Finance Business Partner

Salary: £54,000 – £57,600 per year

My client is a global automotive company and has an exciting opportunity for a qualified financial accountant to join the team as a Finance Business Partner requiring quarterly international travel. The role sits within the Used Car Excellence part of the business, firstly as the Finance Business Partner within the Used Car Excellence global team, reporting to the MD and interfacing with the regions. In addition, this role partners with the Franchise Director for their used car division in the UK and has responsibility for all financially related matters.

The role will be accountable for proactively identifying opportunities for improvement, innovation, and efficiency within the financial accounting space both for UK and globally and to share these both with both the region and their global peers. There will be a requirement to have an active involvement in key strategic projects.

The role of the Finance BP is to lead on all financially related matters, including, but not limited to – Financial Planning & Reporting, Commercial analysis, Capital investment, and Compliance.

Main Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of UK budgeted profit and cash targets. Ensure timely and proactive course correction where required
• Manage the cost base of the Franchise in conjunction with the Franchise Director
• Support and work alongside the UK sites in the regions and markets to ensure that financials are being delivered in a timely manner
• Ensure that the financial impact of UK and sites in the markets’ operational decisions is fully appraised and drives better profit and cash outcomes
• Add insight into the impact that local decisions may have on other areas of the business and ensure this is considered in financial evaluation
• Lead on compliance to ensure we meet the relevant minimum control framework and all regulatory requirements from a UK perspective
• Provide financial insight on investment strategy to the MD and Franchise Director. Manage both cost and capital investment, track benefits & providing analysis where required
• Provide senior financial insight for ad-hoc work be it potential acquisitions, demerger work, potential legal claims, insurance claims, etc.
• Ensure appropriate focus on working capital and cash flow. Assess capital requests at the business case stage and drive all aspects of working capital management
• Work collaboratively with finance colleagues across the markets

The Ideal Candidate

• Qualified accountant with extensive and relevant commercial financial experience
• Able to build relationships and influence at all levels of the business
• Proactive, able to operate on your own initiative and drive your own success
• Excellent verbal/written communication skills
• Track record of leading and developing multi-site teams
• Intellectual capability to think strategically whilst operating tactically and executing rigorously
• Bias for simplification
• Confident, resilient, and change-oriented with a calm nature
• Ability to think strategically whilst delivering operationally
• Organised yet flexible with an ability to work in a fast-paced environment