Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis

McDonald's; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global fast-food corporation seeks a COE Global FP&A Manager to drive FP&A activities and guarantee consistency across markets. You will oversee financial projections, lead planning processes, and act as a key contact for market finance leadership. Candidates should have significant FP&A experience, exceptional Excel skills, and strong executive communication abilities. This dynamic role involves addressing complex financial challenges and contributing to the corporation's financial transformation journey.

Qualifications

• Significant years of experience in FP&A, Big 4, or similar roles.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work independently in ambiguous situations.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and projection across designated markets.
• Ensure consistency in forecasting methodologies.
• Act as the main point of contact for FP&A activities.

Skills

Advanced Excel proficiency

PowerPoint proficiency

Executive-level communication skills

Strong relationship building skills

Strategic approach

Job description

The COE Global FP&A Manager is an FP&A expert, driving value for the markets and Corporate through strategic design and execution of best-in-class FP&A activities and transformational leadership. The role is highly visible across market finance leadership as a main point of contact for FP&A-related items and is critical for ensuring McDonald’s executes upon its finance transformation journey through evolving our FP&A approach.

Responsibilities include:

Market FP&A Main Point of Contact

• Planning and Projection lead for a group of markets, including overseeing the preparation of reporting and leading the related messaging and narrative for market leadership.
• Lead the interaction with the Corporate branch of the COE for a group of markets, which consolidates the information for Corporate finance leadership (including Corporate Controller, IRO, CFO).

Major P&l Line-Item Planning Lead

• Responsibility for ensuring oversight of proper forecasting methodologies and consistency across markets for a key P&l area (Capital, Franchised Margin, McOpCo Margin, SG&A, Other Op).
• Process improvement / continuous improvement to work towards future state of COE.
• Success for the above requires people and organizational leadership; you will oversee a team of COE members that will drive forward the vision for FP&A.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Main point of contact between COE and Market for FP&A activities.
• Thought partner to the markets for drivers behind the variances between actuals and projection / plan (note the responsibility of actual reporting (trial balance submission and related commentary) remains with the market; however, COE provides market contact thought partnership on commentary).
• Responsible for communicating with the market to ensure a solid understanding of significant trends, initiatives, and transactions occurring in market to ensure such items are properly reflected in projection / plan. The communication with the market and FP&A Manager will be established based on preferences of each market and could include:
• Weekly or bi-monthly touchpoints between FP&A Manager and market finance contact.
• Attendance at certain meetings in market to ensure proper business trends reflected in projection / plan.
• Accountable for appropriate roll-up of plan and projection for designated markets, including all process streams, through operating income.
• Ability to explain / articulate assumptions used in setting the plan and projections for the market, including variances to prior projections and plan.
• Present results to leadership, including reporting to be provided to the markets.
• Lead and oversee the preparation of market scenario planning / projections.
• Be a Major P&l Line-Item Planning Lead and will have direct reports. The Lead is responsible for guiding team members in the successful execution of their roles and overseeing their professional development.
• Understand financial systems, ensuring all necessary financial information is input accurately for all markets within a process for a certain financial statement line item.
• Aggregate data from other FP&A Managers for P&l area of responsibility to ensure consistency across what markets submitted in their templates for plan / projection submission.
• Analyse and provide big picture perspective for consolidated P&l area of responsibility.
• Accountable for cross training and collaboration across the COE for area of responsibility.
• Direct feedback into existing global finance processes (e.g. Treasury / Capital planning).
• Drive process improvement / continuous improvement to work towards future state of COE.
• Drive standardization / harmonization in reporting across markets (including standardization for P&l area of responsibility), working collaboratively across the COE.

Skills and Experience required:

• Significant years of experience in the following areas: previous FP&A, Big 4, or similar experience preferred.
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint proficiency.
• Executive-level communication skills and presence with the ability to level-up the details, identify what’s important, and advise our leadership.
• Consistent record of leading competing priorities and addressing roadblocks with the desire to work independently amid ambiguity in a fast-moving environment.
• Strong relationship building skills with the ability to interact with all subject areas, levels, and cultures.
• Strategic approach, bias towards action, skepticism of the status quo, and a can-do attitude – someone who is not afraid to dig in, uncover problems, and find solutions as a collective team.