At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive profitable growth through financial analysis and strategic partnerships with commercial teams.
- Company: Join ZEISS Vision Care UK, a leader in innovative lens solutions.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and a dynamic work environment.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for career advancement and cross-functional projects.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on customer financing and business growth in a pioneering company.
- Qualifications: Qualified accountant with commercial experience and strong analytical skills.
The predicted salary is between 60750 - 74250 £ per year.
We're ZEISS Vision Care UK, based in Birmingham; an exciting place to work, where individuals make a real difference every day.
As the branded leader in lenses, we offer premium and pioneering products; innovation is at the heart of everything we do.
Our brand enhances the lives and vision of millions of people around the world.
In fact, 2 people every second put their trust in ZEISS lenses.
We're looking for a Commercial Finance Business Partner to join us on an immediate basis for a
6 month FTC .
THE ROLE
This is a critical role within the Carl Zeiss Vision UK ("CZVUK") finance team, which requires a driven, ambitious and enthusiastic, commercially experienced qualified accountant to proactively partner the commercial department within the business.
The role reports into the Head of Commercial Finance and is crucial in driving profitable growth for the Company, and helping our customers to achieve their ambitions.
The role is focussed on adding value into the business, driving the revenue and gross-margin growth in the relevant customer channels to achieve CZVUK's ambitions.
Key Objectives
- Principal lead for the Company's customer-financing activity, enabling our customers to achieve their ambitions through loan support from CZVUK.
- Primary contact for all stakeholders in the process (customers, commercial team, lawyers, auditors, and CZVUK senior management.
- Provide strong financial analysis and insight, to support the business and enabling informed decisions relating to customer financing
- Partner with commercial customer account teams to ensure a thorough understanding of the customer performance drivers relevant to a robust customer financing business case.
- Conduct thorough financial and commercial due diligence of both prospective customer financing opportunities, plus ongoing due diligence for completed deals to ensure commercial and financial adherence to business case expectations and relevant contractual covenants.
- Create business cases suitable for UK and Global Boards of Management, to enable timely approval decisions of customer lending.
- Seek to improve and drive improvements in processes and controls within customer financing, which is high risk & high-profile area of UK business
- Develop a Management Information reporting suite to enable holistic management oversight and KPI tracking of customer financing pipeline opportunity, protected revenue, expected revenue growth and business case adherence etc
- Provide robust business partnering to the commercial teams
- Develop trusting relationships with the Commercial Director, customer account teams and customers to enable and influence the commercial decision-making processes.
- Provide strong financial analysis and insight to support business decisions across the relevant customer channel(s).
- Ensure a robust understanding of the relevant performance drivers and help to identify potential revenue growth areas and profit driving initiatives.
- Provide critical information into the commercial finance strategic planning processes and forecasting/budgeting cycles
- Analysing the (short, medium, and long term) financial & strategic plan of the customer relevant channel(s), ensuring all deliverables are proactively and appropriately completed ahead of the deadlines.
- Partner with the commercial customer account teams to coordinate the relevant commercial finance inputs required into all forecasting/planning cycles.
- Partner with the Operations and Supply Chain teams to enable alignment of strategic growth ambitions and ensure a joined-up approach to volume, supply and operational/manufacturing capacity.
- Ensure appropriate and sufficient analysis is performed to provide robust challenge into the planning processes and ensure that appropriate justifications/rationale are provided into submissions.
- Assist the business in the evaluation of new opportunities and business change initiatives (including product portfolio reviews and product launches).
- Provide detailed variance analysis to enable holistic understanding of underlying performance and leverage insights to drive future planning activity.
- Look for opportunities to continuously improve the planning/ forecasting/ budgeting processes.
- Support the delivery of financial management Information into the business
- Assist in the preparation of the various weekly and monthly reporting requirements (e. g. weekly sales reports, monthly variance analysis and assisting with the General Managers commercial commentary).
- Help to develop relevant and insightful performance reporting, highlighting key issues/risks/opportunities to key stakeholders.
- Prepare scenario based decision proposals (i. e pricing or incentives) to help inform the strategic decision making.
- Look for opportunities to continuously improve the financial management Information and related processes.
- Support the advancement of CZV UK's strategic project agenda
- Lead &/or support cross-functional projects &/or workstreams as part of CZV UK's commercial growth and business transformation agenda.
- Deliver project updates and insights to senior leadership team.
- Evaluation of associated financial opportunities and risks.
- Assume accountability for deliverables & project output, including supporting business benefits realisation.
- Manage stakeholder relationships within local subject matter experts, senior leadership team, wider ZEISS entities & external stakeholders (such as consulting firms, lawyers etc).
- REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
Must have
- Proven academics: Degree qualified or equivalent
- Chartered or Certified Accountancy Qualification: CA/ACA/ACCA/CIMA
- At least 2 years post-qualified experience
- Proven track record of working in a commercially focused role/environment
- Experience with M&A due diligence
- Must be comfortable presenting at board level
- Ability to think beyond Finance and understand key business drivers that ensures decisions/actions will provide value
- Ability to summarise complex problems and communicate key information clearly.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Resilient, Self-aware and open to change
- Competent in problem solving, team building, planning and decision making
- Proven track record of managing and delivering performance excellence
- Proficient in all MS Office applications
Desirable
- Experience with data visualisation tools (Power BI, Tableau or equivalent)
- Experience of developing analysis and reporting from SAP data/Business Warehouse/Business Objects
- Experience in lending assessments and credit loss considerations
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
Commercial Finance Business Partner in Birmingham employer: ZEISS
At Zeiss, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. Our Home-Based CMM Account Manager role not only provides competitive benefits and a supportive environment but also opens doors for professional growth within a globally recognised brand in precision technology. Join us in Lutterworth to be part of a team that values your contributions and invests in your future.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Commercial Finance Business Partner in Birmingham
✨Get Involved in Financial Networks
Join local financial associations or forums where you can connect with professionals in financial-controlling. Networking events often lead to temporary positions, as companies look for quick hires when they need extra hands.
✨Showcase Your Skills on Temporary Job Boards
Focus on platforms that specifically cater to temporary roles in finance. Sites like Reed or Totaljobs often list short-term gigs that are perfect for getting your foot in the door, and you can apply directly through our website for roles at ZEISS.
✨Leverage Your Uni's Career Services
If you're still in university, tap into your career services for internship or temporary job placements. They often have insider info on companies like ZEISS looking for temporary financial support, and they might help you polish your pitch.
✨Flexible Availability is Key
For temporary positions in financial-controlling, your availability can make a huge difference. Highlight your willingness to start immediately or work irregular hours when speaking to employers. This flexibility can land you that sought-after role!
We think you need these skills to ace Commercial Finance Business Partner in Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Academic Aces:In the financial controlling game, grades and relevant certifications can make a significant difference. Be sure to highlight your academic achievements, like finance-related coursework and any professional certifications you’ve got on your CV that show you’re clued up in this area. It’s all about demonstrating that you’re not just good at numbers but also know your stuff!
Quantify Your Achievements:When applying for a temporary role in financial controlling, make sure your CV reflects any previous experience with real, measurable outcomes. Use numbers to showcase your past successes, like percentage improvements in budgeting or cost savings you’ve achieved in previous roles. This not only gives us insights into your capabilities but also tells us you're results-driven.
Personalise Your Application:We love seeing applicants who take the time to tailor their applications! In your cover letter, mention why you’re particularly interested in the temporary role with ZEISS and how your specific skills and experiences align with the job. Show us that you see this role as an opportunity to contribute, even if it's for a short stint!
Flexibility is Key:Since this is a temporary position, make sure to highlight your availability in your application. We’re interested in knowing how soon you can start and if you’re open to working flexible hours. This shows us your eagerness to jump right in and adapt to the dynamic needs of our team at ZEISS.
How to prepare for a job interview at ZEISS
✨Get Hands-On with Financial Tools
Being in financial controlling means you’ll likely be working with various software like Excel, Power BI, or even SAP. Make sure you brush up on these tools and prepare to discuss your experience using them. Being able to reference specific projects or analyses where you employed these programs will definitely give you an edge.
✨Prepare for Technical Financial Questions
Expect scenario-based questions where you might need to analyse financial statements or suggest budgetary strategies during the interview. Practising common financial concepts like variance analysis or cost control measures will not only boost your confidence but also prove your suitability for the role.
✨Show Your Flexibility and Adaptability
As this is a temporary position, the interviewers will want to see that you can hit the ground running. Be sure to highlight any previous short-term roles or projects where you successfully adapted to new environments quickly – this will showcase your readiness to tackle challenges head-on.
✨Highlight Your Commitment to Precision
In financial controlling, attention to detail is absolutely crucial. Be ready to provide examples from your past work that demonstrate your ability to spot discrepancies and ensure accuracy in financial reporting. Your precision could be the factor that sets you apart in a temporary role like this one!
