Head Of Commercial Finance (FTC - 13 Months)

Head Of Commercial Finance (FTC - 13 Months)

Date:  22 Apr 2026 Location:  London Company:  [Employer hidden — view at passion-project.co.uk] MISSION The Head of Commercial Finance plays a key role in helping the UK business shape and deliver both short term forecasts and long-term strategic plans. Leading a team of 7, they are responsible for all aspects of SUK’s financial planning (3 y plan, budget, estimates & forecasts) for all brands in the SUK Portfolio and they are responsible for routine & ad hoc business analysis & insight in all areas of the P&L and Retail Sales. They provide business partnership to Senior SUK Leadership, supporting on shorter term P&L management decisions to bigger picture, medium to long term strategic decisions thus supporting the SUK business in delivering its KPIs and optimising commercial performance.  They are a key UK finance contact responsible for explaining financial performance and outlook to EMEA RHQ team. ORGANISATION Reports to: Finance Director Job Location: London Contract type: 12m FTC MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Forecasting and Business Planning - Lead the annual budget, latest estimate and rolling forecasting processes for SUK, ensuring on time delivery of all aspects (presentations, BPC etc) and alignment with overall business strategy and objectives - Identify areas for growth and efficiency and proactively identify risks and opportunities, ensuring that these insights are communicated to management in a timely manner to facilitate informed decision-making and suggest & implement corrective measures - Drive improvements in estimate accuracy - Support S&OP process from financial perspective 2. Business Partnership and commercial support - Collaborate closely with LT to actively drive business performance by providing strategic insights and recommendations. - Drive initiatives to enhance profitability and operational efficiency - Fosters a culture of “high challenge, high support” between the finance function and other departments, encouraging open dialogue and collaboration to achieve business goals. - Deliver comprehensive analytics to support critical business decisions, including but not limited to new retailer/door entries, promotional evaluations, resource allocation, contract negotiation, retailer profitability, providing high quality commercially focussed financial advice - Prepare insightful commentary, presentations & present analysis as required for local and EMEA business reviews Provide critical, 3. Financial Control & Reporting - Uphold accounting principles and promote adherence with policies & procedures to stakeholders - Partner with Accounting team to support monthly close as required - Ensure delivery of accurate, timely& relevant management reporting for the business, ensuring that reports are actionable and aligned with strategic objectives - Drive consistency in data quality and automation initiatives to ensure a single trusted version of financial information is maintained through the organisation 4. Team Leadership - Develop and mentor direct reports, providing guidance and support in the day-to-day operations of the brands, including month-end cycles and variance analysis. - Foster an environment focused on continuous improvement through automation and process enhancement CANDIDATE PROFILE: 1. 1. Essential - Graduate-calibre qualified accountant (ACMA, ACCA, ACA) with approx. 10 years PQE - Extensive experience operating in Senior FP&A/Commercial Finance roles within matrix of multi-stakeholder organisation (ideally Retail/FMCG) - Strong expertise in planning/forecasting/budgeting and performance analysis Experience of leading a commercial strategic planning and forecasting process - Leadership and Team Management: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team. - Knowledge of SAP and reporting tools incl SQL & PBI 1. 2. Desirable - Experience of the beauty industry and a strong understanding of business drivers Behavioural Competencies: - Commercial & Financial Acumen: Deep understanding of financial principles, & practices. Commercially astute with ability to apply analytical skills and to bring them to bear on a broad range of commercial issues and influence decisions, thinking “beyond the numbers” - Collaboration and Influence: Ability to collaborate with other departments and excellent stakeholder management skills including relationship building & influencing - Communication: Excellent communication skills to convey financial information clearly and effectively to both financial and non-financial stakeholders. Proven ability to communicate at senior levels and present information in an impactful way - Prioritisation: Ability to work under pressure with agile mindset, able to manage deadlines across multiple stakeholders - Innovation and Continuous Improvement mindset: Encouraging innovation and seeking continuous improvement in financial processes and systems. drive change within the finance department and the broader organization. Job Segment: Retail Sales, Strategic Planning, Financial, Accounting, Retail, Strategy, Finance