Finance Business Partner

The Opportunity

Elevation Recruitment Group is delighted to be partnering with a long-established, privately owned manufacturing group to recruit a newly created Finance Business Partner.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a successful international business with a rich heritage. Operating across several specialist manufacturing businesses, the Group has built an outstanding reputation for quality, innovation and technical expertise within its sector.

Reporting directly to the Group Finance Director, this is a brand-new position created to strengthen the commercial finance capability across the Group.

The finance function is well established, with experienced Financial Controllers leading each business. The purpose of this role is different. Rather than focusing on financial control, you'll become the commercial finance lead, working closely with operational managers to improve performance, profitability and decision making across the organisation.

The business has invested significantly in systems, data quality and reporting through its ERP system and is now looking for someone who can transform that information into meaningful commercial insight that genuinely influences business performance.

This is an opportunity for someone who enjoys getting under the skin of a business, challenging performance, identifying opportunities and partnering with operational leaders to improve margins and profitability.

Working closely with the Group Finance Director and senior operational management, you'll become a trusted adviser across multiple businesses within the Group.

• Partner with operational and departmental leaders across the Group to improve commercial performance.
• Provide financial challenge and support around strategic and operational decision making.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders, influencing decisions through robust financial analysis.
• Prepare financial models and business cases to support investment and strategic initiatives.
• Present financial insight and recommendations during senior management and business review meetings.

• Analyse business performance across multiple operating companies.
• Review profitability, margins and operational KPIs to identify risks and opportunities.
• Analyse stock holdings and working capital, identifying opportunities to improve inventory efficiency and cash generation.
• Produce meaningful commercial insight that supports operational improvement.
• Identify trends and recommend practical actions to improve profitability.

• Support the annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting process.
• Challenge assumptions with budget holders to improve forecast accuracy.
• Work alongside operational managers to understand financial drivers and business performance.
• Maintain budget and forecast information.
• Produce monthly management reporting and variance analysis.
• Deliver insightful commentary explaining business performance.
• Develop reporting that enables operational teams to make better commercial decisions.
• Continue enhancing reporting capability through improved analysis and visualisation.
• Drive improvements across commercial reporting and financial processes.
• Support wider finance initiatives aimed at improving efficiency and adding value.
• Help finance evolve from a reporting function into a genuine commercial partner to the wider business.

We're looking for an individual who enjoys partnering with operational teams and influencing commercial outcomes.

You’ll naturally ask questions, enjoy analysing data and be motivated by improving business performance rather than simply reporting it.

You’ll have the confidence to challenge stakeholders constructively whilst building strong working relationships across the organisation.

• ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualification.
• Previous experience within Finance Business Partnering, Commercial Finance or FP&A.
• Strong commercial awareness with excellent analytical capability.
• Experience producing financial models and commercial analysis.
• Ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to non-finance stakeholders.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Experience working with ERP systems
• Manufacturing, engineering or product-based business experience would be beneficial but isn't essential.

• Newly created position with genuine opportunity to shape the commercial finance function.
• Direct exposure to the Group Finance Director and senior leadership team.
• Broad role supporting multiple businesses across an international manufacturing group.
• Opportunity to influence strategic and operational decision making.
• Business committed to investing in systems, data and commercial finance capability.
• High levels of autonomy, visibility and responsibility from day one.
• Excellent opportunity for an ambitious Finance Business Partner looking to make a genuine commercial impact.