Head of Finance, Commercial and Bidding

The role of Head of Finance leads the financial bidding function and is the finance business partner to the Managing Director. This role provides the opportunity to lead the development and financial bidding and modelling capability.

This role has four main areas of focus:

• Finance support and oversight to all large bids that are run through the Bid team (who report to the Business Unit MD)
• Business partner to the Business Unit MD for the portfolio
• Financial Management for three Business Units
• Management of a team of twelve finance professionals

Finance oversight of Bidding:

Working in collaboration with the bid team and business wide stakeholders, lead on the delivery of the financial requirements in large complex bids, including Franchising, to ensure the timely production of financial information for approval processes and submission of final tenders and contracts. Develop and implement financial and commercial strategies that align with the overall bid objectives. Skill in identifying and mitigating financial and commercial risks associated with the bid. Develop the framework and governance requirements for all Bid Finance activities, ensuring it is understood across the finance function and utilised for all bids, including those delivered within Local and Adjacent Business Units. Ensure all financial inputs to bids are appropriately scrutinised and challenged to ensure that they are appropriate, robust and in line with the bid requirements.

Finance Business Partner to BU MD:

Partner with the Business Unit MD to set achievable and challenging financial and operational targets for the businesses in the portfolio. Support the financial review at period end to assist the BU MD to challenge and drive improvement in the EBIT performance of the businesses. Provide high quality and accurate input for all financial aspects of the Bid Papers supplied to the Exec and Board as part of the governance process. Align with the BU MD, to ensure successful standalone bids and tenders are included in the relevant finance budget and forecasting cycle providing the Finance team with the required information in a timely manner.

Financial Management:

Drive the delivery of the period end close process for the two LBUs ensuring the timely production of robust management accounts in which all data and variances are understood and accurate.

Team Leadership:

Manage a Team of 11. Coach, guide, and develop the Bid Finance Managers, Financial Controllers and Accounting team within the team.

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities:

• Responsible for ensuring all finance elements of centralised bids are delivered complying with both internal and client requirements.
• Accountable for effectively leading a team of financial analysts / financial modellers through the bid process, ensuring the financial components of a bid are high quality, accurate while optimising commercial advantage and that they are delivered in a timely and comprehensive manner.
• Accountable for the compliance (with client requirements) of the bid financial model template submission, detailed record of assumptions, detailed funding plan, accompanying letters of support and financial guarantees/bond letters and other key financial documents.
• Responsible for ensuring that all inputs to all bids are comprehensive, appropriately challenged, robust and in line with the bid requirements to ensure that there is a base appreciation of the lowest cost of compliance.
• Responsible for testing sensitivities and scenarios in the bid financial model to demonstrate scale of risk and opportunity and create the financial insights required to robustly inform discussions around risk and reward.
• Responsible for leading the development of the approach to funding (capital v leasing) to support the bid.
• Support the Bid Finance Managers in providing financial support, guidance, understanding and challenge to colleagues providing inputs to the bids.
• Liaise with the Mobilisation team post bid award to review bid assumptions and Project Agreements highlighting any known risks and opportunities taken within the bid.
• Ensure the timely delivery of the period end process for the LBUs and the production of robust Management Accounts.
• Ensure the timely delivery of each budgeting and forecasting cycle across the LBUs and the production of achievable and challenging targets.
• Line Management, coaching and development of Bid Finance Managers and regional Finance Controllers.
• Identify and introduce process improvement and promote the continuous development of the financial framework and governance.
• Collaborate and partner with other teams within the finance function to drive efficiency and use of best practice across the function.

Skills, Experience and Leadership behaviours required:

• Financially and commercially astute, with significant experience in a senior finance role.
• Qualified Accountant, preferably CIMA or ACCA.
• Previous large complex bidding experience essential (circa £100m revenue in life), Budgeting, forecasting and financial modelling experience and the ability to interrogate financial data to ascertain opportunities for improving the bid commercial proposition.
• Can work at pace in a complex operating environment, and able to lead and influence the wider business ensuring there is buy-in to a share.
• Strong presentation and communication skills, with the ability to engage with senior leaders both internally and externally.