At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead financial planning, forecasting, and performance management for a dynamic property services group.
- Company: Join LSL Property Services Group plc, a Small Cap listed company with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, hybrid working model, and direct exposure to senior leadership.
- Other info: Embrace diversity and inclusion in a supportive environment focused on continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a strategic impact while developing your leadership skills in a high-performing team.
- Qualifications: Significant FP&A experience, strong financial modelling skills, and confidence in presenting to executives.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Blair West are delighted to be supporting LSL Property Services Group plc with the appointment of a Head of FP&A. The Head of FP&A will lead the Group’s financial planning, forecasting, and performance management activities. Operating within a Small Cap listed company, the role provides high-quality insight, analysis, and challenge to support strategic decision-making, value creation, and effective capital allocation.
The Head of FP&A will translate complex financial and operational data into clear, decision-ready insight for the Executive Committee, Board, and investors, while driving commercial outcomes and disciplined execution across the Group. The successful candidate will act as a key strategic partner to the CFO, working closely with senior leadership to turn strategy into actionable plans, track delivery against financial and operational objectives, and strengthen performance management, accountability, and commercial focus across the organisation.
The opportunity:
- Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting: Lead the Group’s annual budgeting, periodic forecasting, and long-range planning processes. Own the end-to-end planning calendar, ensuring robust assumptions, stretch targets and alignment with strategic priorities. Drive continuous improvement in forecasting accuracy and scenario planning.
- Financial Modelling & Performance Drivers: Develop and maintain integrated financial models linking financial, operational, and strategic drivers. Translate business strategy into clear, measurable financial outcomes and KPIs. Provide scenario analysis, sensitivities and value-creation modelling to support decision-making.
- Management Information & Performance Insight: Deliver timely, accurate, and insightful management information and performance analysis. Develop clear performance narratives, highlighting trends, risks and opportunities. Support performance reviews with actionable insight and recommendations.
- FP&A Systems, MI Tools & Data Capability: Lead the development of management information (MI) tools and systems. Ensure MI systems support scalable growth and evolving reporting needs.
- Strategic & Commercial Business Partnering: Partner with the CFO and senior leadership on strategic and commercial initiatives. Support investment appraisal, M&A, pricing, cost optimisation and growth initiatives. Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, providing challenge and insight.
- Board, Investor & Executive Reporting: Support Board, Audit Committee, and investor financial reporting. Prepare high-quality financial analysis and presentations for senior leadership and external stakeholders. Ensure forward-looking insights and risks are clearly articulated.
- FP&A Leadership & Capability Development: Build, lead, and develop a high-performing FP&A team. Establish best-in-class FP&A processes, standards and ways of working. Foster a culture of curiosity, accountability and continuous improvement.
You’ll be the ideal candidate for this position if you have:
- Significant post-qualification experience in FP&A or commercial finance.
- Strong financial modelling, forecasting, and analytical capability.
- Experience engaging at Executive and Board level, presenting complex financial insight clearly and confidently.
- Experience within a Small Cap or a regulated listed company.
- Experience within a financial services organisation.
- Experience in leadership of MI tools, dashboards, and FP&A systems implementations.
- Experience supporting M&A or strategic transformation initiatives.
- Advanced Excel and financial modelling skills, with exposure to modern BI tools (e.g. Power BI, Tableau or equivalent).
- Strong understanding of KPI frameworks, value drivers and performance management in a Group environment.
The benefits included with this opportunity:
- Highly competitive salary & benefits package.
- Direct exposure to Executive Committee, Board, and Audit Committee stakeholders.
- Leadership role with significant strategic influence across the organisation.
- Hybrid working model offering flexibility.
Our commitment: Blair West is an equal-opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and inclusion at every stage of the recruitment process. We are committed to fairness, equality, and ongoing diversity training for our team to give our candidates and clients a feeling of belonging during their experience with us. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during their experience with us, please speak to their consultant.
Head of FP&A in Sunderland employer: Blair West
Contact Detail:
Blair West Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of FP&A in Sunderland
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the finance world, especially those who have experience in FP&A. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings or even a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your financial modelling and analytical skills. Be ready to showcase how you can translate complex data into actionable insights, just like the role requires!
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t underestimate the power of follow-ups! After an interview, send a quick thank-you note to express your appreciation and reiterate your interest in the position. It keeps you fresh in their minds.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website for the best chance at landing that Head of FP&A role. We’re all about making connections and helping you find the right fit, so don’t miss out on this opportunity!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of FP&A in Sunderland
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in FP&A and commercial finance. We want to see how your skills align with the specific requirements of the Head of FP&A role, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!
Showcase Your Financial Modelling Skills: Since this role involves significant financial modelling and forecasting, include examples of your work in these areas. We love seeing how you’ve translated complex data into actionable insights, so share any relevant projects or tools you've used.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, clarity is key! Use straightforward language to explain your experience and avoid jargon unless it’s necessary. We appreciate a well-structured application that gets straight to the point.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website for the best chance of being noticed. It helps us keep everything organised and ensures your application reaches the right people quickly!
How to prepare for a job interview at Blair West
✨Know Your Numbers
As the Head of FP&A, you'll need to demonstrate a strong grasp of financial modelling and forecasting. Brush up on your Excel skills and be ready to discuss how you've used financial models to drive decision-making in previous roles. Prepare examples that showcase your analytical capabilities and how they’ve led to successful outcomes.
✨Speak Their Language
When you're interviewing, remember that you'll be engaging with senior leadership and possibly the Board. Tailor your communication style to be clear and concise, translating complex financial data into actionable insights. Practice explaining your past experiences in a way that highlights your strategic thinking and commercial acumen.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role involves building and leading a high-performing FP&A team. Be prepared to discuss your leadership style and provide examples of how you've developed teams in the past. Highlight any initiatives you've led that fostered a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Given the emphasis on scenario analysis and forecasting accuracy, expect questions that challenge you to think critically about potential business scenarios. Prepare to discuss how you've approached scenario planning in the past and the impact it had on strategic decision-making. This will show your ability to think ahead and provide valuable insights.