Head of Commercial Finance

Reports to: CFO (functional), COO (day-to-day)

Make sure to read the full description below, and please apply immediately if you are confident you meet all the requirements.

Direct reports: Management Accountant + Transactional Finance (if applicable)
Location: West Sussex (Must be able to come into the office 3 days a week)

Role Purpose

This is a pivotal role that blends commercial insight, financial leadership, and team management. You will lead the day-to-day Finance team, drive commercial performance, and act as the business’s primary source of trading, margin, pricing and forecasting insight.

Working alongside a part-time CFO focused on corporate governance, this role owns the commercial engine of finance, entaling:

* Weekly trading and performance insight Budgeting, forecasting, and margin analysis / Decision support for product, retail, digital and operations / Developing and managing finance team capability Ensuring high-quality financial reporting and analysis / This person is hands-on, commercially strong, and confident working directly with senior leaders across the business.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the Finance Team (Day-to-Day)

* Manage and develop the Management Accountant and wider finance team / Oversee the month-end process and ensure accurate, timely delivery / Set priorities, review outputs, coach the team and drive a culture of accuracy, accountability and improvement / Ensure the finance function is well-organised, efficient, and continuously improving.

Commercial Insight & Business Partnering

* Lead weekly trade reporting with clear, actionable insight / Analyse category, product, channel, margin and customer performance / Partner with Product, Merchandising, Retail, Digital and Operations to drive profitable decisions / Support pricing strategy, promotions, and discounting decisions / Translate data into insights and insights into actions.

Forecasting, Budgeting & Planning

* Own the budgeting and reforecast cycles (P&L, margin, opex, cashflow) / Build and improve driver-based forecasting models / Provide scenario modelling to support growth decisions (new products, channels, markets, stores, pricing changes) / Ensure forecasts are realistic, commercially grounded, and aligned with trading behaviour.

Financial Reporting & Month-End Support

* Review management accounts, KPIs and financial packs before submission to the CFO/COO / Provide clear, concise commercial commentary / Ensure accuracy of key margin and stock-related entries in partnership with the Management Accountant / Tighten the link between operational data and financial results.

Cashflow Oversight

(CFO leads governance; you manage the operational rhythm)

* Maintain a weekly cashflow model with clear visibility of peaks and pressures. Work with procurement, operations, and sales to improve working capital. Support CFO with cash planning and funding requirements.

Audit, Governance & Compliance (Support Role)

(CFO owns; you ensure operational readiness)

* Ensure accurate, robust audit files are prepared by the team.

* Strengthen controls, reconciliations and processes across the business.

* Maintain integrity of financial data and reporting systems.

Systems, Reporting & Process Improvement

* Improve BI dashboards (Power BI/Looker Studio) to increase clarity and speed of insight.

* Enhance processes across reporting, forecasting and operational finance.

* Drive automation and simplification of finance workflows.

Skills & Experience Required

Essential

* ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified (or equivalent commercial finance background).

* Strong commercial finance experience in retail, consumer, product or multi-channel businesses.

* Proven experience managing or mentoring finance staff.

* Strong modelling capability and advanced Excel skills.

* Ability to interpret complex trading data and turn it into actions.

* Confident working alongside senior leaders and challenging constructively.

* Comfortable working in a fast-paced, hands-on SME environment.

Desirable

* Experience with BI tools (Power BI, Looker Studio).

* Experience with stock, margin, costings and product economics.

* Exposure to ERP systems (Netsuite, SAP B1, Sage Intacct etc.).

Personal Attributes

* Commercially curious and insights-driven.

* Confident leader who enjoys developing people.

* Strong communicator: simple, clear, fact-based.

* Proactive, organised and able to work at pace. xiskglj

* Hands-on and comfortable balancing commercial and operational priorities.

* Collaborative team player who can partner with all departments