At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead commercial finance, providing insights to drive profitable growth and influence key decisions.
- Company: Join a leading global food ingredients manufacturer with a strong reputation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career development opportunities, and a chance to impact business strategy.
- Other info: Opportunity for continuous improvement and innovation in a globally recognised organisation.
- Why this job: Shape commercial performance and work closely with senior stakeholders in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Fully qualified accountant with experience in commercial finance and strong analytical skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 € per year.
We are partnering with a leading global food ingredients manufacturer to recruit a Commercial Finance Business Partner. This is a key role within the UK&I commercial team, offering significant exposure to senior commercial stakeholders and the opportunity to directly influence business performance and strategy.
Reporting to the Head of FP&A and Business Partnering, the successful candidate will lead commercial finance business partnering – providing insight, challenge, and support to drive profitable growth.
The Role
This position sits at the heart of the commercial function, acting as a trusted advisor to Sales and Commercial leadership. You will play a critical role in shaping decision‐making through robust financial insight, effective planning, and strong governance.
Key responsibilities include:
- Acting as the finance lead to the Commercial team, influencing and challenging decisions to drive profitable growth
- Leading the commercial finance input into forecasting, budgeting, and the monthly performance cycle
- Delivering clear, actionable insight on revenue, margin, pricing, and portfolio performance
- Owning pricing governance, including the development and maintenance of pricing models and frameworks
- Supporting customer negotiations through scenario planning and financial analysis
- Developing customer and product profitability analysis, identifying risks and opportunities to improve margin
- Partnering with R&D and Commercial teams on new product development (NPD) and innovation business cases
- Ensuring robust governance, tracking, and delivery of NPD initiatives
- Driving continuous improvement across commercial finance processes, tools, and reporting
We are looking for a commercially minded finance professional with strong business partnering experience and the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
Key requirements:
- Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
- Proven experience in commercial finance and business partnering roles, ideally from a food manufacturing background
- Strong analytical and data management skills, with advanced Excel capability
- Experience with pricing, costing models, and profitability analysis
- Familiarity with BI systems and tools
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate data into clear commercial insight
- Proactive, solutions‐oriented mindset with a track record of driving improvements
- Experience working with product development or R&D functions is advantageous
This is an excellent opportunity to join a well‐established, globally recognised organisation in a highly visible and impactful role. You will have the chance to shape commercial performance, influence key decisions, and contribute to ongoing growth and innovation.
Commercial Finance Business Partner employer: Zest
Join a leading global food ingredients manufacturer that values innovation and collaboration, offering a dynamic work culture where your insights directly influence business strategy and performance. With a commitment to employee growth, you will have access to continuous development opportunities and the chance to work alongside senior commercial stakeholders in a role that is both impactful and rewarding. Located in the UK, this position provides a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of commercial finance within a well-established organisation, driving profitable growth in a thriving industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Commercial Finance Business Partner
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the finance and food manufacturing sectors. Attend industry events or webinars, and don’t be shy about introducing yourself to potential employers. Remember, it’s all about who you know!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by researching the company inside out. Understand their products, market position, and recent news. This will help you tailor your answers and show that you’re genuinely interested in being a Commercial Finance Business Partner with them.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your financial insights! Be ready to discuss how you can influence business performance and strategy. Use real examples from your past experiences to demonstrate your analytical skills and how you’ve driven profitable growth.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’ve got loads of opportunities waiting for you. Plus, applying directly shows your enthusiasm and commitment to joining our team. Let’s get you that dream job!
We think you need these skills to ace Commercial Finance Business Partner
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Commercial Finance Business Partner. Highlight your experience in commercial finance and business partnering, especially if you've worked in food manufacturing. We want to see how your skills align with what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of how you've influenced decisions and driven profitable growth in previous roles. We love a good story that showcases your impact!
Show Off Your Analytical Skills:Since this role requires strong analytical and data management skills, make sure to mention any relevant tools or systems you’ve used. If you’ve got advanced Excel skills, don’t be shy about it! We want to know how you can bring those skills to our team.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Zest
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Commercial Finance Business Partner, you'll need to demonstrate your financial acumen. Brush up on key financial metrics relevant to the food manufacturing industry, such as revenue growth, margin analysis, and pricing strategies. Be ready to discuss how you've used these metrics to influence business decisions in your previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Business Partnering Skills
This role is all about collaboration with senior stakeholders. Prepare examples of how you've successfully partnered with sales or commercial teams in the past. Highlight specific instances where your insights led to improved decision-making or profitability, showcasing your ability to challenge and support effectively.
✨Master the Art of Communication
You’ll need to translate complex financial data into actionable insights. Practice explaining financial concepts in simple terms, as if you were talking to someone without a finance background. This will help you convey your ideas clearly during the interview and demonstrate your communication skills.
✨Prepare for Scenario Planning Questions
Given the emphasis on supporting customer negotiations and financial analysis, expect questions around scenario planning. Think of examples where you've developed different financial scenarios to aid decision-making. Be prepared to discuss how you approached these analyses and the impact they had on the business.