The Head of Financial Planning & Analysis will lead the organisation's financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, and performance analysis activities for an estimated 9-month fixed-term period. The role will act as a strategic business partner to senior leadership, providing high-quality insight to support decision‑making, improve financial performance, and drive business growth. The role includes leadership of a small FP&A team and close collaboration with finance, operations, and commercial stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Planning & Analysis
- Lead the annual budgeting, rolling forecasting, and long‑range financial planning processes.
- Deliver timely, accurate, and insightful management reporting, including variance analysis against budget and forecast.
- Provide detailed financial modelling, scenario analysis, and commercial evaluations to support strategic initiatives and investment decisions.
- Act as a trusted business partner to senior stakeholders, translating financial data into clear, actionable insights.
Performance & Reporting
- Develop and maintain robust KPIs and dashboards to monitor business performance.
- Drive continuous improvement in FP&A processes, systems, and reporting quality.
- Ensure consistency, accuracy, and integrity of financial data across reports and analyses.
Systems & Data
- Leverage financial systems and tools to enhance reporting efficiency and insight generation.
- Support the effective use and development of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
- Lead the use of Power BI to create impactful dashboards and visualisations.
- Demonstrate highly advanced Excel skills for complex financial models, large datasets, and automation.
Audit, Tax & Controls
- Support audit and tax‑related activities where required, working closely with external auditors and advisors.
- Ensure FP&A outputs align with statutory reporting, tax, and control requirements.
Leadership & Team Management
- Lead and develop an FP&A team of 5, including 3 direct reports.
- Set clear objectives, provide coaching and mentoring, and support professional development across the team.
- Foster a high‑performance, collaborative, and commercially focused team culture.
Requirements
Essential Requirements
- Fully qualified accountant: ACCA, CIMA, ACA, or equivalent.
- Minimum of 5 years' post‑qualification experience.
- At least 5 years' experience in a similar FP&A or senior finance role.
- Advanced to expert‑level Excel skills (essential).
- Proven experience leading budgeting, forecasting, and performance analysis.
- Demonstrated people management experience.
- Strong commercial acumen and stakeholder management skills.
Nice to Have
- Audit and tax experience.
- Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
- Experience using Power BI for reporting and data visualisation.