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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic finance initiatives and optimise a £400m cost base.
- Company: Dynamic organisation focused on financial excellence and strategic impact.
- Benefits: Executive exposure, leadership opportunities, and a chance to shape financial strategy.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by influencing cost decisions and driving value creation.
- Qualifications: Qualified Accountant with strong cost management and stakeholder skills.
- Other info: Join a high-performing team and enjoy a collaborative work environment.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
Are you a commercially sharp, qualified finance leader who thrives on turning cost insight into strategic advantage? We are looking for a Head of Cost & Strategic Finance to lead best-in-class cost business partnering across Distribution and Group. This is a high-impact, executive-facing role responsible for shaping, challenging and optimising a c.£400m cost base and c.£70m strategic investment portfolio. This isn’t a reporting role. It’s about influence, value creation and delivery.
The Opportunity
You will act as a trusted partner to Executive stakeholders, providing clear insight, robust challenge and forward-looking analysis to ensure cost targets are delivered and strategic investments drive real value. You will lead budgeting, forecasting and cost planning across Distribution & Group, drive synergy savings, and ensure financial discipline and model governance remain strong as the business evolves. With 9 reports and manager-of-managers responsibility, you will build and develop a high-performing team while staying close enough to the detail to ensure quality, integrity and commercial clarity.
What You’ll Be Doing:
- Strategic Cost Leadership
- Partnering with Executive stakeholders on cost performance and investment decisions
- Driving cost saving synergies across the business
- Supporting and challenging business cases, validating benefits and tracking delivery
- Leading annual budgets and rolling forecasts (FTE, staff and non-staff costs)
- Performance & Insight
- Delivering clear, insightful month-end and variance analysis
- Investigating cost performance issues and providing ad hoc intelligence
- Enhancing forecasting models and strengthening business intelligence capability
- Presenting high-quality financial reporting to Board, ExCo and Group
- Governance & Control
- Working closely with Controllership to ensure robust and auditable month/year-end processes
- Maintaining strong model governance and quality control standards
- Ensuring consistency of reporting and planning processes across Finance
- Leadership
- Leading and developing a team of 9
- Driving accountability, collaboration and high standards across Finance
- Building strong relationships across functions to become a trusted business partner
What We’re Looking For
Essential
- Qualified Accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA)
- Strong cost business partnering and planning experience
- Experience managing significant cost bases
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills
- Advanced Excel and PowerPoint capability
- Ability to distil complex data into clear, actionable insight
- High integrity and credibility with senior leadership
Highly Desirable
- Experience leading cost planning and project reporting
- Exposure to strategic investment governance
- Experience managing managers
Why This Role?
- Executive exposure and genuine strategic influence
- Ownership of a large-scale cost and investment portfolio
- Opportunity to shape financial discipline and value delivery at Group level
- Leadership scope with a manager-of-managers structure
- A role that blends commercial partnering, governance and strategic impact
If you are a confident finance leader who enjoys challenge, influence and delivering measurable impact - this could be your next step.
Head of Cost & Strategic Finance in Salford employer: Gerrard White
Contact Detail:
Gerrard White Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Cost & Strategic Finance in Salford
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the finance world, especially those who might know someone at the company you're eyeing. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into the company's financials and recent projects. Show them you’re not just another candidate; you’re someone who understands their cost base and can bring real value to the table.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your storytelling skills! Be ready to share specific examples of how you've influenced cost decisions or driven strategic investments in the past. This is your chance to shine and show how you can make an impact.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email reiterating your enthusiasm for the role can keep you top of mind. And remember, apply through our website for the best chance at landing that dream job!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Cost & Strategic Finance in Salford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Head of Cost & Strategic Finance role. Highlight your cost business partnering experience and any relevant achievements that showcase your ability to influence and drive value.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of how you've successfully managed significant cost bases and influenced stakeholders in previous positions.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: Since this role involves leading a team, make sure to highlight your leadership experience. Talk about how you've developed high-performing teams and driven accountability in your past roles. We want to see your managerial prowess!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. Don’t miss out on the chance to join our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Gerrard White
✨Know Your Numbers
Before the interview, make sure you’re well-versed in the financial metrics relevant to the role. Understand the c.£400m cost base and c.£70m strategic investment portfolio. Be ready to discuss how you would approach optimising these figures and driving value creation.
✨Showcase Your Stakeholder Skills
This role requires excellent stakeholder management. Prepare examples of how you've successfully partnered with executive stakeholders in the past. Highlight your ability to influence decisions and provide clear insights that have led to tangible outcomes.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Experience
With a manager-of-managers structure, it’s crucial to showcase your leadership skills. Share specific instances where you’ve built high-performing teams or driven accountability and collaboration within finance. This will show you can lead effectively while maintaining quality and integrity.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving abilities. Think about potential cost performance issues and how you would investigate and resolve them. Being able to articulate your thought process will demonstrate your strategic mindset and analytical skills.
