Commercial Finance Manager

Our client, a Facilities Services Provider, is now looking for a Commercial Finance Manager who will be an essential business partner to the Finance Director in the Facilities Services business.

The successful candidate will support the central Facilities Services, working with the FM businesses across the UK on projects, planning, and innovation.

Responsibilities include planning, analysis, and bringing to life new product developments, as well as managing the P&L levers to ensure strong sustainable category growth.

In addition, the Finance Manager will support the team and Head of Marketing Operations in accelerating the innovation pipeline into the marketplace. This involves working closely with both the marketing teams and regional finance teams to build a sustained launch plan for new products and business opportunities.

This role is a fantastic opportunity to step into category finance and gain exposure to real strategic, operational, and business challenges. The successful candidate will need to demonstrate a strong track record of ownership and the ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders.

Key Components of the Role

1. Provide leadership to the Facilities Services Commercial/Financial team.
2. Provide accurate financial information on a timely basis as required.
3. Champion the proactive management of risk within the Division.
4. Drive improvements in the management of cash within the business.
5. Develop and monitor business controls to highlight deviations from expected operational performance and work with the Operations Director to correct.
6. Ensure that contracts are properly administered throughout their operation.

Key Responsibilities and Accountability

1. Leadership: Ensure operational teams are supported by appropriately qualified commercial or financial staff.
2. Take an active role in the development of all commercial, financial, and administrative staff within the division.
3. Be seen by the business as a partner to the Operations Director.
4. Perform an active role in the development of the commercial and financial function.
5. Financial Information: Ensure all necessary inputs are made to the finance systems to allow the production of accurate and timely monthly management accounts.
6. Review divisional management accounts to ensure they present an accurate view of divisional business performance.
7. Ensure full compliance across the division with all commercial and financial processes.
8. Ensure accurate forecasting is performed and independently reviewed and minuted for each project every month.
9. Ensure accurate divisional forecasts are prepared each month, with special attention given to the Livre Bleu re-forecasting and budgeting exercises.
10. Cover Order Intake, Invoicing, Production, Gross Margin, Overheads, EBIT, Cash Receipts, and Balance Sheet items, with a focus on Customer Financing.
11. Risk Management: Work with the legal team to highlight and manage contractual risks at pre and post tender stages.
12. Work with operational teams to ensure best practices in risk management.
13. Ensure risks and opportunities are properly reflected in end-life cost and value forecasting for projects.
14. Cash Management: Work with the Operations Director pre-contract to drive the most cash positive profile for projects.
15. Ensure applications for payments or invoices are submitted as early as the contract allows.
16. Drive cash collection to an advance payment position, maximizing interim applications where possible.
17. Be the first point of escalation for the divisional commercial team regarding client certification of applications or invoices.
18. Ensure the UK legal team is made fully aware of any payment difficulties as they arise.
19. Manage contractual escalation under the direction of the Legal Director.
20. Manage any final account negotiations with the client as necessary.
21. Business Controls: Work with the Operations Director to develop controls for monitoring project and contract performance.
22. Highlight deviations from expected operational performance.
23. Monitor the divisional overhead and cost base, recommending corrective actions as necessary.
24. Contract Administration: Work with the legal team to ensure operational staff are fully briefed on their responsibilities regarding contract performance.
25. Ensure contractual administration is performed according to contract requirements.
26. Procurement: Work with the Procurement team to ensure process compliance across the division.
27. Engage with the supply chain as required by the Procurement team.
28. Lead analysis for Facilities Services and act as the finance lead on this category, providing judgment and challenging teams to drive better P&L results.
29. Develop analytical tools and analysis on a UK level to explain performance drivers and simplify the brand plan.
30. Support big scale strategic projects, including new business opportunities.

We are looking for ambitious, energetic, and dedicated individuals with a passion for driving business performance. You will have high levels of academic achievement, high learning agility, and a proven ability to achieve and surpass targets and objectives. An understanding of financial concepts and the ability to use them to drive commercial performance is crucial.

MUST be CIMA qualified.