Senior Commercial Finance Manager

Aila Recruitment | B Corp™; England; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to 30% bonus

Private Medical

Hybrid working (2 days in London)

Enhanced Pension

Job summary

A national retailer in the UK is seeking a Senior Commercial Finance Manager. This role requires a qualified finance leader with at least 5 years of PQE. Key responsibilities include supporting financial performance, providing insights for profitability, and managing budgeting processes. The ideal candidate has advanced Excel skills and previous experience in retail. This position offers up to a 30% bonus, private medical insurance, and hybrid working arrangements, with 2 days in London.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years PQE and management experience required.
• Ability to create accurate financial models from scratch.
• Experience in a Retail business is essential.
• Strong commercial partnering and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience in a Retail business is essential.

Responsibilities

• Support regular reporting on financial performance and forecasts.
• Provide actionable insights into operational and commercial performance.
• Own budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes.
• Own budgeting, forecasting and financial planning for the retail business.
• Analyse performance drivers and explain variance to budgets.
• Monitor retail KPIs and advise on trends and opportunities.
• Partner with commercial teams on new initiatives and product launches.
• Support pricing and discounting with financial modelling and margins.
• Collaborate with Retail, VM, Property and operations to influence decisions.
• Provide finance support to stakeholders with decision-ready information.
• Track post-implementation results of new initiatives and adjust as needed.
• Deliver Board-focused reporting with clear narrative.

Skills

Financial analysis

Advanced Excel skills

Business partnering

Strategic planning

Retail knowledge

Presentation skills

Education

Qualified finance professional with a minimum of 5 years PQE

Tools

Financial modelling tools

Job description

Aila Recruitment | B Corp™ provided pay range

This range is provided by Aila Recruitment | B Corp™. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Senior Commercial Finance Manager

We have an exciting opportunity for an ambitious individual to join a highly respected commercial finance function in a national Retailer. If you’re an agile and commercial qualified finance leader, this could be a fantastic role for you.

About the Company

• UK retailer with a strong national footprint and a loyal customer base
• Strong future operating model in a sharper, more agile environment
• Backed by significant investment in digital, stores and governance to support long-term commercial strength

The Role

As a Senior Commercial Finance Manager, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the financial performance to drive growth of the retail business. This position will involve providing financial analysis, insights, and strategic recommendations to improve profitability, optimise operational efficiency, and drive business decisions.

The role requires a strong understanding of retail dynamics and the ability to work cross-functionally with commercial, operations, and senior leadership teams.

Responsibilities

• Support in the regular reporting to senior management on financial performance, forecasts, and key business metrics
• Use financial data to provide actionable insights into operational and commercial performance, identifying areas of opportunity or concern
• Own the Month end review process with Area Managers and Directors, ensuring risk and opportunities are identified
• Own the budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes for the retail business
• Provide insightful analysis of financial performance, highlighting key drivers of variance to budget and forecast
• Monitor and assess retail KPIs, identifying trends and offering actionable recommendations to the business, whilst challenging stakeholders
• Partner with the commercial teams to assess and evaluate potential new initiatives, product launches, and promotional activities
• Support pricing and discounting strategies through financial modelling and margin analysis.
• Build strong relationships with commercial, Retail, VM, Property and operational teams to influence business decisions and drive financial outcomes
• Provide financial support to key stakeholders across the business, ensuring they have the information and tools to make informed decisions
• Monitor the post-implementation financial performance of new initiatives, adjusting strategies as needed
• Deliver insightful Board reporting with a focus on the story behind the numbers rather than production of pure data led information
• Lead and mentor the team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and professional growth

The Ideal Candidate

• Qualified with a minimum of 5 years PQE and previous management experience
• An expert modeller with advanced Excel skills and experience building accurate financial models from scratch
• The ability to create insightful, concise and clear presentations
• Commercially curious, draw conclusions and propose recommendations
• Proven track record in driving business results through financial insights and strategic planning
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Previous experience in a Retail business is essential
• Excellent business partnering and stakeholder engagement skills

What they offer

• Up to 30% bonus
• Private Medical
• Hybrid working (2 days in London)
• Enhanced Pension

How to Apply

We want to hear from you if you're excited about this opportunity and believe you have what it takes to excel in this role. Apply now for further information.

About Aila Recruitment

Aila is a specialist finance recruitment business dedicated to providing the best jobs to the best people. We operate as an extended arm of our client's business and a career coach for our candidates' ongoing development.