Senior Finance Business Partner

Claranet; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Claranet is seeking a Senior Finance Business Partner to join Commercial Support in the UK. You will act as the senior finance partner to the sales organisation, providing commercially focused financial insight and challenge.

You will lead the financial input into bids, tenders, and major proposals, ensuring accuracy and alignment with strategic objectives. You will develop robust commercial models, articulate financial implications to internal stakeholders and customers, and design scalable

Qualifications

• Qualified ACA, ACCA or CIMA with at least 5 years PQE.
• Experience budgeting and forecasting in a similar sized business.
• Strong commercial awareness and experience in a commercial role is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Act as a senior finance partner to the sales organisation, providing commercially focused financial insight and challenge.
• Lead the financial input into bids, tenders, and major proposals with accurate, competitive pricing and profitability.
• Develop and articulate robust commercial models, communicating P&L and cashflow implications clearly to internal stakeholders and customers.
• Design and maintain flexible deal models including discounts, credits, rebates, and milestone-based billing.
• Support renewals and retention strategies by delivering timely financial models that optimise pricing and margin.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Travel willingness

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA with 5+ years PQE

Tools

Advanced Excel

ERP systems

Financial reporting tools

Job description

Senior Finance Business Partner - Commercial

Commercial Support

• Act as a senior finance partner to the sales organisation, supporting high-value and complex opportunities with commercially focused financial insight and challenge
• Provide clear guidance on pricing, deal structuring, and profitability, using creative and pragmatic approaches to help secure business on favourable terms for Claranet
• Lead the financial input into bids, tenders, and major proposals, ensuring accuracy, competitiveness, and alignment with strategic objectives
• Develop and articulate robust commercial models, clearly communicating financial implications (including P&L and cashflow impacts) to both internal stakeholders and customers
• Design and maintain flexible, scalable deal models incorporating elements such as discounts, credits, rebates, and milestone-based billing to support diverse customer requirements
• Support renewals and retention strategies by delivering timely, insightful financial models that optimise pricing and margin while maintaining competitiveness
• Partner with the Portfolio team to develop and embed consistent, data-driven pricing methodologies aligned with CPQ processes
• Ensure commercial models are robust, standardised, and operationally deliverable, with effective handover from sales to delivery teams
• Drive consistency across the business in deal modelling, cost-to-serve frameworks, and pricing tools
• Collaborate with the UK Senior Management Team to establish and embed strong sales governance processes, ensuring appropriate review and challenge prior to customer submission
• Provide commercial approval for deals in line with governance frameworks, acting as the senior escalation point for complex or non-standard transactions

Finance Business Partnering

• Lead the development of the sales budget and forecasting models, partnering with sales leadership and portfolio teams to define KPI targets across a 3-year planning horizon
• Work closely with the FP&A team to enhance sales and pipeline reporting, delivering clear, actionable insights on performance and variance to plan
• Own customer-level profitability analysis, providing meaningful insight to support strategic decision-making and maximise customer lifetime value
• Support the design and evolution of the annual commission plan, including ownership of all modelling required for target setting, coverage, and affordability
• Ensure commission processes are accurate, consistent, and well-controlled, with a focus on automation and continuous improvement

Leadership & Influence

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, providing constructive challenge and influencing decision-making
• Drive continuous improvement in commercial finance processes, tools, and governance
• Build strong cross-functional relationships across Sales, Portfolio, Delivery, and Finance to enhance commercial outcomes

Teams to Collaborate With

• Sales & Business Development – Act as the primary finance partner to Sales and Business Development, providing end-to-end commercial deal support, leading commission plan design and governance, and supporting budget setting and performance tracking
• Profit Assurance – Proactively identify opportunities to optimise revenue and reduce cost-to-serve, ensuring commercial models translate effectively into realised margin
• Business Intelligence & Planning – Enhance sales and commercial reporting through improved dashboards and insights, driving automation and scalability in reporting processes
• Technology Practice – Partner on pricing strategy and budget setting
• Customer Experience & Managed Service – Support budget setting, cost optimisation, and customer profitability analysis, ensuring alignment between service delivery performance and commercial outcomes
• Procurement, Legal & Compliance – Collaborate to ensure contractual terms support commercial objectives, including recovery of cost increases through pricing mechanisms, and provide financial input to resolve supplier and customer commercial issues
• Financial Control – Partner with the accounting team to ensure integrity and accuracy of the P&L, enabling reliable actuals to support budgeting, forecasting, and commercial analysis

Position Specifications

• Flexible and creative, able to adapt to changing situations and take considered risks
• Self-motivated and able to work under pressure
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• High attention to detail
• Collaborative, supportive, and eager to help others learn
• Manages conflict and challenges in an open and constructive manner
• Positive mindset, excited by unfamiliar challenges and learning new things
• Enthusiastic and eager to develop new skills and knowledge
• Ability to travel to different sites and locations

Critical Competencies – Technical Fit

• Qualified ACA, ACCA or CIMA with at least 5 years PQE
• Experience of budgeting and forecasting in a similar sized business
• Strong commercial awareness, experience in a commercial role is highly desirable
• You will have the knowledge and experience to carry out complex tasks competently, confidently and consistently
• You will have strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex financial data
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Experience of people management and coaching of junior staff
• Advanced Excel and financial reporting skills; experience with ERP and finance systems is desirable