Commercial Finance Business Partner-FMCG

JOB TITLE: Commercial Finance Business Partner - SalesHybrid: Full Time- 4 days in the office , 1 day WFH

A global FMCG Brand are looking for a commercial Finance partner to be the "FD" to the On the Go Sales Channel by delivering a 3-year commercial strategy and owning the channel and customer sales P&Ls. You'll be the co-pilot and sparring partner to the respective Channel Managers, controlling and improving the long term strategic drivers of performance.

• Create partnerships that unite the business in commercial excellence, focusing on three critical areas:
• inclusively challenging and controlling channel volume, revenue, pricing, tactical + strategic investment, and enabling effective delivery of the annual business plan;
• planning and forecasting - monthly, ongoing Risks+Ops, and annual business plans.
• facilitating the seamless implementation of strategic commercial projects.

KEY responsibilities

• Driving force in the commercial controlling team who accelerates the connectivity and performance of the department.
• Guarantees full compliance with the Group Controlling guidelines and Audit requirements.
• Designs the system setup, to perfectly mirror the responsibilities in the organization.
• Timely distribution of financial information (plan and actual) to every budget holder by sending out reports, by allowing system access and by presenting the information in regular meetings.
• Builds a solid relationship with budget holders based on mutual respect and trust.
• Is driven through a service mentality: sharing insights, supporting budget spends and appraisals, highlighting R+Os, providing financial simulations and business cases proposals.

MONTH END CLOSING

• Coordinates the monthly sales investment accrual process + channel reviews.
• Leading the consolidation of month end closing management reporting packs, collating commentary, and providing analysis on financial performance and R+Os to Channel Managers + Sales Directors.
• Ensures master data quality of systems, including customer, product, internal order hierarchies.

REPORTING AND ANALYSIS

• Generate, improve, harmonise, and standardise the weekly/monthly management information reports, analysis, and insight with a desire to drive improvements ongoing both locally and with HQ.
• Develop and enhance reports, aggregated or detailed level, comparing YTD, PY vs CY vs RE vs YTG.
• Critically assess investment evaluations and performance, by sku, pack type, product range, period.

PLANNING AND FORECASTING

• Leads the monthly Channel Review Meeting to ensure a robust channel financial outlook.
• Supports a true bottom up planning process by finding a balance of long term vision and inclusive challenge with close analytical support to contribute high forecasting accuracy of business plan.
• Coordinates the Business Plan/Revised Estimate data collection and data entry with Channel team.
• Aggregates/consolidates the individual plans to a total channel plan.
• Prepares year to go monthly reforecast including identifying and tracking sales R+Os.

BUSINESS PARTNERING

• Be the Co-pilot and sparring partner for the Commercial Channel Manager and their direct reports.
• Use facts, figures and analysis to identify and prioritise performance improvement plans.
• Lead on strategic projects such as long term pricing, promotional investment optimisation, Group Controlling Guideline audits, robotics efficiencies, reporting developments.
• Build and solidify Local + HQ finance relationships and mindsets.
• Prepares scenarios and simulations with the input from the commercial teams and models the impact.

Experience Needed

• 3-4 years' experience in controlling, FP&A, finance business partner role in consumer goods.
• Sales finance experience including Price and Mix variance analysis is advantageous.
• Qualified finance professional (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent, QBE).
• Fluent written and spoken English

Handle actively welcomes applicants from under-represented backgrounds - we pride ourselves on attracting the best talent for every opportunity through a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.