Senior Finance Business Partner - Fixed Term

Danone; Chiswick; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Bonus

Competitive benefits

Job summary

Danone in Chiswick is looking for a senior Category/Finance Manager to steer strategy and robust P&L across growth channels. You will partner with the Category Director, build full category P&Ls including A&P, and guide investment decisions to optimise margin and ROI.

You will lead forecasts, financial planning, and business cases with a data-driven storytelling approach to influence senior stakeholders. This role is hybrid with 2–3 days in the office and offers a competitive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Commercial & financial acumen with ability to analyse P&Ls and margins.
• Strategic thinking to connect financial insights with business priorities.
• Strong business partnering and influencing skills with stakeholders.
• Analytical problem solving to translate data into actions.
• Experience leading forecasts and financial plans with risk management.
• Evaluating ROI of marketing and innovation investments.
• Developing robust financial business cases for strategic initiatives.
• Clear communication and storytelling to enable informed decisions.

Responsibilities

• Drive category performance through ad hoc analysis and recommendations.
• Act as specialist SPOC for the Baby category, partnering the Category Director.
• Build and animate full category P&Ls including A&P and margins.
• Challenge A&P spend allocation and performance with accountability for trade spend.
• Lead the GPS forecast process for the category and align with teams.
• Collaborate with customer & channel teams on customer movements.
• Develop Innovation business cases with governance through the Innovation Controller.
• Assess A&P investment effectiveness, ROI and impact on margin.
• Create financials around annual strategic plans with category teams.

Skills

Commercial & Financial Acumen

Strategic Thinking

Business Partnering & Influencing

Analytical Problem Solving

Forecasting & Planning

Investment & ROI Management

Business Case Development

Communication & Storytelling

Job description

About The Job

Chiswick | Hybrid, 2-3 days per week, 1 year FTC

£75,000 - £80,000 + car allowance + bonus + competitive benefits

Danoners are steering us to a more sustainable future, helping to make the world healthier. As a certified B-Corp, we have our Danone Impact Journey to 2027. This will only be possible with each and every one of our leaders. Do you want to be one of them? For more information on our Danone Impact Journey click HERE.

Role Purpose

Support the Category in defining a strategy, and challenging consistency of resource allocation and action plan in line with this strategy for strategic growth channels /customers. Prepare, share and animate the full category P&L and ensure decisions within the Category Leadership Team are taken with a robust understanding of the impact on product margin, including A&P spend and Innovation.

Key Activities:

Drive category performance through ad hoc analysis and recommendations of which:

• Specialist SPOC for the Baby category, business partnering the Category Director
• Build, understand and animate full category P&Ls to product margin, including A&P
• Challenge and build A&P resource allocation and performance (limited trade spend accountability)
• Lead the GPS forecast process for the category
• Work with customer & channel teams to understand material customer movements
• Build Innovation business cases; working with Innovation Controller to ensure correct governance
• Understand and challenge A&P investment in terms of effectiveness, ROI and impact on margin
• Build GPS forecast for the category
• Work with category teams to build financials around annual strategic plans

About You

We would like you to demonstrate the following key skills:

• Commercial & Financial Acumen – Strong ability to analyse P&Ls, understand margin drivers and provide recommendations that improve commercial performance and profitability.
• Strategic Thinking – Able to connect financial insights with business strategy, helping shape priorities and investment decisions that drive sustainable growth.
• Business Partnering & Influencing – Builds trusted relationships and confidently challenges stakeholders to support better decision-making and business outcomes.
• Analytical Problem Solving – Uses data and insight to identify risks, opportunities and trends, translating complex analysis into clear actions.
• Forecasting & Planning – Experienced in leading forecasts and financial plans, ensuring robust assumptions and proactive management of risks and opportunities.
• Investment & ROI Management – Evaluates the effectiveness of marketing and innovation investments, ensuring resources are allocated for maximum commercial return.
• Business Case Development – Develops robust financial business cases that support strategic initiatives and investment decisions.
• Communication & Storytelling – Communicates complex financial information in a clear and engaging way, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions with confidence.

About Us

At Danone, we are committed to delivering better health through better nutrition for millions of consumers and patients in our communities.

Our market-leading products reach millions of consumers and patients every day. Our iconic brands span across the dairy, plant-based and water industries, including Actimel, Alpro and evian.

We're also a leading provider of specialised early-life nutrition through our Aptamil and Cow & Gate brands and medical nutrition products and services through our Nutricia brand.

Depending on the needs of your role, you'll spend an average of 2 to 3 days per week in the office hub, enhancing community, problem solving, and innovation.

We offer a flexible benefits package that you can tailor to your needs. This includes core benefits like pension, life assurance, and healthcare, plus options such as private medical insurance, gym memberships, cycle to work and holiday trading.

You’ll also have access to employee discounts and wellbeing support, helping you look after your health, finances and lifestyle in a way that works for you. Discover More: https://careers.danone.com/uki/en/our-learning-and-rewards.html

Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) is deeply embedded in Danone's DNA, representing our core values and beliefs. We embrace diversity as a driving force for positive change, nurturing an inclusive workplace where every individual is valued.

The closing date for applications is 26th October 2026, you will therefore hear about your application after this date.

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