Head of Financial Planning & Analysis

At Smart, our mission is to transform retirement, savings and financial wellbeing, across all generations, around the world.

THE ROLE

We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded Head of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) to join the business. Reporting to the Group Finance Director, this role will lead the financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, and performance reporting activities across the organisation.

As a key member of the Finance leadership team, you will provide strategic financial insight, support decision‑making at a senior level and drive robust planning processes that enable the business to achieve its objectives. This is a highly collaborative role requiring strong business partnering skills and the ability to influence stakeholders across multiple functions.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Planning & Forecasting

• Lead the annual budgeting, forecasting, and long‑range planning processes.
• Develop and maintain robust financial models to support strategic and operational decision‑making.
• Deliver accurate forecasts across revenue, costs, cash flow, and profitability.
• Drive continuous improvement in forecasting accuracy and planning methodologies.

Business Partnering

• Act as a trusted finance partner to senior stakeholders across the business.
• Support business leaders with financial analysis, insights, and recommendations to drive performance.
• Challenge assumptions and provide commercial guidance on key initiatives and investment decisions.
• Build strong relationships across Finance and the wider organisation.

Data & Analytics

• Lead a team of four data professionals, responsible for Smart's BI reporting and data analytics.
• Together with the Lead Data Analyst, shape the team's strategic direction, focusing on shifting outputs up the analytics maturity curve from foundational to advanced and maximising value to the business.
• Drive efficiencies and improvements to ways of working, including responsibility for prioritising the relative importance of data requests from across the business.
• Anchor the data team to the rest of Finance, ensuring the quality and consistency of outputs.

Reporting & Performance Management

• Produce high‑quality management reporting, KPIs, and financial performance analysis.
• Provide clear commentary on financial results, trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Support Executive and Board reporting requirements.
• Drive a data‑led approach to business performance management.

Strategic Finance

• Support the development and delivery of the organisation's strategic and financial plans.
• Evaluate commercial opportunities, investments, and business cases.
• Provide financial modelling and scenario analysis to support decision‑making.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, profitability, and business performance.

Process Improvement

• Drive enhancements to FP&A processes, systems, and reporting capabilities.
• Support the continued development and optimisation of financial planning tools and models.
• Promote best practice across budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting activities.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead and develop the FP&A team, fostering a high‑performance culture.
• Provide coaching, support, and clear direction to ensure the delivery of high‑quality financial planning, analysis, and reporting.
• Manage team priorities and resource allocation to meet business objectives.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent).
• Significant experience in Financial Planning & Analysis, Commercial Finance, or Strategic Finance roles.
• Proven experience leading budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes.
• Strong business partnering experience with senior stakeholders.
• Advanced financial modelling and analytical skills.
• Experience using Anaplan for planning, forecasting, and reporting.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex financial information into meaningful business insights.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.

Desirable

• Experience within a technology, fintech, financial services, or high‑growth environment.
• Exposure to financial due diligence, transactions, M&A activity or investment analysis.
• Experience supporting business transformation or finance change initiatives.
• Knowledge of business intelligence and reporting tools.

WHO WE ARE

We work in partnerships with governments and financial institutions in the UK and internationally. Our cloud‑native digital platform is revolutionising how people around the world think about, and save for, their retirement.

At heart, we're a financial technology business. What we do is all about innovation, and using the power of digital change to put the customer first. Our Engineers will tell you that working at Smart gives you the opportunity to play your part in developing world‑class technological solutions, working with - and learning from - like‑minded people.

You'll also find that, across our business, our colleagues love Smart's culture, and how what we do means better financial outcomes for savers. That feels worthwhile, and it means that what we do, collectively, goes way beyond the nine to five of a typical working day.

We believe that diverse perspectives help us lead the way in transforming retirement, savings and financial wellbeing. We welcome differences in background, experience, thinking, and identity, and we recognise that innovation is strongest when it is built on inclusion and fairness. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences and do not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or in the workplace, we encourage you to let us know - we are committed to supporting you.

BENEFITS

• 25 days' holiday per year, increasing with length of service.
• £500 annual training budget to spend on your professional development.
• Extensive private healthcare, including dental, eyecare and EAP.
• Enhanced sick leave (three months' pay per year).
• Enhanced maternity and paternity (maternity - 6 months fully paid / paternity - 3 weeks fully paid).
• Death in service insurance cover.
• Fully‑paid five‑week sabbatical after five years of employment.
• In office wellbeing, such as manicures, massages and barbers.
• Smart employees also enjoy a 50% discount on orders from our sister company Arena Flowers, Britain's most ethical florist. They offer unique hand‑tied bouquets, luxury flowers, letterbox flowers, plants and gifts to spend on friends and loved ones or even for yourself.

Department Finance Locations London Remote status Hybrid