Finance Business Partner

DS Smith; Livingston; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading packaging company based in Livingston is seeking an Operations Finance Manager to drive operational performance through financial analysis. The ideal candidate will be a qualified accountant with strong skills in financial management and reporting. Responsibilities include partnering with site teams to deliver insights and managing product costing. This role offers various benefits, including holiday entitlements and a competitive pension scheme, aimed at fostering a culture of inclusion and sustainability.

Benefits

25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Income protection

Employee assistance program

Cycle to work scheme

Shopping discounts

Qualifications

• Qualified Accountant with post-qualification experience.
• Strong understanding of financial management and reporting.
• Previous experience in finance or financial analysis role.

Responsibilities

• Promote commitment to Health & Safety culture.
• Partner with site teams for financial insight.
• Deliver site performance analysis for operational improvement.
• Support monthly reporting, forecasting, and budgeting.
• Manage product costing and ensure data accuracy.

Skills

Financial management

Operational finance

Strong IT capability

Stakeholder management

Education

Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA)

Tools

Excel

Job description

About the Role

Operations Finance Manager plays a key role in supporting the site leadership team. Based in Livingston, you will provide high‑quality financial analysis, insight and challenge to drive operational performance, cost control and continuous improvement.

This is a hands‑on finance partnering role, helping the business understand where and how value is created, while ensuring strong financial governance, accurate product costing and effective support for capital investment decisions. The role also carries responsibility for Treasury systems, controls and processes, supporting best‑in‑class financial infrastructure across DS Smith.

Key Responsibilities

• Actively promote and demonstrate commitment to DS Smith’s Health & Safety culture in all aspects of the role.
• Partner with the site teams to deliver clear financial insight and challenge operational performance.
• Provide analysis on key drivers including cost, productivity, waste and fibre efficiency, supporting informed decision‑making.
• Deliver site and asset‑level performance analysis to support operational improvement.
• Support the monthly reporting, forecasting and budgeting cycles for the cluster.
• Manage product costing and cost models, ensuring accuracy, consistency and up‑to‑date data within core systems.
• Support working capital initiatives and value creation through improved conversion cost analysis.
• Develop robust governance and control processes, supporting audits and unit cost reviews.
• Assist with capital investment proposals, including financial modelling and pre‑ and post‑investment appraisal

About You

We’re looking for someone with:

Education & Professional Qualifications

• Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with some post‑qualification experience
• Highly motivated with a strong desire to continue building a career within Operations Finance

Technical Skills & Knowledge

• Strong understanding of financial management, reporting and operational finance
• Proven knowledge of financial controls, processes and governance
• Strong IT capability, including advanced Excel skills

Experience & Competencies

• Previous experience in a finance or financial analysis role, with evidence of supporting and challenging operational teams
• Ability to adapt quickly to change and make sound decisions in a fast‑paced manufacturing or operational environment
• Innovative in approach, with the confidence to introduce and implement new ideas
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, able to work effectively across finance and operations

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• Pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Income protection
• Employee assistance program
• Cycle to work scheme
• Shopping discounts

Location

Livingston

About us

We’re DS Smith, the company who are redefining packaging for a changing world. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. Today, we operate in more than 30 different countries, supporting customers across sectors like FMCG, industrial, and e‑commerce. We deliver on quality, service, innovation, and added value to deliver market‑leading sustainable packaging solutions our customers need. Our industry needs to transform, and we’re building the team to drive change across Europe and North America.

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.

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