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- Tasks: Provide financial expertise and strategic support for data centre development projects.
- Company: Join a fast-growing, innovative private equity-backed company.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, benefits, and a dynamic working environment.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for growth and mentorship.
- Why this job: Shape investment decisions and optimise capital expenditure in cutting-edge projects.
- Qualifications: Professional accounting qualification and extensive finance experience required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Location: UK/Ireland
Job Type: Full time
Role Overview: Verne require an experienced Commercial Business Partner to join our Data Centre Development team. In this role, you will provide critical commercial and financial expertise, analysis, and strategic support to our development and construction operations, ensuring commercial compliance to contracts, budgets and programmes. The role will also act as a bridge between Development and Verne Finance ensuring key financial information is documented and presented in a timely fashion to meet tight reporting deadlines.
As a Commercial Business Partner specializing in data centre development, you will work primarily alongside our Development teams while when required assist operational, and asset management teams by providing in-depth project financial insights and strategic commercial guidance. You will help shape project investment decisions, optimize capital expenditure, and ensure the financial viability of our data centre development projects. This role requires a blend of technical financial expertise, commercial acumen, and the ability to communicate effectively with both financial and non-financial stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities:
- Strategic Commercial Planning and Analysis
- Develop comprehensive commercial processes for new data centre development projects, including capital expenditure forecasts, operational cost projections, and return on investment analyses.
- Partner with Business Development on project evaluations to ensure operational cost assessments are realistic and thoroughly evaluated.
- Create and maintain a Cost Driver Matrix that identifies key cost drivers and determines actionable levers within each driver to optimize project financial performance.
- Support the development of annual and long-term financial plans, ensuring alignment with company growth objectives.
- Project Finance and Investment
- Evaluate and structure financing options for data centre developments, which may include project financing, real estate financing, or receivables financing approaches.
- Assess and validate business cases for new data centre developments, expansions, or upgrades.
- Develop risk trade-off curves in partnership with Operations Management, balancing cost, risk, and operational efficiency.
- Support capital expenditure approval processes, ensuring thorough financial due diligence and alignment with strategic objectives.
- Modelling
- Prepare and present clear, actionable project financial reports, project forecasts, and business cases to management and other stakeholders, ensuring recommendations are data-driven and aligned with project goals.
- Provide commercial analysis and insights to inform and support business decisions, identifying opportunities for growth, efficiency, and risk mitigation.
- Support the budgeting process, including setting realistic targets, monitoring performance, and providing variance analysis.
- Advise on the financial sustainability and impact of new projects, investments, or initiatives through detailed business case development.
- Ensure compliance with financial regulations and reporting standards, and support internal/external audits as needed.
- Commercial and Operational Support
- Collaborate closely with construction and asset management teams during budgeting processes, providing expertise and challenging assumptions.
- Partner with procurement teams to foster commercial mindset in decision-making and maximize value from vendor relationships.
- Identify and capitalize on cost-saving opportunities within current projects and development operations.
- Analyze project performance against financial KPIs and provide recommendations for improvement.
- Contract & Risk Management
- Oversee the negotiation and implementation of prime and subcontracts (e.g., NEC4, FIDIC). Responsible for identifying commercial risks and embedding mitigation procedures across all project phases.
- Commercial Strategy
- Develop and execute strategies to drive revenue growth and market share. This includes advising on pricing, market trends, and competitive benchmarking to support new bids and business development.
- Team Leadership
- Lead and mentor commercial teams, fostering a high-performance culture and ensuring continuous professional development.
- Reporting and Analysis
- Prepare regular reports for senior leadership on development project performance, highlighting variances, risks, and opportunities.
- Develop and maintain dashboards that translate complex project related financial data into clear, actionable insights for non-finance stakeholders.
- Conduct variance analysis against budgets and forecasts, identifying root causes and recommending corrective actions.
- Support month-end financial processes related to development activities, including accruals and WIP calculations.
Skills and Experience Required:
- Professional accounting qualification (CIMA, ACCA, or ACA).
- Minimum 15 years experience in finance, with at least 5 years in a business partnering role.
- Experience in project finance, construction finance, or capital-intensive industries.
- Clear and demonstrable negotiation skills and dispute resolution track record.
- Demonstrated experience in developing and analyzing budgets for large-scale capital projects.
- Understanding of data centre development projects or large scale industrial projects.
Skills and Competencies:
- Advanced analytical skills, including scenario and sensitivity analysis with expert proficiency in Excel and commercial/financial planning tools.
- Strong commercial acumen with the ability to identify business risks and opportunities.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex financial information for non-financial stakeholders.
- Problem-solving mindset with the ability to proactively identify issues and recommend solutions.
- Ability to build effective relationships across different departments and influence decision-making.
- Detail-oriented with strong project management capabilities.
What We Offer:
- Opportunity to be part of a fast-growing, private equity-backed company.
- A dynamic, innovative, and inclusive working environment.
- Competitive compensation and benefits package.
- The chance to work with a talented and ambitious international team.
Commercial Business Partner - Development in London employer: Verne Global
Contact Detail:
Verne Global Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Commercial Business Partner - Development in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Understand their values and recent developments in data centre projects. This will help you tailor your answers and show that you’re genuinely interested in being part of their team.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your skills and experience align with the role of Commercial Business Partner. Highlight your financial expertise and how you can contribute to their development projects. Confidence is key!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us. Let’s get you on board!
We think you need these skills to ace Commercial Business Partner - Development in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Commercial Business Partner role. Highlight your relevant experience in finance and project management, and show how your skills align with what we’re looking for at Verne.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; share specific achievements that demonstrate your impact in previous roles. Use numbers and examples to illustrate how you’ve optimised financial performance or contributed to successful projects.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and ensure your key points stand out. This will help us quickly see why you’d be a great fit!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Verne Global
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Commercial Business Partner, you'll need to demonstrate your financial expertise. Brush up on key financial metrics relevant to data centre development, such as ROI and capital expenditure forecasts. Be ready to discuss how you've used these metrics in past projects.
✨Showcase Your Strategic Thinking
Prepare examples of how you've contributed to strategic commercial planning in previous roles. Think about times when your insights shaped project investment decisions or optimised financial performance. This will show that you can think critically and strategically.
✨Communicate Clearly
You'll be bridging the gap between finance and non-financial stakeholders, so practice explaining complex financial concepts in simple terms. Use examples from your experience where you successfully communicated financial insights to diverse teams.
✨Demonstrate Your Negotiation Skills
Negotiation is key in this role, so come prepared with examples of successful negotiations you've led. Highlight your approach to resolving disputes and how you’ve managed risks in contracts. This will showcase your ability to handle the commercial aspects of projects effectively.