At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the finance team, driving transformation and delivering financial insights for strategic decisions.
- Company: Join ZEISS Vision Care UK, a global leader in optics with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous pension contributions, bonus scheme, and private healthcare.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in finance while working with cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions.
- Qualifications: Qualified accountant with experience in commercial finance and team leadership.
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 part of the ZEISS group, we are an international leader in the field of optics, with over 46,000 employees across 50 countries around the globe. 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.
Your Role
This is a critical leadership role within the Carl Zeiss Vision UK (CZVUK) Finance team, responsible for leading the Commercial Finance Business Partnering team and driving the transformation of the Company's financial planning, reporting, data and insight capabilities. As a key strategic partner to the business, you will combine strong financial and commercial judgement with a hands-on approach to transformation, helping to drive profitable growth, improve business performance and support informed decision-making across the organisation.
You will lead the evolution of Finance from manual, retrospective reporting towards more automated, connected and forward-looking financial insight, making effective use of data, technology and AI to deliver measurable business value. Alongside this, you will oversee the Company's budgeting, forecasting and performance management processes, while playing a key role in supporting ZEISS's customer financing initiative, helping our customers achieve their ambitions through tailored financial support.
The role will involve line management of two qualified Commercial Finance Business Partners, providing leadership, coaching and development to build a high-performing, commercially focused team.
The role of Head of Commercial Finance & FP&A will involve:
- Leadership and Business Partnering: Lead, coach and develop the Commercial Finance Business Partner team, setting clear objectives, allocating responsibilities and driving a high-performance culture. Build strong relationships with senior commercial stakeholders, influencing decision-making through meaningful financial analysis, commercial insight and challenge.
- Commercial Performance and Strategic Decision Support: Provide financial and commercial insight across customer, product and channel performance, identifying opportunities to improve revenue, profitability, pricing, margin and productivity. Lead the development and review of business cases, investment appraisals and scenario modelling to support strategic initiatives and sustainable business growth.
- Customer Financing: Lead CZVUK's customer financing activity, acting as the key finance contact for internal and external stakeholders, including customers, commercial teams, legal advisers, auditors and senior management. Oversee financial due diligence, lending business cases, ongoing performance reviews and contractual compliance, ensuring robust governance and effective financial controls. Develop management information and reporting to monitor the financing pipeline, revenue opportunities and business case performance.
- Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A): Lead the annual budgeting process, rolling forecasts and medium-term financial planning, ensuring alignment between financial expectations and commercial and operational objectives. Develop integrated financial models, oversee commercial finance reporting and KPI frameworks, and provide clear performance updates and recommendations to senior leadership.
- Data, Reporting and AI Transformation: Lead the development and delivery of a finance transformation roadmap, improving data quality, reporting processes, systems and business intelligence capabilities. Identify opportunities to automate reporting and introduce practical AI-enabled solutions, such as predictive forecasting, anomaly detection and automated variance analysis. Ensure new technologies are implemented responsibly, with robust validation, appropriate controls and clear human accountability.
- Continuous Improvement and Governance: Drive improvements in financial processes, reporting standards and controls, ensuring accurate, consistent and accessible management information. Work collaboratively across Finance and the wider business to deliver transformation initiatives, encourage continuous improvement and embed a culture of analytical rigour and evidence-based decision-making.
Your Experience:
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent), with significant post-qualification experience in commercial finance, financial planning and analysis or a similar senior finance role.
- Proven experience leading and developing finance teams, with the ability to coach, motivate and build high-performing business partnering functions.
- Strong commercial acumen and experience partnering with senior stakeholders, influencing strategic decisions and translating complex financial information into clear, actionable business insight.
- Extensive experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling, performance management and delivering financial analysis to support business growth and profitability.
- Demonstrable experience leading finance transformation, improving reporting processes, enhancing data quality and implementing systems or automation to improve financial insight and efficiency.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to challenge assumptions, assess commercial risks and identify opportunities for sustainable business improvement.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to influence at all levels of the organisation.
It would be desirable if you had:
- Experience in customer financing, lending, credit assessment or financial due diligence, including the development and presentation of business cases for senior leadership or board approval.
- Experience using business intelligence, data visualisation and financial planning tools to improve reporting and forecasting capabilities.
- Exposure to AI-enabled finance solutions, predictive analytics and process automation, with an understanding of how these can be applied responsibly within a finance environment.
Your Benefits
If you join ZEISS, you will have access to a range of benefits, including:
- Salary benchmarked against the 400 biggest companies in the UK
- 10% Employer pension contribution (providing a 4 % employee contribution)
- Bonus Scheme
- Private Healthcare
- Free ZEISS lenses for you and discounted ZEISS lenses for your friends and family
Your ZEISS Recruiting Team: Abbie Walters
Senior Commercial Finance and FP&A Manager 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 Senior Commercial Finance and FP&A Manager in Birmingham
✨Tip Number 1: Tap Into Professional Networks
The finance world loves a good connection, so jump into industry-specific groups on platforms like LinkedIn where you can find discussions on financial controlling. Engaging in these communities can expose you to hidden job leads that aren't openly advertised!
✨Tip Number 2: Attend Finance Events and Conferences
Make it a mission to attend finance-related events and conferences, even virtual ones! This is a golden opportunity to network face-to-face with people from companies like ZEISS. You never know who might be your next boss or a crucial contact!
✨Tip Number 3: Showcase Your Expertise
Consider writing articles or sharing insights related to financial controlling or industry trends. Publish these on platforms like LinkedIn to establish yourself as a knowledgeable player in the field. This not only increases your visibility but also catches the attention of recruiters from ZEISS.
✨Tip Number 4: Apply Directly on Company Websites
Since you're going for a full-time gig, don't forget to keep an eye on the careers page of companies you're interested in, like ZEISS. Many companies prefer candidates who apply through their website as it shows genuine interest and makes your application stand out!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Commercial Finance and FP&A Manager in Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Numbers Game:In financial controlling, detail is everything! Make sure your CV showcases your proficiency with numbers—highlight any relevant experience in budgeting, forecasting, or working with financial software. Quantifying your past achievements will make you stand out, so don’t be shy about flaunting those impressive percentages or cost savings you've implemented.
Tailored Cover Letter is Key:Your cover letter is a chance to shine, especially for a full-time role. Use it to express your genuine interest in ZEISS and the specific impact you hope to make in financial controlling. Mention any relevant qualifications or experiences that align with the company’s goals, and don’t forget to show that you're ready for a long-term commitment!
Certifications Matter:List relevant certifications such as ACCA or CIMA on your CV. These qualifications not only showcase your dedication to the field but also your technical competence in financial principles. If you have any ongoing training or courses, make sure to mention those as well to demonstrate your commitment to continual learning in financial controlling.
Don’t Overlook Soft Skills:While numbers are crucial, so are those soft skills! Financial controllers need strong communication and analytical reasoning abilities. We recommend embedding examples of these skills in your CV and cover letter, like how you’ve successfully delivered financial reports to stakeholders or collaborated with teams to improve processes. Let’s show ZEISS how you can be a team player!
How to prepare for a job interview at ZEISS
✨Brush Up on Technical Skills
Make sure you're comfortable with key financial concepts, especially around forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis. Sometimes, interviewers may throw in technical questions or case studies, so practicing these types of scenarios will help you shine!
✨Showcase Your Financial Acumen
If you've had experience with specific financial software like SAP or Oracle, make it known! Be ready to discuss how you used these tools to improve processes or reporting, as this hands-on knowledge can really set you apart in a full-time role with ZEISS.
✨Know Your Numbers
In full-time interviews, especially in financial controlling, be prepared for numerical reasoning tests or questions. Brush up on your mental maths and understand how to interpret and analyse financial statements on the spot, as this may come up during the assessment.
✨Connect with Company Goals
Familiarise yourself with ZEISS's financial objectives and any recent developments. During the interview, try to weave your understanding of their business model and challenges into your answers—this shows your genuine interest and alignment with their goals!
