Head of FP&A (West Yorkshire)

HW Finance are delighted to have been Retained by a national consumer brand to help appoint their new Head of FP&A.

About the Role

The Head of FP&A will be a key leadership role, responsible for overseeing and driving the financial planning and analysis function. This role will focus on providing financial insights, leading the budgeting and forecasting cycles, driving improvement in working capital and cash flow, aligning operational and financial planning, and identifying opportunities for cost efficiency and performance improvement. You will work closely with senior management to ensure that financial performance aligns with business objectives, contributing to the continued success of the business.

Responsibilities

• Budgeting
• Lead the P&L, capex and cashflow budgeting cycle across the Group, working collaboratively with senior leadership to align financial and operational plans with the business strategy.
• Lead reforecasting processes through the year.
• Develop 3-year financial statements, supporting the development of longer-term strategy for the Group.
• Ensure compensation plans for the business are aligned to budgets and remain motivational for colleagues to drive performance.

• Aligning Operational & Financial Planning
• Lead for planning across the Group, developing both an operational and financial planning cycle and working with senior leaders to understand plans and build financial statements around them.
• Understand the requirements from the wider Group and feed into business planning.
• Work with HR and operational managers to ensure that staffing and resource planning are aligned with financial and operational objectives.

• Managing P&L, Cash Flow, and Capex Outturn
• Develop an outturn process to manage deliver of financial performance across the Group.
• Support increased accountability for P&L performance through the right framework of performance meetings and reporting.
• Forward looking assessment of financial performance to identify risks and opportunities ahead of time.
• Drive improvements in working capital and cash conversion across the Group.
• Oversee the capex outturn process, ensuring that capital expenditure is effectively managed and aligned with strategic priorities.

• Providing Insight on Performance and Recommendations for Improvement
• Produce insightful analysis on the Group’s financial performance, including periodic reviews, variance analysis, and identification of key drivers impacting profitability.
• Provide recommendations to senior management on performance improvement, including initiatives to enhance profitability, optimise costs, and improve efficiency.

• Leading Cost reduction and improvement Programmes
• Lead and drive cost-saving initiatives across the Group.
• Identify improvement programmes to drive financial efficiencies and profitability across the group.
• Work closely with senior management to instill a culture of cost-consciousness and continuous improvement, ensuring that cost management initiatives are aligned with long-term business goals.

• Leadership & Team Development
• Build, develop, and mentor the FP&A team, fostering a high-performance culture focused on delivering insightful financial analysis, timely reporting, and strategic recommendations.
• Collaborate with other departments and business units to ensure seamless coordination between finance and operational teams, ensuring alignment of goals and objectives across the Group.
• Ensure that the FP&A team is equipped with the tools and training needed to support decision-making processes effectively, especially in a fast-paced retail environment.

Qualifications

• Qualified Accountant (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with significant post-qualification experience.
• Extensive experience in FP&A roles, ideally within a retail or customer-facing business.
• Proven experience in leadership roles, influencing senior stakeholders, and driving organisational change.
• Recognised leader across finance functions with a track record for development.
• Familiarity with financial performance management tools.

Required Skills

• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Proficiency in financial modeling and forecasting.