Commercial Finance Manager in Ipswich

About The Company

OCS UK & Ireland is a leading facilities management company with 50,000+ colleagues and a turnover in excess of £2bn. We deliver innovative, award-winning services within facilities management, hard services, cleaning, security and catering. Our mission is to make people and places the best they can be for our colleagues, customers and the communities we serve. Our commitment to doing business the right way is rooted in our TRUE values - Trust, Respect, Unity, and Empowerment.

About The Role

• Days of Working: Monday to Friday
• Location: Ipswich - Hybrid working

Role Overview

• Take overall responsibility for the production of timely, accurate and insightful commercial data to support the running of the business.
• Be a “Trusted Adviser” who is focused on driving all aspects of performance.
• Own the understanding of the financial position including variances and trends and ensure suitable actions are being taken across the business to maximise overall performance.
• Drive commercial decisions affecting the Division, including new business pricing policy, assessment and management of contractual risk, assistance with tenders and negotiations with clients as well as business specific cost management and controls.
• Champion and maintain a best-in-class reporting function to provide timely, meaningful and contextualised information to Divisional management.
• Continual improvement of financial systems and reporting within the overall Division.
• Responsible for the financial control environment of the Division, including timeliness and accuracy of management accounts, management of all audit processes and implementing sufficient review and oversight of all balance sheet areas.
• Manage the Divisional finance team including recruitment, succession planning and training alongside the development and motivation of team members.
• Ensure Divisional ownership, at all levels on cash and debt management including continually challenging levels of WIP, un-invoiced revenue and debtor positions to maximise cash generation.
• Manage the annual preparation of a full bottom-up budget and strategy across the Division in line with the group timetable.
• Implement a continual forecasting and variance analysis model to improve the visibility of expected results as well as challenging and assessing action plans to drive required improvements so that overall targets are achieved.
• Work closely with the Commercial Finance Director- Public FM in the broader development of a best-in-class finance function which is driven to add value across all areas of the business.
• Attendance at key commercial customer and supplier meetings.
• Continually drive improvements in business partnering and the value that the finance team provides.

Qualifications & Experience

• Qualified accountant ACA/ACCA/CIMA
• Experience of day-to-day management of a finance team in a medium-large organisation in a similar role.
• Proven track record of reviewing financial accounts, postings and reports.
• Year end audit experience including managing requirements to meet a strict reporting timetable and acting as primary liaison with external auditors as and if required.
• Knowledge of SAP/Dynamics software desirable or equivalent.
• Good knowledge of fundamental accounting principles, IFRS.

Core Expectations

• A clear service excellence approach to work with a passion for delivering correctly, first time, on time.
• Experienced people manager and senior leader.
• Commercially focussed strategic thinker.
• Calm under pressure.
• Excellent communicator of financial detail clearly and concisely in a commercial way.
• Proven ability to influence, challenge and drive performance at a board level.
• Excellent organisation and presentation skills.
• Gravitas and personal presence.
• Engaging client-facing capabilities to build and develop relationships.
• Able to deal with a fast-paced continuously evolving role.
• Determined and focused on achievement.
• Proven experience with customer and supplier-facing commercial discussions.
• Flexible and willing to travel as required by the business.

We are an equal opportunities employer and rely on a diverse workforce with a broad range of knowledge, skills, and backgrounds to deliver our goals. We offer an inclusive and welcoming environment and actively encourage applications from all individuals regardless of race, gender, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age.