Group FP&A Director, Corporate

The Group FP&A Director, Corporate is a strategic leadership role responsible for overseeing the Corporate financial planning and board reporting processes on a global scale. Reporting to the VP of Group FPA&R, this role provides critical financial insights to the CFO, Executive Committee & shareholders, enabling a deeper understanding of the Group’s financial and commercial performance. The role is pivotal in driving cash flow forecasting & long‑term planning processes that ensure robust decision‑making at the highest level to steward the company to its targets.

Key Accountabilities

• Strategic Financial Leadership: Lead the corporate financial planning and reporting team, ensuring alignment with business objectives and strategic priorities. Act as a key financial advisor to senior executives, including the CFO, CEO, and Finance Leadership Team (FLT), providing insightful analysis and strategic financial guidance.
• Executive Committee & Board Reporting: Accountable for the delivery and critical assessment of the Group’s annual budget, 5-Year Strategic Plan & Capital Plan to the Exec and board and monthly board reporting. Provide detailed analysis and commentary on financial performance, ensuring clear, succinct, and commercially relevant insights are delivered to the Executive and Board. Ensure continuous development of financial systems to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of reporting processes.
• Cashflow Forecasting: Develop & execute the indirect cash flow forecasting process, reporting outlooks to the Board and Executive reporting. Work closely with the Treasury team to support the direct cash flow forecasting process, and reconciliation process to the indirect method. Develop cash levers to improve liquidity for the group, including leading working capital improvement projects.
• Long term planning: Develop long‑term financial plans in collaboration with senior stakeholders, incorporating strategic objectives, external market data, and internal business insights. Run scenario & sensitivity analysis to demonstrate a range of future outcomes based on macroeconomic factors & different investment strategies. Collaborate with the capital development teams to incorporate evolving capital allocation strategies into financial plans.
• Corporate Analysis: Compare internal financial projections with external viewpoints, including benchmarking against competitors and macroeconomic factors. Provide actionable recommendations to improve business performance throughout the year to steward the organization towards its financial targets. Deliver standard shareholder reporting & support on ad hoc data & analysis requests.

Critical Interfaces:

• CFO, SVP Finance Strategic advisory and financial insight delivery
• Finance Leadership Team Stakeholder engagement and financial planning
• Treasury Team Debt reporting and cash flow forecasting support
• External Reporting Team Support for forecasting models and valuation assessments
• Strategy & Commercial Teams Development of long‑term planning and performance analysis
• Shareholder analysts Board reporting & shareholder ad hoc analysis requests

Qualifications & Experience:

• Recognised finance qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, MBA) with a minimum of 8 years post‑qualification experience.
• Proven experience in a senior finance leadership role within a large, complex, multi‑site, and multi‑country organisation.
• Strong commercial and strategic finance acumen, with experience providing Board‑level financial insights.
• Experience in financial planning systems such as IBM Planning Analytics (TM1), Hyperion, and Power BI.
• Excellent Excel modelling skills and ability to present complex financial data clearly and concisely.
• Experience in the leisure industry is preferable but not essential.

Skills and Competencies:

• Leadership & Influence: Ability to engage at Board level and effectively lead a team of senior finance professionals.
• Strategic Thinking: Strong analytical skills with the ability to assess financial performance and provide strategic insights.
• Stakeholder Management: Ability to build relationships across multiple functions and influence key decision‑makers.
• Process Improvement: Proven ability to drive continuous improvement in financial planning and reporting processes.
• Communication & Presentation: Ability to articulate financial insights in a clear, visually impactful, and engaging manner for senior stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Energised by a fast‑moving, growth‑oriented business with a passion for the industry.

LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOURS

• Soulfully Curious: Leaders who seek out new knowledge, explore a diverse range of perspectives, and show a genuine interest in learning about complex issues.
• Results Focused: Leaders who set clear goals, prioritise tasks, regularly evaluate progress, and course‑correct in pursuit to achieve desired outcomes.
• Extraordinary Teammate: Leaders who proactively collaborate, share knowledge, offer assistance and support a wider community of peers across the organisation.
• Develops People: Leaders who positively support the growth and advancement of others, provide and seek out regular constructive feed‑forward.

Benefits: We’re growing fast and alongside a fun and friendly environment, we offer a fabulous package and amazing prospects – ideal if you’re already fantastic and want to become even better. Benefits include Pension, Life Assurance, discretionary company bonus, 25 days’ holiday and, of course, a Merlin Magic Pass which gives you and your friends and family free admission to all of our attractions worldwide, as well as 25% discount in our retail shops and restaurants and 40% discount on LEGO.