Chess Dynamics
Finance Business Partner
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Role Purpose
The Business Partner will be pivotal in providing the financial support both to the business during a period of rapid business growth and operational scaling and to the broader finance team to ensure accuracy of reporting and forecasting.
As the finance lead embedded across a number of Integrated Portfolio Teams, the role is crucial for driving financial performance, translating commercial strategy into financial outcomes, and identifying opportunities to improve profitability, helping to reduce any silo effects to enable cross-functional collaboration and adding value to decision-making processes. You will partner with the IPT Leads and Team providing proactive commercial insight, develop robust project financial control/ management, and support decision making through financial modelling and scenario analysis throughout the life of the specific project. This will include from inception or bid through to delivery and close-out. You will own the integrity and accuracy of those projects’ financial performance (orderbook, revenue, margin, cash), strengthen financial knowledge and behaviours across all areas including engineering/operations/commercial, and drive continuous improvement in project controls, forecasting EAC & ETC accuracy, and working capital, with a strong remit to drive a cash positive position throughout the project.
As a member of the wider finance team, you will support the month end and forecasting processes to help embed a company-wide culture of timely and accurate reporting and forecasting and front-foot financial management.
The role will use best practice to drive the development of strong internal financial controls, operational efficiency, ownership and pride throughout the team.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Insight, Leadership & Control
- Own and manage the financial integrity of IPT accounting, ensuring that the financial position of that project and any risks and opportunities are well highlighted and understood.
- Provide insights on pricing strategy, discount structures, and customer profitability to support the evaluation of commercial deals and bids for financial viability and ROI.
- Support sales forecasting, pipeline analysis, and revenue growth strategies.
- Within specific projects, analyse operational cost drivers, identify inefficiencies, and propose cost-optimisation strategies.
- Lead budgeting and forecasting for business units, ensuring alignment with overall strategy.
- Prepare scenario models for new initiatives, product launches, and investment decisions.
- In collaboration with the Finance team, ensure timely production of monthly Management Accounts.
- Assist in the budgeting and forecasting process, working closely with the project teams and the finance team to ensure a well-rounded and considered financial forecast.
- Influence and drive a culture that plans, reviews and delivers tighter cost understanding, control and management.
- Liaise as necessary with the Commercial Team to ensure that any issues forthcoming are raised and dealt with in a timely manner.
- Assist the auditors to understand year end positions taken on relevant projects.
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Data, Reporting & Systems Development
- Develop key project level performance indicators and metrics that support and enable better decision making at a project level, that foster simplicity, clarity and a better understanding at both company and group level.
- Develop dashboards and reports that clearly communicate the story behind the numbers
- Embed continuous development of financial reporting, procedures, systems and controls.
- Drive simplification and automation across financial workflows eliminating or streamlining non-value added activities as appropriate.
Cash Management
- Feed into the monthly cash forecasting process, developing appropriate project level near-term cash forecasting, management and reporting, identifying opportunities for working capital improvements.
- Liaise with credit control to ensure milestone and other billing is raised as soon as practical.
People & Capability
- Play your part in leading, mentoring and supporting both the IPT and finance teams to drive a high-performance caring culture that is ready to support anticipated future growth.
- The role will actively contribute to raising the quality and standard of financial information, financial behaviour and financial support throughout the business, and contribute to the development of the wider finance team.
- Embed accountability, ownership, transparency and cross-department collaboration.
- Coach non-finance stakeholders to improve financial understanding and decision-making.
Other
- Other ad hoc duties as and when required to support the Finance Director and wider management team and business.
Skills & Experience
- Commercially focused qualified accountant (e.g., CIMA, ACA, ACCA) or equivalent experience
- Proven experience in a manufacturing or similar environment.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving ability and attention to detail.
- Advanced Microsoft suite, including Excel and familiarity with ERP/manufacturing systems.
- Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders.
- Proven ability to lead, develop and inspire teams.
- Proactive, organised, able to multi-task and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.
- A strategic mindset with hands-on capability and a passion for continuous improvement.
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Personal Attributes
- Demonstrates our company values of Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence and Courage.
- Hands on manager that is self-motivated and pro-active member of a Finance team with a commitment to getting the job done.
- Highly organised and methodical approach, with an eye for detail.
- Dedicated to furthering the standards of the department and finding solutions that fit the business.
- Able to cope with change and conflicting demands.
- Good personal time management and priority setting and comfortable working to deadlines.
- Confident communicator with experience engaging senior stakeholders
- Excellent interpersonal and written skills being able to clearly explain financial information and terminology to non-technical parties.
- Change-driven, decisive, adaptable and resilient.
- Inspires others to achieve.
- Learns and shares knowledge.
Work Life Balance
- 37.5 hour working week
- Lunchtime finishes on a Friday
- Hybrid / flexible working arrangements
- 28 days annual leave
- Christmas closure
- Holiday purchasing scheme
Benefits
- Group pension plan – matched contributions up to 5%
- Income protection scheme
- Health Cash Plan
- Employee Assistance Programme gives you and your family access to 4 key services including remote GP service, second opinion, mental health pathway service and physiotherapy consultations
- Life assurance policy, including bereavement counselling and probate helpline
- Company shares incentive plan and save as you earn scheme
- Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
- Wellbeing initiatives, including access to wellbeing app and the addition of mental health support for all employees.
- Regular sports and social activities
- Reward platform (high street discounts, employee benefits, health and wellbeing offerings)
- Recruitment referral bonus scheme
- Excellent learning & development opportunities
Security Clearance Requirements
Due to the nature of our business, our staff need to be able to obtain UK Security Clearance as a mandated requirement. Therefore, if successful, you will need to provide proof of identity, employment history and right to work in the UK, along with proof of UK residency for at least five years.
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