisions.
Deliver key financial insights to Commercial, Finance, the CEO, and other departments to optimize commercial strategies and outcomes.
Identify and implement improvements to enhance budget control, financial transparency, and decision-making.
Participate in monthly closing activities, support external audits.
Performance Management:
Develop and implement performance metrics to track and evaluate the financial performance of the business.
Monitor and assess the effectiveness of financial controls and processes, recommending enhancements as necessary to optimize trade investments.
Contractual Negotiation:
Support retail negotiations and financial planning to ensure alignment with region strategy.
Support commercial solutions and assess the financial impact of promotions.
Provide high-quality, commercially focused financial advice and support.
Profile:
Graduate-calibre qualified accountant (ACMA, ACCA, ACA) with at least seven years PQE.
Proven experience as a Business Partner, FP&A, or Commercial Finance leader in an international environment.
Track record of success in key finance roles within a large multinational company.
Strong knowledge of budget management, financial analysis, trade investments, and pricing strategies.
Strong project management and business intelligence expertise.
High level of financial acumen and business awareness.
Ability to thrive under pressure and make critical financial decisions.
Hands-on approach, balancing strategic oversight with operational execution.
Proven experience of successful collaboration across multiple functions within a business.
Excellent relationship building and stakeholder management skills.