At a Glance
- Tasks: Partner with leaders to drive financial insights and optimise operations in a fast-paced environment.
- Company: Join Debenhams Group, a dynamic leader in online fashion with bold ambitions.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, growth opportunities, and a vibrant work culture.
- Other info: Exciting chance to influence group-wide processes and enhance operational excellence.
- Why this job: Be part of a team that embraces change and drives innovation in retail finance.
- Qualifications: Qualified finance professional with strong analytical skills and commercial awareness.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 £ per year.
At Debenhams Group, we are a diverse portfolio of five core brands (boohoo, boohooMAN, PrettyLittleThing, Karen Millen, and Debenhams) alongside a dynamic marketplace model and a growing financial services division. We don’t stand still; we lead, evolve, and redefine online fashion. With bold ambitions and big energy, we’re on a mission to be the best, delivering the strongest propositions to our customers in the most engaging, innovative, and efficient ways possible. We thrive on change, innovation, and pace. Every challenge is an opportunity, and every day is a chance to push boundaries. If you’re someone who embraces the unknown, thrives in a fast‑moving, high‑growth environment, and is ready to shape the future of retail, you’ll love it here. We want visionaries, disruptors, and doers, people who bring fresh thinking, relentless energy, and the drive to make an impact. Be brave. Be creative. Be a community.
THE ROLE
We are looking for a proactive and commercially minded Finance Business Partner to work as part of our finance team who support our Shared Services and Supply Chain functions. Reporting to the Financial Controller, you will act as the key financial voice for operational leaders, ensuring they understand performance drivers, cost structures, and opportunities for efficiency and optimisation. This is a highly impactful role, offering the opportunity to influence group‑wide processes and play a key part in enhancing how Shared Services and Supply Chain deliver value across all brands.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Act as the primary finance partner for Shared Services functions, providing insight, challenge and support to leaders.
- Lead monthly performance reviews, analysing cost drivers, identifying risks/opportunities, and ensuring stakeholders understand operational and financial impacts.
- Produce and communicate high‑quality management information, including month‑end reporting, KPI dashboards, and variance analyses that drive actionable insight.
- Deliver annual budgets and quarterly reforecasts for all supported functions, ensuring alignment with operational plans and group priorities.
- Model operational and strategic initiatives, including outsourcing proposals, supplier negotiations, process changes, and system investments, assessing financial and operational impact.
- Partner with Supply Chain teams to monitor fulfilment costs, inbound/outbound logistics performance, warehouse operations, carrier performance, and efficiency metrics.
- Support Shared Services with cost allocation methodology, process improvements, and enhanced visibility of cross‑functional spend.
- Work closely with the Financial Controller to strengthen financial governance, improve forecasting accuracy, and evolve reporting processes across the group.
- Collaborate with BI and analytics teams to enhance data accessibility, reporting automation, and KPI frameworks.
- Drive continuous improvement and identify opportunities to simplify processes, enhance financial insight, and support operational excellence.
- Provide ad‑hoc analysis and reporting to support group priorities and business change.
What We’re Looking For
- ACA/ICAS/CIMA/ACCA (or equivalent) qualified with 2+ years post‑qualified experience.
- Experience in business partnering within Shared Services, Supply Chain, or other operational functions (retail/ecommerce experience advantageous).
- Strong commercial awareness with the confidence to challenge and influence senior stakeholders.
- Excellent analytical and modelling skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights.
- Detail‑driven, highly organised, and comfortable working independently in a fast‑moving environment.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to build trust quickly across multiple functions.
- Advanced Excel skills are essential; knowledge of SQL and Power BI is highly desirable.
- A proactive mindset, with a passion for improving processes and driving better decision making.
WHY JOIN US
We’re all about making bold moves, delivering real results, and driving forward with unstoppable momentum. If that excites you, then you belong at Debenhams Group. Let’s lead the change together.
Commercial Finance Business Partner - Shared Services employer: Debenhams Group
Contact Detail:
Debenhams Group Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Commercial Finance Business Partner - Shared Services
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their values and how they align with your own. This will help you showcase why you're the perfect fit for their team and how you can contribute to their mission.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain your experience and how it relates to the role of a Commercial Finance Business Partner. Highlight your analytical skills and ability to drive efficiency – these are key in this fast-paced environment.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Commercial Finance Business Partner - Shared Services
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through! We want to see how excited you are about joining our dynamic team and contributing to our mission of redefining online fashion.
Tailor Your CV: Make sure to customise your CV to highlight relevant experience that aligns with the job description. We love seeing how your skills in finance and business partnering can bring value to our Shared Services and Supply Chain functions.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so make sure your achievements and experiences are easy to understand and directly related to the role you're applying for.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity at Debenhams Group.
How to prepare for a job interview at Debenhams Group
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Commercial Finance Business Partner, you'll need to demonstrate your financial acumen. Brush up on key financial metrics and be ready to discuss how they impact business decisions. Show that you can analyse cost drivers and identify opportunities for efficiency.
✨Showcase Your Business Partnering Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully partnered with operational leaders in the past. Highlight your ability to provide insights and challenge assumptions. This role is all about collaboration, so make sure you convey your experience in building trust and influencing stakeholders.
✨Be Ready for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios. Think about how you would approach budgeting, forecasting, or process improvements. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers effectively.
✨Demonstrate Your Analytical Skills
Since this role requires strong analytical abilities, be prepared to discuss your experience with data analysis and reporting. Bring examples of how you've turned complex data into actionable insights. If you have experience with Excel, SQL, or Power BI, make sure to highlight that too!