Senior F&B Finance Manager

Whitbread PLC; Dunstable; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus potential 30%

Pension up to 10%

Staff discounts on stays

Job summary

Whitbread PLC, a leading hospitality group, seeks an experienced finance leader to own the F&B financial strategy for Premier Inn's dining operations. You will drive planning, forecasting, performance reporting and commercial finance support to optimise revenue, margin and profitability.

Leading a multi-manager finance team, you will partner with the Head of F&B to shape pricing, product economics and cost controls, delivering executive-ready insights and robust scenarios to inform strategic

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead and develop finance teams delivering high quality insight, reporting, forecasting and decision support.
• Strong track record of owning end-to-end budgeting, forecasting and financial planning processes with performance management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the financial strategy, planning and performance management of Premier Inn's F&B business.
• Partner with Head of F&B to provide commercial insight and support for strategic decisions.
• Own full-cycle budgeting and forecasting across F&B revenue and costs, including scenario planning.
• Deliver executive-ready performance reviews and automated reporting on drivers like pricing, waste and labour.
• Lead a multi-manager finance team and collaborate with Supply Chain and Operations to improve profitability.

Skills

Finance leadership

Budgeting & forecasting

Strategic insight

Performance reporting

Stakeholder management

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA

Tools

Excel

Job description

This role is responsible for leading the financial strategy, planning and performance management of Premier Inn's F&B business. Working in close partnership with the Head of F&B, it provides the commercial insight, financial challenge and strategic decision support required to optimise revenue, margin and profitability.

Through ownership of planning, forecasting, analysis and performance reporting, the role influences decisions across pricing, product, supply chain and labour, helping deliver sustainable long term growth.

The position holds full accountability for the F&B budget, forecasting, performance reporting and end‑to‑end commercial finance support. It leads a multi‑manager team to deliver high‑quality analysis, strategic decision support and strong operational partnership.

What you'll be doing

• Commercial Strategy & Leadership - Lead the financial elements of the F&B strategy, shaping long term revenue, cost and margin plans. Provide financial insight and challenge on pricing, product, category and promotional decisions to maximise sales, profitability and return on investment.
• Menu & Product Economics-Lead financial planning for all menu cycles, analysing dish/category performance and modelling the impact of pricing, promos, inflation and supplier changes to ensure commercially strong menus.
• Financial Planning & Forecasting- Own full-cycle budgeting and forecasting across all F&B revenue and cost lines, integrating market trends, supplier dynamics and operational insights into clear, scenario-based plans.
• Performance Insight & Reporting- Deliver executive-ready performance reviews, deep commercial insight and automated reporting that highlight drivers of pricing, cost of sales, waste, labour and operational execution.
• Operational Partnership & Profitability -Partner with Supply Chain and Operations to improve stock accuracy, waste reduction and site‑level profitability, while leading margin improvement initiatives and developing a high‑performing F&B finance team.

Why You'll love it here

Bonus potential 30%

Matched Contributory Pension up to 10%

Up to 60% off Premier inn and Hub stays

What you’ll need

• Proven ability to lead and develop finance teams, delivering high quality insight, reporting, forecasting and decision support
• Strong track record of owning end to end budgeting, forecasting and financial planning processes, including performance management and scenario modelling
• Ability to shape and deliver commercial or financial strategy, translating long term objectives into clear plans and measurable outcomes
• Advanced financial modelling and analytical skills, using data to assess opportunities, challenge assumptions and support investment and commercial decisions
• Credibility and confidence to influence and challenge senior stakeholders, providing clear financial insight and recommendations that drive business performance
• Knowledge of operating within a complex, multi site consumer facing business, ideally within hospitality, retail, leisure or a similar sector
• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or qualified by experience