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PA Media Group; Leeds; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

20% completion bonus

25 days holiday

Wellbeing Day

Pension

Life assurance (4x salary)

Wellhub access

Learning opportunities

Leeds city centre workplace

Discounts across Leeds

Job summary

PA Media Group in Leeds is recruiting an experienced, commercially focused finance leader to head our Commercial Finance team on a 15-month fixed-term contract to cover parental leave.

You'll sharpen proactive FP&A and trusted business partnering, delivering insightful analysis to drive performance, pricing and investment decisions while shaping our finance function for the future.

Qualifications

• ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualification with senior commercial finance and FP&A experience.
• Proven track record building or transforming finance teams into business-partnering units.
• Credible with senior leaders and MDs to influence decisions and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead FP&A, budgeting and quarterly forecasting with high standards.
• Analyze monthly reporting to spot trends, risks and opportunities.
• Strengthen commercial partnering with senior leaders across The PA.
• Collaborate with the CFO, CRO and MDs to improve decision-making.
• Drive profitable growth through pricing, cost and working-capital focus.
• Enhance product/client profitability reporting and investment appraisal.
• Develop SAP Analytics Cloud for planning and insight.
• Lead a geographically dispersed team to tight timetables.

Skills

FP&A

Commercial finance

Team leadership

Business partnering

Executive stakeholder management

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA

Tools

SAP S/4HANA

SAC Planning

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.