Senior Finance Business Partner- FTC

Wickes; Watford; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive bonus

Save-as-you-earn scheme

Private Medical and Life Assurance

Enhanced contributory pension scheme

Colleague discount

Discount platform with savings and gym

Job summary

Wickes is recruiting an experienced Senior Finance Business Partner on a 12-month fixed-term contract. You will manage monthly financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and performance analysis, partnering with Exec and senior leaders to challenge costs and support strategic decisions.

The role requires ACA/CIMA/ACCA or equivalent with 5+ years PQE in finance, a strong retail background, and proven leadership of direct reports.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, CIMA, ACCA, or equivalent).
• 5+ years PQE in finance roles, with retail exposure preferred.
• Strong track record in month-end, reporting, and process improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead budgeting and reforecasting for gross margin, OPEX, and capex.
• Partner with Exec and senior leaders to challenge costs and performance.
• Oversee monthly reporting, variance analysis, and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Drive internal controls, governance, and external audit support.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Leadership

Retail finance

Forecasting

Budgeting

Education

ACCA/CIMA/ACA or equivalent

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Wickes are recruiting for an experienced Senior Finance Business Partner to join us on a 12-month fixed-term contract. This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing FTSE 250 retail business with a growth strategy of 300 stores by 2030.

Role Purpose:

This role involves managing monthly financial reporting and forecasting, covering a range of areas including gross margin and other operational expenses. You will partner with cross-functional teams to provide detailed financial analysis and support data-driven decision-making across key business areas.

What you’ll be doing:

• Budgeting & Reforecasting: Lead a thorough and accurate budget and reforecast process, covering areas such as gross margin, marketing and IT costs. Ensure you engage, challenge and hold all relevant stakeholders to account.
• Business Partnering: Partner directly with cross-functional teams, including Exec members and other senior leaders, ensuring a detailed understanding of costs and performance, providing robust challenge and support.
• Monthly Reporting: Oversee monthly reporting across areas including gross margin, marketing and IT costs, managing both the pre-month-end flash process and post-month-end analysis and reporting. Clear reporting of opex and capex costs with comparisons against forecast and prior year, explaining reasons for variances
• Financial Controls & Governance: Ensure monthly balance sheet reconciliations are completed, clearly communicating risks and opportunities. Drive continuous control improvements while ensuring Key Financial Controls and control self-assessments are completed on time and operating effectively. Provide accurate supporting information to external auditors for key accounts
• Insight & Analysis: Deliver insightful reporting on cost/price inflation and key performance metrics to continuously enhance trading packs delivered across the wider business, providing ad-hoc analysis as needed.
• Team Leadership: Build, develop, and mentor a team, demonstrating strong leadership behaviours and fostering a collaborative environment.
• Systems & Transformation: Play an active role in supporting our ongoing technology transformation plan. Support the production of business cases both in terms of costs and attributed benefits, and monitor the progress of projects. Improve finance and business processes in our current system environment.

What we’re looking for:

Qualifications & Experience:

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, CIMA, ACCA, or equivalent).
• 5+ years Post-Qualification Experience (PQE).
• Broad finance background with a strong foundation in retail.
• Track record of managing month-end reporting, business partnering, and leading process improvements.
• Proven leadership experience managing direct reports.

Skills & Attributes:

• Technical Skills: Advanced Excel skills with extensive experience handling large and complex data sets.
• Commercial Acumen & Governance: Deep understanding of internal control environments with the confidence to challenge and influence business decisions.
• Leadership & Drive: Energetic, inspiring leader capable of bringing passion, drive, and strategic focus to the role.
• Adaptability: Highly organised, flexible, and responsive to competing priorities in a fast-paced retail environment

What can we offer you?

You’ll be supported with fantastic learning and development and have the opportunity to grow and develop your career with us. We also have an early-career network to support you if you’re in your first few years of your career.

We’ll also equip you with a benefits package that includes:

• Competitive bonus
• Save-as-you-earn scheme
• Private Medical and Life Assurance
• Enhanced contributory pension scheme
• Colleague discount
• Discount platform including savings and cash back at numerous retailers, savings on gym membership, cycle-to-work scheme

Our widely recognised wellbeing strategy is something we’re proud of at Wickes. As part of this, we offer a range of health and wellbeing benefits and support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, financial education & loans, and access to parental, menopause and fertility support.

By giving you the support you need to do well at work and the flexibility to make life work for you. We are giving you a career that doesn’t put your life on hold. Where you can be yourself, do your best work, and make a positive difference every day.

About Us:

Wickes is a multi-channel retailer operating in the home improvement market. With 50 years in industry, Wickes now generates revenue in excess of £1.6bn across 230 stores delivered by 8,000+ colleagues. But it is our culture that is considered our best kept secret; it’s a collaborative, down to earth, fun and inclusive environment where people feel part of a winning team. All our colleagues come from different backgrounds, but what we all have in common is a determination to succeed and a passion for being the best we can be. If that sounds like you, we’ll make you feel right at home.

We aim to create an inclusive workplace with colleagues’ wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.

We’re a Disability Confident Employer and committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from disabled people and are committed to providing an accessible recruitment process and workplace for everyone. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments, please let us know here.