RWS Group
Senior Finance Business Partner
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Job Purpose
Fixed Term Contract: 6 months (Initially)
The Senior Finance Business Partner (FBP) will lead financial support to the business unit, partnering with the management team. This role is primarily focused on ensuring that the business has clear financial performance objectives which are aligned with the Group's objectives.
Partnering with the business unit leader and team, you will champion a performance culture. This means clear goals and metrics, an accountability mindset across the business, and data driven decision making, all with a sense of urgency. There should be a "no surprises" ethos, with an emphasis on value creation and delivering on performance commitments.
You will report into, and work closely with the segment Finance Director, to support plans in key operational and strategic areas. This will involve interpreting and driving finance performance, advising on key business planning, trade-offs, and opportunities, and presenting a dynamic industry, competitors, and economic context.
You will also work closely with sales and operational teams to optimize the commercial outcomes for the business. This will range from sales pipeline reviews and cost savings to investment cases and acquisition integration.
About Group Finance
In joining RWS’s Finance team you will be a critical part of supporting a listed world-leading provider of technology-enabled language, content, and intellectual property services. RWS has growing revenues of over £750m through a combination of value accretive acquisitions and organic growth. Group finance, led by our Group CFO; Stephen Lamb, includes diverse teams across the globe operating in functions including business partnering, operational finance, specialist, and group functions. We cover a footprint of over 100 legal entities in 43 different countries worldwide.
It’s a very exciting time to join RWS Finance for an individual who enjoys change and making an impact! As part of the overall RWS business strategy we are making a significant investment in upgrading our financial systems and processes to deliver enhanced reporting and control, more efficient processing enabling great value through enhanced business partnering and decision support.
Job Overview
Key Responsibilities
Support business unit strategy
- Develop a thorough understanding of the business in terms of the commercial model, customer needs, the wider market and industry trends to ensure that you can provide expert advice to the team.
- Partner with the business unit leadership team to develop an ambitious strategic plan that will deliver growth and value creation.
- Develop and maintain a comprehensive financial model for the business unit that aligns to the strategic goals and sets out the long-term financial goals in terms of profitability and cash generation, together with required investments and productivity initiatives.
- Develop and present investment cases to the Group Investment Committee.
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Own business unit performance management
- Own the business unit P&L, partnering with the business unit leader to ensure that all leaders know their financial targets and what is required of them to meet the business unit objectives.
- Challenge, highlight and investigate areas of risk and opportunity, creating a "no surprises" ethos.
- Lead commercial reviews, partnering with relevant teams (pricing, delivery, product, legal etc) to drive the best financial outcome for RWS. Ensure that commercial actions are aligned to forecasts, have clear ownership, and are monitored/amended as required.
- Be a leading voice on productivity in the team, with an emphasis on margin improvement and cost optimization. Propose and deliver more efficient ways of working and champion the use of technology.
- Ensure alignment with collections/payments activity in the sales and operations teams. Avoid business unit duplication of effort, using the Shared Service Centre (SSC) whenever possible.
Financial Insights and reporting
- Lead budgeting, forecasting, investment governance and cost efficiency programs.
- Provide timely insightful business unit reporting and analysis. There should be a "one version of the truth" approach, with all commercial business leaders having access to comprehensive performance data whilst also understanding the wider business context.
- Partner with Group FP&A team to meet required financial deliverables.
- Leverage business insights, scenario modelling and analysis to develop financial models and drive commercial decision-making and complex problem-solving.
Compliance & control
- Ensure there is a robust control environment with a focus on integrity, compliance and financial control.
- Partner with accounting team to ensure compliance with all relevant accounting standards and internal policies and procedures.
- Prepare accurate and timely financial statements and reports.
- Support the annual audit process.
Continuous improvement & collaboration
- Adopt a continuous improvement mindset, championing change and development.
- Closely follow wider finance trends (including AI and automation) to assess their impact on the business and incorporate these into the business unit's plans.
- Partner with the Group team to optimize data, reporting, analytics and systems to create a world-class approach to decision making and reporting.
- Collaborate with SSC teams to support process improvement and productivity. Be a champion for the SSC in the business unit.
Skills & Experience
- 8+ years FP&A or finance business partnering experience, 3+ years in a senior role
- Professional certified qualification (CFA/CPA/CA/AAT/CIMA/ACCA/ACA or global equivalent)
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or other business-related discipline
- Strong English language skills
- Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders, challenge constructively and drive organisational change to deliver improved business performance.
- Expert knowledge in business analysis, analysing large data sets and information management
- Experience in data modelling, and simplifying complex data into compelling, clear, and actionable insights using Excel and reporting tools
- Advanced MS Excel skills with a proven aptitude to interpret customer and financial data
- Working knowledge of core finance systems, ERP and related speciality functional systems, frameworks, and functionality
- Strong understanding of finance business processes, accounting policies, and statutory accounting principles to ensure compliant FBP activities
- Commercial mind-set with an ability to influence senior stakeholders
- Ability to work in a fast-moving environment with a proactive approach, accustomed to working towards tight deadlines whilst maintaining quality of work
- Strong stakeholder management skills, able to lead by example, hold teams, customers, and partners to account
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Life at RWS
Life at RWS - If you like the idea of working with smart people who are passionate about growing the value of ideas, data and content by making sure organizations are understood, then you’ll love life at RWS.
Our purpose is to unlock global understanding. This means our work fundamentally recognizes the value of every language and culture. So, we celebrate difference, we are inclusive and believe that diversity makes us strong. We want every employee to grow as an individual and excel in their career.
In return, we expect all our people to live by the values that unite us: to partner, putting clients first and winning together, to pioneer, innovating fearlessly and leading with vision and courage, to progress, aiming high and growing through actions and to deliver, owning the outcome and building trust with our colleagues and clients.
RWS embraces DEI and promotes equal opportunity, we are an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. RWS is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at RWS are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation. RWS will not tolerate discrimination based on any of these characteristics.
RWS Values
Get the 3Ps right – Partner, Pioneer, Progress – and we´ll Deliver together as RWS.
Recruitment Agencies
RWS Holdings PLC does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward any unsolicited resumes to any RWS employees. Any unsolicited resume received will be treated as the property of RWS and Terms & Conditions associated with the use of such resume will be considered null and void.
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