Head of FP&A - Northampton

Forterra Building Products Ltd; Northampton; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Forterra Building Products Ltd in Northampton is seeking a Head of Financial Planning & Analysis to lead group-wide planning, forecasting and performance reporting. You will drive FP&A capabilities, partner with the CFO and senior leadership, and influence decisions with robust financial insight.

The role focuses on budgeting, long-term modelling, board-level reporting, and the development of standardised reporting across divisions. Office-based in Northampton with 40h/week.

Qualifications

• ACA/ACCA qualification with at least 5 years post-qualified experience.
• Extensive experience in Financial Planning & Analysis.
• Strong technical accounting and financial reporting understanding.
• Budgeting and forecasting, long-term financial modelling, board-level reporting.
• Business partnering with senior leadership and improving planning processes.

Responsibilities

• Own the annual budgeting cycle and rolling forecasts across the Group.
• Lead KPI reporting, data governance, and insight for strategic decisions.
• Support monthly close, divisional analysis, and executive commentary.
• Drive FP&A systems transformation and standardised reporting across divisions.
• Provide commercial insight and modelling support for pricing and profitability.

Skills

FP&A

Budgeting

Forecasting

Board-level reporting

Business partnering

Excel

Power BI

Tableau

Leadership

Education

ACA / ACCA qualified

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

FP&A systems/tools

Job description

Contract Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Hours: 40 per week, Monday – Friday

Office Based - Northampton

Are you an experienced finance leader with a passion for driving business performance? We're looking for a Head of Financial Planning & Analysis to lead Group-wide planning, forecasting and performance reporting, providing the insight, leadership and strategic direction that will help shape the future success of our business.

About the role

The Head of FP&A will lead the Group's planning, forecasting, KPI reporting and performance insight activities across all divisions. This pivotal role will drive the development of FP&A capabilities, systems transformation and the implementation of consistent, best-practice reporting across the Group. As a senior member of the Group Finance team, you will work closely with the CFO and senior leadership, helping to influence key strategic decisions through robust financial analysis and insight.

The successful candidate will also provide support to the Group Financial Controller and deputise for them as required.

Key Responsibilities

Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting

• Ownership of the annual budgeting cycle and rolling forecasts.
• Work with finance business partners to ensure forecast accuracy and enhancements.
• Deliver long-term strategic planning and going concern modelling for the Group.
• Analyse key business drivers and market trends to inform strategic decision-making and long-term planning.

KPI Reporting & Insight

• Lead the development, standardisation, and delivery of financial KPI reporting across the Group.
• Embed KPIs into systems and tools, supporting automated and integrated reporting.
• Work with Data/IT teams to ensure consistent KPI definitions and data integrity.
• Provide clear, forward-looking insight to support strategic and operational decision-making.

Monthly Results, Performance & Analysis

• Support in the preparation of monthly reporting processes including board packs, divisional analysis, and executive commentary.
• Support finance business partners in the monthly close process particularly around complex inventory accounting.
• Identify performance drivers, risks, opportunities, and key trends.
• Deliver ongoing improvements to the results process, including automation and systems enhancements.
• Provide group-wide analysis such as energy reporting, consolidated cost reviews, and visual comparisons.

Systems Transformation & Future of FP&A

• Play a key role in shaping the future operating model for FP&A and Group Finance.
• Drive system improvements and integration of KPI tools.
• Maintain strong governance over financial models, assumptions, and reporting processes.

Standardised Reporting Across Divisions

• Ensure alignment of divisional forecasts, KPIs, and reporting outputs.
• Partner with finance business partners to embed standardised best-practice approaches.
• Seek to automate reporting where appropriate.

Support of Finance Business Partners

• Provide expert review and challenge of divisional modelling and analysis.
• Support Finance Business Partners with tools, insight frameworks, and modelling improvements.
• Contribute to strengthening FP&A capability.

Commercial Finance

• Partner with Finance Business Partners and senior leaders to provide commercial insight and challenge to support decision-making.
• Support pricing, margin improvement and cost recovery initiatives through financial analysis.
• Analyse product, site and customer profitability, identifying opportunities to improve financial performance.
• Develop financial models and scenario analysis to support commercial decision-making and evaluate risks and opportunities.
• Provide independent challenge to business cases, assumptions and financial proposals.

Value Creation & Strategic Analysis

• Identify and quantify opportunities to improve profitability and cash generation across the Group.
• Support strategic initiatives through financial evaluation, options appraisal and post-investment performance tracking.

Other

• Support with Annual Reporting and Investor relations material for a listed company as required.
• Support of the technical accounting team and finance business partners, modelling of key issues and review of complex reporting/accounting as required.

About you

We are looking for someone who has:

Experience

• Extensive experience in Financial Planning & Analysis.
• Strong technical accounting and financial reporting understanding.
• Demonstrable experience in:
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Long‑term financial modelling
• Board‑level reporting
• Business partnering with senior leadership
• Developing and improving planning processes and tools

Technical skills

• Advanced Excel and modelling skills.
• Strong proficiency with FP&A systems/tools.
• Comfort working with large, complex data sets and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau).

Leadership and management

• Ability to lead, mentor, and develop high‑performing teams.
• Strategic thinker with ability to translate data into insight and influence senior decision‑makers.
• Strong communication skills—capable of presenting to senior leadership.

Essential

• ACA / ACCA qualified with at least 5 years post qualified experience.

Desirable

• Practice background desirable but not essential

We don’t expect you to tick every box. If you bring the mindset, curiosity and drive to make an impact, we’d love to hear from you.