Senior Expense Management Business Partner

Zurich Insurance; Swindon; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Zurich Insurance is seeking a Senior Expense Management Business Partner in Swindon. This role involves leading a team, providing financial insights, and managing stakeholder relationships to drive effective expense management. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in financial analysis and a strong ability to influence senior stakeholders, ensuring alignment with business strategies and goals.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in building and managing relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Experience leading a team with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Ability to deliver complex financial analysis.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert financial advice and insight to aid decision making.
• Lead a motivated team of expense management business partners.
• Conduct detailed analysis of expense reports to identify trends.

Skills

Stakeholder Management

Financial Analysis

Communication

Problem Solving

Education

Fully qualified accountant

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

SAP

Job description

Senior Expense Management Business Partner

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Senior Expense Management Business Partner

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Working hours: This role is available on a part-time, job-share or full time basis

Location: Flexible – The Expenses team is based in Swindon and office presence will be required 1-2 days a week, in addition to adhoc office presence in our other locations (Whiteley/London).

The opportunity:

The role is a great opportunity to join the PPM team as a Senior Expense Management Business Partner, supporting the business functions to deliver their strategy and expense targets. Working directly with the Head of Expenses and the wider UK business, we’re looking for someone who likes to work at pace, who can influence, engage and manage multiple key priorities and stakeholders to lead expense partnering for the fast-moving business functions. To succeed in this role, you will need to deliver a first-class partnering support for the functions, turning numbers and data into compelling business insight and empowering decision making. You’ll be responsible for directly leading a team of 3 direct reports and a wider team of 9, creating an environment where they can thrive individually and collectively.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is adaptable, resilient and has a keen eye for detail to ensure your insight and influence will have a material impact on key business outcomes including growth, profitability and customer servicing. You will need to have the confidence in managing key stakeholders to influence at all levels to drive achievement of both cost management and wider business strategic goals.

Many of our employees work flexibly in a variety of different ways, including part-time, flexible hours, job share, an element of working from home or compressed hours. This is because we want the best people for our roles, and we recognise that sometimes those people aren’t available full-time. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you may need.

What will you be doing?

• Reporting directly to the Head of Expenses and as a key member of the Expenses Management team, you’ll be providing expert financial advice and quality insight into the financial performance of the business to aid decision making, financial strategy setting and ultimately improving results.
• Drive proactive expense partnering to support delivery of financial targets by working closely with various departments to understand their expense needs and provide guidance on expense management best practices.
• Lead the delivery, preparation and presentation of regular financial reports to senior management, including CFO and business unit execs, highlighting key findings and recommendations, alongside ad hoc insight and analysis requests.
• Lead a motivated and high performing team of expense management business partners and coach them in developing the understanding, analysis and insight required to develop the Expenses financial plan and regular reporting requirements, working closely with other teams in PPM and key stakeholders in the business.
• Conduct detailed analysis of expense reports and financial statements to identify trends, variances, and opportunities to embed a cost-conscious culture across the function and actively manage spend.
• Lead the preparation of annual budgets and forecasts, ensuring expenses are accurately projected and managed against budgeted amounts, company policies and external regulations.
• Work with the function to agree the cost allocation drivers for each cost centre within their remit, including allocations to channel/ product, admin, acquisition and claims handling, and fixed/ variable.
• Track portfolio costs and benefits, including preparation of analysis for the local Change Board, and give early warning if projects are not delivering as expected, to enable corrective action.
  
  

What are we looking for?

• Extensive experience in building and managing relationships with varied stakeholders at a senior level.
• Experience of acting as a conduit between finance and the business units and support functions, with an ability to translate complex financial matters into readily understandable and meaningful insight.
• Influencing, negotiating and communicating at a senior level.
• Experience of leading a team, including continuous improvement. Proven track record in developing people and evolving teams to keep up with future trends.
• You will be solution focused and a flexible thinker with strong commercial awareness and business acumen
• Curious and creative with the ability to deliver complex financial analysis and be a subject matter expert for complex financial queries to identify progress, opportunities and challenges
• Accomplished at delivering both independently and through co-ordinating the activities of others, utilising excellent collaboration, relationship and stakeholder management skills
• Analytical thinker with strong business acumen.
• A thought leader who can lead from the front and support the business strategy.
• Fully qualified accountant, or extensive relevant experience.
• Experience of IT expenditure, including Project management (Capex/Revex) and Business Cases would be an advantage
• High level Microsoft Office user, experienced with Excel and PowerPoint
• Experience of using data analysis tools such as Power BI / Power Query and/or a willingness to develop skills in this area
• Experience of SAP and IBM Planning Analytics, desirable but not essential.
  
  

What happens next?

As an inclusive employer we want to ensure that all candidates feel comfortable and are able to perform at their best during the interview. You’ll have the opportunity to let us know of any reasonable adjustment or practical support needed when you apply.

Who we are:

At Zurich we aspire to be one of the most responsible and impactful businesses in the world and the best global insurer. Together we’re creating a brighter future for our customers, our people and our planet.

With over 55,000 employees in more than 170 countries, you’ll feel the support of being part of a strong and stable company who are a long-standing player in the insurance industry.

We’ve made a promise to each other and every employee; to focus on sustainable impact, to care about each other’s wellbeing, to use our diverse expertise to be curious and optimistic and to develop the skills needed for our future.

If you're interested in working in a dynamic and challenging environment for a company that recognises and rewards your creativity, initiatives and contributions - then Zurich could be just the place for you. Be part of something great.

Our Culture:

At Zurich, our sense of community is strong and we’re particularly passionate about diversity and inclusion, which we’ve won numerous awards for. We want our people to bring the whole of themselves to work and ensure everybody is made to feel welcome, regardless of their background, beliefs or culture. We want our employees to reflect the diversity of our customers, and so are committed to treating all of our applicants fairly and with respect, irrespective of their actual or assumed background, disability or any other protected characteristic.

We’ve an environment that places a real importance on our people’s wellbeing from a physical, mental, social and financial perspective. We work with our wellbeing partners and industry experts to provide the best advice and access to a wealth of lifestyle support. We’re also committed to continuous improvement and we offer access to a comprehensive range of training and development opportunities.

We’re passionate about supporting employees to help others by getting involved in volunteering, charitable and community activity. Our charitable arm, Zurich Community Trust, is one of the longest-established corporate trusts in the UK. In that time, we’ve awarded grants and volunteered time to deserving causes in the UK valued at over £90 million.

So make a difference. Be challenged. Be inspired. Be supported, Love what you do. Work for us.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Finance

• Industries

  Insurance and Financial Services

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