FP&A Manager

Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation, defense and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Safran has a global presence, with 100,000 employees and sales of 27.3 billion euros in 2024, and holds, alone or in partnership, world or regional leadership positions in its core markets.

Safran Electronics & Defense offers its customers onboard intelligence solutions allowing them to understand the environment, reduce mental load and guarantee a trajectory, even in critical situations, in all environments: on land, at sea, in the sky or space. The company harnesses the expertise of its 13,000 employees towards these three functions: observe, decide and guide, for the civil and military markets.

Working closely with the Finance Director and Value Stream Finance Managers, you will provide insightful financial analysis and commercial support to articulate business performance across the Wolverhampton site, helping to inform strategic decision-making and drive sustainable growth. You will take ownership of the budgeting, forecasting, and month-end reporting processes, ensuring robust financial planning and the delivery of key business objectives.

In this highly visible role, you will play a key part in driving operational excellence, identifying opportunities to enhance margins, optimise costs, and create value across the organisation. Acting as a trusted business partner, you will challenge and support stakeholders to deliver against their commitments while contributing to growth and transformation initiatives.

You will lead financial oversight for Capital Expenditure (Capex), Payroll, Engineering, and other central cost areas, ensuring strong financial control and governance. In addition, you will manage and develop a talented finance team comprising qualified, part-qualified, and entry-level professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and professional development through coaching, mentoring, and leadership.

• Lead, develop and manage a finance team to ensure high performance and accountability.
• Build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships and ensure the leadership team are aware and informed financially to guide improved decision making.
• Own the annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and long-range planning process.
• Design and implement financial models to aid key business decision making and continually improve budgeting, financial projections, and operating forecasts.
• Be a critical stakeholder in Value Stream business reviews in order to take ownership of creating and consolidating the Wolverhampton financial packs and to be able to articulate the business performance message to the non-finance leaders of the business.
• Take ownership of the scenario planning and sensitivity analysis (e.g. material cost inflation, FX, program impact).
• Support various functional teams (Operations, Programmes, Engineering etc) with cost control, margin analysis, and business cases.
• Translate financial insights into operational levers and drivers to maximise performance.
• Ensure compliance with Safran Group financial policies, statutory requirements, and internal controls.
• Act as a strategic partner with supply chain, operations, programmes and engineering to drive efficiencies and support project delivery, cost control, margin expansion and business case development.
• Support cashflow forecasting, working capital, and treasury processes.
• Continuously improve financial processes, reporting tools, and ERP system utilisation.
• Support Capital Investment appraisal and external funding process.

Essential

• Qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, ACA or equivalent)
• Proven experience in a senior finance role within a manufacturing or similar environment
• Excellent financial planning, analysis, and reporting skills
• Ability to digest and manipulate complex data sets to translate into meaningful information.
• Able to demonstrate strong leadership behaviours to project a vision, engage and develop a finance team and to drive accountability.

Desirable

• Experience working in a matrixed or global organisation
• Knowledge of Aerospace
• Experience with digital finance transformation or automation tools
• Exposure to capital investment analysis and cost accounting
• Lean / continuous improvement mindset