Senior Business Manager

Virtus Data Centres Ltd; West Drayton; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading data centre provider in the UK seeks a Finance professional to drive financial management and improvements within Technical Operations. This role requires strong analytical skills and hands-on experience with SAP. You will engage with all levels of the business, enhance financial processes, and support senior leadership with actionable insights. The ideal candidate has a solid background in management accounting and effective communication skills.

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of practical experience in a similar role.
• Strong knowledge of operational finance for an international business.
• Hands-on experience with SAP, ideally S/4 HANA.

Responsibilities

• Lead comprehensive financial reviews of operational processes, budgets, and forecasts.
• Identify key cost drivers and implement strategies to reduce operational expenditure.
• Manage the quarterly forecasting and annual budget cycle for capital and operational expenditures.

Skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Project management

Financial analysis

Education

Part-qualified or fully qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA)

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Office

Job description

About VIRTUS

About VIRTUS VIRTUS Data Centres is the UK’s fastest growing data centre provider which owns, designs, builds and operates the country’s most efficient and flexible data centres.

Our mission - consistently exceed the expectations of customers through innovative, high quality solutions and services. We employ intelligent thinkers – people with positive attitudes, who add to the quality of our customer proposition and business.

We value individual endeavour and initiative, encourage teamwork and togetherness because collective experience and expertise is VIRTUS’ greatest strength

Job Summary

Job Summary Technical Operations is the largest department within VIRTUS, and this role is pivotal in driving the quality of financial management and analysis within this critical business unit.

You will be a key part of the Technical Operations Organisation driving financial maturity and reporting, leading key improvements, and owning the budgeting for Opex and Capex. A self starter and leader you will analyse budgets and expenditure, seek alignment on improvement areas and drive and own improvements

This will include the following key areas:

• Engagement across all levels of the business, including C Level and able to represent Technical Operations requirements.
• Increase the productivity of the operations organisation by reviewing and improving financial management processes & procedures across the estate.
• Change leadership – drive improvement and overcome resistance to embed a culture of continuous improvement
• Provide subject matter expertise to support budget holders in analysing and improving their management and control of budgets.
• Driving improvements in financial reporting and the effective use of financial systems.
• Monitoring actual expenditure and preparing and presenting analysis to compare this against budgets.
• Driving and owning the monthly & quarterly financial review process.
• Ensuring the annual capital expenditure and operational expenditure budget process is executed in a timely and robust manner.
• Liaising with technical operations personnel and the finance team to ensure effective cross-functional communications and drive a policy of continuous improvement.

The role will report into our UK-based VP IT and Improvement who currently provides these functions within technical operations. It is anticipated that in due course you will also help to develop a wider financial management team as our operations develop both in the UK and across Europe.

If you are a well-organised, detail-oriented, analytical and collaborative Finance professional with a strong background in management accounting and use of SAP, we encourage you to apply and play a key part in the successful expansion of VIRTUS into Europe.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Analysis & Cost Control

• Lead comprehensive financial reviews of operational processes, budgets, and forecasts.
• Identify key cost drivers and implement strategies to reduce operational expenditure while maintaining service quality.
• Develop and monitor KPIs to track cost efficiency and operational performance.

Operational Process Optimization

• Collaborate with technical operations teams to streamline workflows and improve resource utilization.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives in finance across data centre operations.
• Ensure compliance with all financial and operational governance standards.

Strategic Planning & Reporting

• Deliver actionable insights to senior leadership through robust financial and operational reporting.
• Support long-term capacity planning and investment decisions with data-driven analysis.
• Develop business cases for cost-saving initiatives and operational enhancements.

Stakeholder Management

• Partner with finance, procurement, and technical teams to align operational goals with financial objectives.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on cost control and operational efficiency.

Budgeting & Forecasting

• Manage the quarterly forecasting and annual budget cycle for both capital and operational expenditures.
• Oversee the purchase requisition and purchase order processes, ensuring compliance with procurement policies and regional budgets.
• Maintain well-controlled processes for handling invoices and related correspondence, escalating issues as needed.

Reporting & Process Improvement

• Establish and maintain efficient processes for monthly and quarterly reporting, ensuring submissions are complete, accurate, and timely.
• Foster strong working relationships with Technical Operations budget holders, the leadership team, and the UK Finance team.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Required:

• Part-qualified or fully qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, or equivalent in management accounting).
• At least 3 years of practical experience in a similar role.
• Strong knowledge of day-to-day operational finance for an international business.
• Hands-on experience with SAP, ideally including recent deployment or use of SAP S/4 HANA.

Desirable:

• Experience working in Finance teams within the data centre industry, or in telecommunications, technology, or infrastructure sectors.
• Understanding of SOX reporting requirements and their impact on operational finance processes and controls.

Skills:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to present information concisely and make recommendations to management and stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail, self-motivation, and ownership of tasks.
• Effective project management and prioritization skills; able to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines independently.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Additional Information

VIRTUS is an equal opportunity employer. As part of our commitment to fight for equality, we work to ensure a fair and consistent interview process. We celebrate diversity and we are committed to an inclusive work environment.

In line with VIRTUS’ Vetting Policy, the successful applicant must be willing to undergo a BS7858 screening process.

We reserve the right to close this post for applications should sufficient applications be received.

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully

VIRTUS Data Centres does not accept unsolicited support from search firms for employment openings. CVs/resumes submitted by search firms to any VIRTUS employee without an active, written search agreement for a specified role will become the property of VIRTUS. No fees will be paid for candidates hired from agency submissions made without such an agreement. Existing agency partnerships must adhere to position-specific terms outlined in their agreements. Please refrain from calling or emailing regarding this matter.