Head of Business Improvement, Finance and Commercial

Job title Head of Finance and Commercial Business Improvement Ref 40876 Division Finance & Commercial Location Hybrid – Clearwater Court – RG1 8DB Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary Offering between £100,000 – £125,000 per annum depending on experience Job grade C Closing date 01/08/2025

The Head of Finance & Commercial Business Improvement will sit on the Finance & Commercial leadership team and report to the Director of Group Finance. The successful candidate will drive the development, strategic planning, coordination, and successful delivery of the F&C functional roadmap. This role interacts with functional and business unit leadership to align and deliver the F&C strategic plan and budget to overall business objectives and priorities.

You will assess, monitor and enhance the performance of the F&C department and Thames as a whole. You will work with the F&C LT to agree current performance (the baseline), understand what the business needs from F&C today and in three years-time, create and develop a strategic F&C roadmap, including an assessment of processes, systems, master data, ways of working, and organisation design.

The successful applicant will have a deep appreciation and understanding of the practical realities, challenges and opportunities that the Business faces, and will be highly literate in translating this into key financial enablers and success factors. You will play a key leadership role in F&C, winning over the ‘hearts and minds’ of the team by engaging them in the F&C roadmap.

You will be a leader who can inspire change, navigate competing priorities, and deliver in a dynamic environment. To achieve this, you will be a skilled communicator and have experience in business analysis and project implementation. You will have experience and learnings from a variety of management and leadership roles, which you will bring together to identify opportunities for change and improved performance.

You will act as an advisor and confidant/sounding board to the Senior F&C Leadership team, providing constructive challenge and thought-provoking alternative ideas or proposals when necessary.

A great Head of Finance & Commercial Business Improvement will ask questions, seek to learn and have great professional relationships with senior management and stakeholders. Strong interpersonal skills will help facilitate discussions, support informed decision making and ensure thorough implementation of actions.

You will support key discussions and decision making on medium and long-term strategic thinking, business critical issues, as well as regularly liaising with a range of senior stakeholders both inside and outside the business.

This is a demanding role that will require flexibility, travel to our Thames Water sites and out-of-hours working.

What you will be doing as Head of Finance & Commercial Business Improvement

• Defining, coordinating and working with the leadership team to deliver a finance roadmap – You will work with the F&C Leadership Team to agree on current performance (the baseline), understand what the business needs from F&C today and in three years-time
• Project and risk management – Take ownership, create and own the overall transformation roadmap and plan, as well as lead a range of special projects for F&C and the wider business where required
• Continuous improvement and change management – Review current WOW and processes. Identify areas for change and improvements to drive positive change. Reporting, collating data and providing insight to the CFO and Directors
• Communication and collaboration to drive and achieve strategic goals – Produce professional and engaging presentations/materials for internal and external audiences. Coordinate and review communications on behalf of the CFO, working with our internal communications business partner. Review and approve with a lens to ensure communications are reflective of the Director(s) views and reflect their tone of voice.

What you should bring to the role

• Demonstrable experience in improving areas such as governance, assurance, and reporting. With evidence of developing and delivering project plans
• Change management: defining a change journey, delivering and driving results through others.
• A passion for delivery with the ability to manage multiple projects at any one time. Keeping calm, adapting, and responding to change and events, which are inevitable in an operational business, is essential
• Naturally curious and solutions-focused, showing initiative with a desire for change and making a difference
• You will be tactful, confidential, loyal, and trustworthy with a friendly, sociable approach, expressing a passion for Thames Water’s Purpose, Values and Behaviours
• Ability to learn on the job and adapt to new and evolving challenges
• Inspire change, influence and deliver
• Previous experience within Finance & Commercial would be desirable

What\’s in it for you?

• Competitive Salary of £100,000- £125,000 per annum depending on experience
• Annual Leave – 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (Plus bank holidays)
• Car Allowance – £5,800 per annum
• Annual Bonus
• Private Medical Health Care
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution – Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year
• Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

Whether you’re interested in a role in one of our call centres or science labs, we’re looking for people like you with real passion and a burning desire to make things better.

So, if you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

Our overarching aim is to ensure that Thames Water is great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process . Our aim is to remove any real or perceived barriers to success, so if you need assistance, we’re here to help and support .

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

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