Head of FPA in Manchester

The Head of FP&A at Shield Safety Group exists to give the CFO and senior leadership absolute confidence in the numbers and the financial intelligence behind every strategic decision. This role owns the financial planning and analysis capability of the business, from the core financial model and forecasting process through to board reporting, recurring revenue insight, and the infrastructure that enables high-quality decision‑making across the group. The role is responsible for the financial narrative of the business, translating complex financial and operational data into clear, forward‑looking insight that enables the business to grow with control and intent. It leads a team that partners closely with commercial and service delivery leadership, ensuring performance is understood, challenged, and improved at every level of the organisation. Shield is at an important and defining point in its development. The person who leads FP&A needs to have operated in environments where the quality of financial infrastructure genuinely matters, where rigour, pace, and discretion are non‑negotiable. If you have been there before, you will know exactly what this role requires.

Key Responsibilities

• Group planning and forecasting: Own the budgeting, forecasting, and rolling financial planning processes across the group, ensuring the CFO and leadership team have a clear and accurate view of current position and future performance.
• Financial modelling and strategic planning: Build and maintain the group three‑statement model, scenario analysis capability, and long‑range financial plan, ensuring the model is robust, well‑structured, and capable of supporting senior‑level decision‑making at any time.
• Board reporting and financial narrative: Produce the monthly board pack, CFO Executive Summary, key metrics, and variance analysis, clearly articulating performance drivers and translating financial data into actionable commercial insight.
• Recurring revenue metrics framework: Own the definition and maintenance of ARR and recurring revenue metrics across RiskProof, service delivery, Safe to Trade, and the certification body, ensuring a single, consistent, and defensible view of revenue performance.
• Strategic finance and commercial insight: Lead on strategic finance projects and the most commercially sensitive analytical work in the business, bringing the level of analytical rigour and personal discretion that the current stage of the business demands.
• Business partnering and team leadership: Lead and develop the FP&A team, directing the business partnering relationships with service delivery and commercial leadership and ensuring those functions have the financial insight required to perform at a high level.
• Management information and reporting infrastructure: Lead the development of financial and operational reporting capability, enabling teams across the business to access and use performance data independently, while setting the standard for what good looks like across finance.

Experience

• Proven experience in an FP&A, commercial finance, or strategic finance role within a high‑growth, complex, or multi‑entity business.
• Strong track record of building and owning financial models, forecasting processes, and planning frameworks that are trusted by senior stakeholders.
• Experience producing board‑level reporting and financial insight that has directly influenced strategic decisions.
• Deep understanding of recurring revenue models and key metrics, with the ability to create and maintain a consistent KPI framework across a business.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to translate financial and operational data into clear, actionable insight for non‑finance stakeholders.
• Experience leading and developing a high‑performing FP&A or finance team, with a focus on business partnering and stakeholder engagement.
• Advanced Excel modelling capability is essential; experience with BI tools such as Power BI is highly desirable.
• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA) with a minimum of five years post‑qualified experience.