Finance Business Partner

Publicis Groupe UK; City Of London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading communications holding company is looking for a Finance Manager for a 12-month FTC. The role involves managing budgets, improving profitability for Client accounts, and ensuring compliance with financial policies. Candidates should be qualified accountants with strong commercial acumen and experience in business partnering. The position offers a hybrid working model, providing flexibility in a dynamic and creative environment.

Benefits

Hybrid working model

Diversity commitment

Qualifications

• Qualified Accountant with strong commercial acumen.
• Experience in business partnering within media, advertising or digital industries.
• Skilled in managing multiple projects and priorities.

Responsibilities

• Manage budgeting and short-term forecast cycles, identifying risks and opportunities.
• Build strong partnerships with Agency teams to support business growth.
• Ensure compliance with operational and financial policies.

Skills

Qualified Accountant

Commercial acumen

Excellent communication

Project management

Education

ACCA / CIMA / ACA

Job description

BRAND: Publicis Groupe
Job Function: Finance
Location: London, United Kingdom
Experience Level: Intermediate
Workplace Type: Hybrid

Company description

OVERVIEW

Publicis Groupe is the world’s largest communications holding company, present in over 110 countries and employing about 108,000 professionals. The Groupe is positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and digital business transformation.

HELPING OUR CLIENTS UNLOCK GROWTH IN THE PLATFORM WORLD

Our clients compete in the platform world, a horizontal marketplace between creators and consumers, between speakers and listeners, between buyers and sellers. To thrive in the platform world, companies must continue to innovate their products and business models. Four imperatives (1. Real Identity, 2. Dynamic, Diverse and Disruptive Creativity 3., Smart Media and 4. Direct Relationships) via our suite of world‑class agencies are necessary for modern brands to win in the platform world. At Publicis Groupe, we’ve invested in capabilities across these four imperatives our clients need to unlock growth. As the only one who can architect, build and orchestrate end‑to‑end solutions, we have a proven record of building bespoke models for clients and leading expertise across all major industry categories, while offering our talents more opportunities to grow and benefit from a richer learning experience. We call this Power of One. Powered by a 100,000‑strong network via Marcel, our AI‑based platform, we are also able to provide our clients and talents instant access to resources and knowledge for any need, anytime, in any market.

THE SPIRIT OF VIVA LA DIFFERENCE

Viva La Difference is deeply rooted in everything we do. It has always been in our DNA. From the birth of Publicis, 94 years ago, when Marcel Bleustein‑Blanchet, our founder, invented French advertising, Viva La Difference expresses how we value and respect each individual and recognize what makes us distinctive. This is the charge that inspires our teams to celebrate the differences in identity, background, culture, and experience of all of us. It is how we behave with each other and our clients, and it is deeply rooted throughout our work, to elevate and bring to life our differences throughout the platform world.

Finance Manager - 12 month FTC

This role will report to the Finance Director for Publicis London and will work across both Publicis London and Commerce.

Client Finance

• Review business cases and scopes of work for Client accounts and identify any associated risk/ issues
• Understand the agencies clients
• Manage the budgeting and short term forecast cycles, identifying risks and opportunities
• Manage the improvement of Client Account Profitability, proactively seeking ways to grow business or improve profitability in collaboration with Client Teams.
• Identify and communicate risks and opportunities
• Manage Financial reporting ,

Business Partnering

• Build strong trusted partnerships with members of the Agency teams, ensuring you are providing them with the tools, direction and information to increase their commercial mindset to work collaboratively to support the growth of the business.
• Proactive individual with experience of driving change and leading meetings
• Able to challenge and influence Stakeholders at all levels

Financial Reporting

• Coordinate the timely reporting of actuals to Agency Management and Groupe
• Consolidate and review actuals reporting pack and prepare monthly analysis for Country Finance
• Consolidate ad hoc requests for submission to Country Finance
• Work with FM team to ensure revenue recognition, accruals and deferrals are in accordance with Janus (Publicis Groupe Policies)
• Working with FM/MA team to ensure yearly Budgeting & monthly Forecasts for Management and Paris are accurate and delivered on time
• Overall responsibility for Balance Sheet meetings with ReSources (Publicis Shared Service Centre) and follow ups (monthly) with assistance from FM/MA team

Compliance

• Ensure compliance with Publicis Groupe Operational and Financial policies
• Able to execute strategies to enforce internal controls
• Manage Internal , FMC and external audits to ensure completeness and compliance

Business Optimisation

• Identify opportunities for the business to drive revenue growth, while controlling costs
• Manage Company risk to FX exposure, working with Treasury to execute Hedging.
• Support all departments for all financial and operational issues.
• Identify opportunities to create efficiencies, streamline processes and leverage resources to reduce costs wherever possible.
• Translating cost reduction strategies into operation by managing communication and implementation.
• Oversight of monthly cost reports to assess success of strategies & implementation.

People and Culture

• Contribute to building and nurturing talent within the UK family. Uphold our commitment to diversity, set clear goals, and champion success in our collaborative environment.
• Manage and coach a small team

Qualifications

• Qualified Accountant (ACCA / CIMA / ACA) with strong commercial acumen.
• Good understanding of P&L and Balance Sheet.
• Experienced in business partnering - ideally within media, advertising, or digital industries.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast‑moving, and creative environment.
• Excellent communicator who builds strong relationships with finance and non‑finance stakeholders
• Skilled at managing multiple projects and priorities.
• Experience of managing a small team . coaching and Mentoring

Additional information

Publicis Groupe operates a hybrid working pattern with full time employees being office‑based three days during the working week.

We are supportive of all candidates and are committed to providing a fair assessment process. If you have any circumstances (such as neurodiversity, physical or mental impairments or a medical condition) that may affect your assessment, please inform your Talent Acquisition Partner. We will discuss possible adjustments to ensure fairness. Rest assured, disclosing this information will not impact your treatment in our process.

Please make sure you check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG's (Employee Action Groups).