At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead Commercial Finance, driving performance and value creation in a dynamic holiday rentals business.
- Company: Join Awaze, Europe's largest holiday rentals company with a people-first culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible hybrid working, generous holiday discounts, and real career growth opportunities.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive team in a fast-paced, international environment.
- Why this job: Shape the future of finance with automation and AI while making a real impact.
- Qualifications: Significant leadership experience in Commercial Finance and strong analytical skills required.
The predicted salary is between 65000 - 80000 £ per year.
Lead the evolution of Commercial Finance at Europe's largest holiday rentals business – driving performance, value creation and the future of finance.
The Opportunity
As Commercial Finance Director, you will lead Commercial Finance across Awaze and play a key role in shaping how the business creates value. You will sit at the heart of the business, influencing both the day‑to‑day trading decisions that drive short‑term performance and the strategic choices that shape long‑term value creation. Reporting to the CFO and serving as a member of the Finance Leadership Team, you will partner closely with leaders across Commercial, Marketing, Supply, Product, Technology and Operations to improve decision quality, accelerate performance and strengthen long‑term shareholder value. You will help redefine the role of finance through greater use of automation, AI and data‑led insight, moving the function from retrospective reporting towards predictive analytics, value creation and strategic influence.
A role with transformation at its core. Finance is undergoing significant change. Advances in automation, AI and data are creating opportunities to rethink how finance supports the business. This role will play a leading part in that journey, helping build a Commercial Finance function that spends less time producing reports and more time generating insight, challenging decisions and creating value.
What you'll be doing
- Lead Commercial Finance across Awaze, shaping business performance through insight, challenge and decision support that drives profitable growth, cash generation and long‑term value creation.
- Play a central role in day‑to‑day trading decisions, partnering with Commercial, Marketing and Supply leaders to optimise pricing, promotional activity, marketing investment, demand, revenue, profitability and cash generation.
- Partner with senior leaders across Commercial, Marketing, Supply, Product, Technology and Operations to improve decision quality, prioritisation and resource allocation.
- Shape the commercial agenda by bringing greater visibility to the drivers of revenue, profitability, cash generation and shareholder value.
- Develop a deeper understanding of customer, homeowner, destination and channel economics, helping the business make smarter growth and investment decisions.
- Lead forecasting, budgeting, trading outlooks and scenario planning, ensuring the business has a clear view of risks, opportunities and performance drivers.
- Evaluate strategic initiatives, investments and growth opportunities, providing robust financial challenge and commercial insight.
- Build and develop a high‑performing Commercial Finance team recognised for commercial insight, business partnership and continuous improvement.
- Modernise Commercial Finance through the application of automation, AI and advanced analytics, accelerating the shift from reporting to predictive insight.
- Play a key role in shaping the future finance operating model, improving how Finance supports decision‑making across Awaze.
You'll thrive in this role if you
- Think about value creation rather than simply reporting results.
- Are curious about customer behaviour, economics and profitability.
- Challenge conventional thinking and simplify complexity.
- Balance strategic thinking with operational delivery.
- Use data and insight to influence decision‑making.
- Are excited by the opportunity to modernise finance through technology, automation and AI.
We're looking for someone who brings
- Significant leadership experience in Commercial Finance, FP&A, Strategic Finance or Finance Business Partnering.
- Strong commercial acumen with the ability to translate financial insight into meaningful business decisions.
- A deep understanding of customer, pricing, channel and unit economics.
- Experience supporting trading, investment and commercial growth initiatives.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills with the credibility to influence senior leaders across multiple functions.
- A proven track record of leading, developing and inspiring high‑performing teams.
- Strong analytical thinking, commercial judgement and problem‑solving capability.
- A collaborative leadership style with a passion for improving how finance creates value.
Ideally you will have
- Experience within a consumer, travel, online platform, marketplace or subscription‑based business.
- Experience in a private equity‑backed organisation.
- Led finance transformation, automation or AI‑enabled initiatives.
- Worked within an international, multi‑brand or multi‑site environment.
- Built customer profitability, pricing or lifetime value frameworks.
- Experience presenting to Executive Teams, Boards, investors or lenders.
What success looks like after 12‑18 months
- Shifted commercial discussions beyond volume and revenue towards customer value, profitability and long‑term value creation.
- Built stronger insight into customer, homeowner, destination and channel economics.
- Increased the use of automation, data and AI within Commercial Finance.
- Established yourself as a trusted adviser to senior business leaders.
- Developed a high‑performing team focused on insight, influence and decision support.
- Played a key role in shaping the future finance operating model.
Why you'll want to work at Awaze
We offer a versatile position in a strong professional and social environment — one you’ll have the opportunity to influence and help shape. You’ll be part of an international company that invests in the future, and join a dynamic, fast‑paced department with skilled and committed colleagues who support each other. We’re a people‑first business — and we know that our success starts with our teams.
Benefits
- Generous discounts on holidays across our brands.
- Flexible hybrid working — with the autonomy to work how you work best.
- Real opportunities to grow, learn and shape your role as well as careers progression vertically or horizontally, across countries and responsibilities.
About Awaze
Our mission is clear — to create amazing holidays with Europe's widest choice of holiday homes. With more than 110,000 properties across Europe, we are the largest managed vacation rentals business in the region. Our ambition is not only to be the biggest, but the best provider of holiday homes in Europe. As travel continues to evolve, we are focused on what comes next. We will keep strengthening our relationships with guests and homeowners, continuously improving the way we work, and delivering strong performance. By making things simpler and smarter, we are building a business that is ready for what's next — powered by proud, passionate and inclusive people.
Location Manchester
Commercial Finance Director in Manchester employer: Awaze
Awaze is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and supportive work environment in Manchester where innovation meets collaboration. As a leader in the holiday rentals sector, we prioritise employee growth through flexible hybrid working arrangements and real opportunities for career progression, all while fostering a people-first culture that values teamwork and individual contributions. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking company that embraces technology and empowers its employees to shape the future of finance and create memorable holiday experiences.
