Finance Business Partner in Warrington

Financial support to and business partnership with two key stakeholders of the Mobility team: Head of Fuel Cards, supporting the Fuel Card Sector; Head of Estate Development, supporting the Bunker and Truckstop Sector. Both sectors are going through a period of high growth, and it is key to maintain rigorous controls and provide commercial integrity to the key decision makers.

Core Functions:

• Full ownership of the Fuel Cards and Truckstop P&Ls (combined annual PBIT £10m), from scrutiny on the margin maximisation across both areas, as well as strong overhead control.
• Working with central finance functions such as FP&A, credit, stock and legal teams to ensure reporting is accurate, robust, and fit for purpose, and being a key point of contact for all queries.
• Working with Central Finance to ensure working capital levels are optimised and delivered in line with forecasts and budgets – particular focus on stock and debtors.
• Driving commercial finance by utilising the cross-functional knowledge between bunkers and fuel cards to influence behaviours across the sales team.
• Support the sales teams to drive volume and margin growth by providing data and guidance on securing new business.
• Weekly P&L forecasting and understanding variances to actual monthly results.
• Monthly management accounts and other requirements as agreed.
• Annual 3-year plan.
• Annual budget and revised mid-year re-forecasting.
• Preparing Monthly Performance Review documentation to be reviewed with the Finance Director and Managing Director, including both operational and financial reporting including key KPI reporting.
• Dealing with daily queries from other central finance functions to ensure accounting policies are adhered to.
• Completing capex papers from initial discussion, to financial modelling and qualitative support.

Fuel Cards Sector:

• Full finance business partnership role supporting the Head of Fuel Cards and his team across; understanding end-to-end processes to ensure margin maximisation and to intervene at any identified points of failure and supporting growth initiatives.
• Full ownership of the fuel cards stock levels and associated reconciliations and reporting. This involves both the direct management of a team of two (one remote) but also indirect management of support functions (stock accounting, credit control et al) through establishment of service level agreements.
• Able to scrutinise data within stock finance system (Codas) to support decision making.
• Leading weekly pricing decisions based on daily and weekly stock and market data.
• Oversee completed analysis by the direct reports and scrutinise: Weekly stock reconciliations vs external networks, stock management and allocation, customer analysis within agreed bandings and segmentation.
• Assist with larger contract negotiation from commercial agreements to payment terms.
• Proactively improving management information through the use of BI.
• Financial modelling for commercial agreements including tenders, extended credit requirements.
• Lead continuous improvement and process efficiency with respect to invoicing, stock allocation, configuration of systems and interface (fuel card agencies, pricing, depots). Supporting commercial initiatives including new product lines, value-added services and additional revenue streams.
• Other ad hoc duties as required.

Bunker and Truckstop Sector:

• Full partnership with Head of Estates Development to report on Bunker performance, scrutinising daily deliveries, own customer volume and throughput volume.
• Supporting with financial modelling and due diligence and operational excellence with potential acquisition targets for both bunkers and Truckstops, collaborating with the wider M&A team for support.
• Supporting Head of Estate Development to draft business cases for new Truckstop acquisitions (freehold and leasehold) with supporting financial and commercial due diligence evidence and reports.
• Support Head of Estate Development with the mobilisation of new Truckstops from a financial point of view.
• Ensuring a detailed understanding of the operations of new acquisition targets to ensure the detail translates into correct accounting policies that are ultimately deployed within the financial statements.
• Completing monthly/quarterly Investment Proposal reviews by understanding actual performance vs IP for acquired businesses.
• Supporting the overall operational and financial integration of acquisitions.
• Produce financial reports to support the business as requested.
• Other ad hoc duties as required.

Key Relationships:

• Head of Fuel Cards and Head of Estate Development.
• Mobility Finance Director and Managing Director.
• Fuel Cards management and sales team.
• Central finance team – Head of Management Reporting, Head of Credit Control, Head of Stock, Financial Controller, M&A, purchase ledger and cash handling teams.
• Finance Business Partners across the wider business.
• External customers – particularly at initial contract stage as well as for proposed acquisitions.
• Fuel Card network partners (UK Fuels and Key Fuels).
• Engineering Team – Bunker site development.

Scope and authority levels:

• P&L of £10m+.
• Stock levels of £8m+.
• Purchase order authority as agreed.
• Credit limit authority as agreed.
• Extended credit terms and uninsured limits as agreed.

Commercial / Business Impact:

Significant P&L impact as the divisions are entering a period of growth that is required to achieve budget.

Minimum Technical Knowledge:

CIMA or ACA qualified with extensive post qualification experience.

Essential Competencies:

• Analytical skills.
• 360-degree relationship building.
• Persuasive and influential across the business.
• Leadership and presence.
• Technical accounting.

Apply today!

Equal Opportunities Statement:

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported. We welcome applications from candidates who meet the minimum required job role criteria, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. We actively promote equal opportunities and are dedicated to ensuring that our recruitment, selection, training, and promotion decisions are made based on qualifications and experience only. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or to attend an interview, if shortlisted, please let us know and we will be happy to assist.

For further information please email: recruitment@certasenergy.co.uk