Group Commercial Finance Director

PA Media; Leeds; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

20% completion bonus

25 days holiday

Wellbeing Day

Volunteer time

Pension

Life assurance

Learning opportunities

Modern workplace

Job summary

PA Media seeks an experienced, commercially focused finance leader to run the Commercial Finance team on a 15‑month fixed-term contract for parental leave cover. You will strengthen proactive FP&A, partner with senior leaders and drive better commercial decisions to support growth.

Regular UK travel is expected, including monthly trips to London. The role is based at West Village, Leeds, with a focus on delivering insightful reporting, budgeting, and performance improvement across the group.

Qualifications

• Qualified ACA/ACCA/CIMA with senior finance/FP&A experience.
• Track record building or transforming finance teams.
• Strong commercial judgement for executive level reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead FP&A activity, budget and quarterly forecasts to a high standard.
• Use monthly reporting to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
• Proactive, solutions-focused business partner to senior leaders.
• Partner with CFO, CRO, Exec Team and MDs to improve decisions.
• Drive profitable growth via pricing, contracts, margins and costs.
• Improve product/client profitability reporting and sales analysis.
• Develop SAP Analytics Cloud for planning and insight.
• Lead and develop a geographically dispersed team.

Skills

Commercial Finance

FP&A leadership

Executive stakeholder mgmt

Multi-entity experience

Analytical skills

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualification

Tools

SAP S/4HANA

SAP Analytics Cloud

Job description

The PA is a beacon of trust for news, content and data.

At the heart of our group is the Press Association, the UK and Ireland’s national news agency, trusted for its impartiality, accuracy and speed for more than 150 years We bring these standards to everything we do, from news and sports data to content creation and communications.

We’re combining AI and emerging technology with the expertise, judgement and originality of our people; helping us work smarter, explore new ideas and create greater value for our customers.

Now, we’re beginning an exciting new chapter at West Village in Leeds city centre and looking for talented people to help shape what comes next.

The opportunity.

We’re looking for an experienced, commercially focused finance leader to lead our Commercial Finance team on a 15-month fixed-term contract to cover parental leave.

Finance at The PA has undergone a significant transformation, and this is much more than a caretaker role. You’ll strengthen our approach to proactive FP&A and trusted business partnering, while providing insight that improves business performance.

A planned handover with the current role holder will give you valuable context, helping you make an early impact and leave a lasting legacy.

Regular UK travel is required, including travel to London around once or twice a month.

What you’ll do.

• Lead the Group’s FP&A activity, coordinating the annual budget and quarterly forecasting processes and ensuring they are delivered to a high standard.
• Use monthly financial reporting and analysis to identify trends, risks and opportunities, translating these into clear recommendations and actions.
• Strengthen Commercial Finance as a proactive, solutions-focused business partner to senior leaders across The PA.
• Partner with the CFO, Chief Revenue Officer, Executive Team and divisional MDs to improve commercial decision-making and business performance.
• Drive profitable growth through stronger pricing, contract review, margin improvement, cost optimisation and working-capital management.
• Improve product and client profitability reporting, sales-pipeline analysis and the evaluation of investment opportunities.
• Develop the use of SAP Analytics Cloud for planning, analysis and commercially focused insight.
• Lead and develop a geographically dispersed team while coordinating Group-wide activity to demanding timetables.

What you’ll bring.

• ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualification, with substantial senior-level commercial finance and FP&A experience.
• A track record of building or transforming teams and moving finance towards a more commercial, business-partnering model.
• Strong commercial judgement and credibility to challenge, influence and build trusted relationships at Executive and MD level.
• Experience working across a complex, multi-entity organisation.
• Excellent organisation, analysis and attention to detail, with a reputation for high-quality Board and leadership reporting.
• Experience of SAP S/4HANA and SAC Planning would be a real advantage. Media, publishing, data, digital or adjacent sector experience is welcome, but not essential.

What we offer

• Competitive salary plus a 20% completion bonus.
• 25 days’ holiday plus public holidays, with a holiday purchase scheme.
• A yearly Wellbeing Day and eight hours of paid volunteering time.
• Pension, life assurance (4x salary), Wellhub access, learning opportunities
• A modern workplace at West Village in the heart of Leeds city centre, just a seven-minute walk from Leeds station.
• Rooftop terraces, collaborative spaces, a wellness studio, showers and extensive cycle storage.
• Exclusive discounts across Leeds, including offers on food and drink, fitness, entertainment and accommodation.

PA Media

PA Media Group Values:

PA Media Group is committed to inspiring a positive culture and a work environment of Openness, Honesty and Transparency. We are owned by PA Group, the leading content and data business and align with their values of Collaboration, Accountability, Integrity and Respect.

We’re building and promoting a culture where difference is valued and everyone can be the best version of themselves and welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or whether or not they have a disability.