Finance Business Partner

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The Finance Business Partner plays a critical role in supporting the operational leadership team to deliver sustainable profitable growth across SSP's UK & Ireland business. Acting as the key finance lead for two Operations Directors, the role provides financial insight, challenge, and support to drive performance, deliver EBIT targets, and identify opportunities to improve sales, profitability, and operational efficiency.

The role combines strong commercial business partnering with FP&A activities, including forecasting, reporting, budgeting, and performance analysis, while also leading and developing a Finance Analyst to ensure high-quality financial support to the business.

Business Partnering

• Act as the primary finance business partner to two Operations Directors, supporting the delivery of financial and operational objectives.
• Provide robust financial insight and commercial challenge to drive improved business performance and decision-making.
• Build strong relationships with operational leadership teams, influencing actions to improve sales, gross profit, labour productivity, and EBIT performance.
• Support the identification and delivery of profit improvement initiatives across the estate.
• Translate financial results into clear operational actions and recommendations.
• Participate in regular business reviews with operational stakeholders to assess performance, risks, and opportunities.
• Create the cost centre level annual budget, quarterly forecasting for Sales, Profit and labour
• Support the long-range planning processes.
• Deliver accurate and timely financial analysis to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Develop and maintain forecasting models and planning tools to improve accuracy and efficiency.

Reporting & Performance Management

• Produce and present weekly and monthly performance reporting to senior management.
• Deliver meaningful commentary explaining key drivers of performance against budget, forecast, and prior year
• Monitor key operational and financial KPIs and proactively highlight emerging risks and opportunities that are supported by action plans.
• Directly manage, coach, and develop one Finance Analyst.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and high performance.
• Drive improvements in financial reporting, forecasting, and planning processes.
• Support transformation initiatives focused on enhancing financial systems, automation, and ways of working.
• Identify opportunities to simplify reporting and improve insight generation through better use of data and technology.

• +3 years Proven experience in a Finance Business Partnering, Commercial Finance, or FP&A role.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to influence and challenge operational stakeholders.
• Experience of forecasting, budgeting, and financial performance analysis.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate financial information into clear business insights.
• Advanced Excel and financial modelling skills. (VBA / advanced formula / pivot table)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Experience managing, coaching, or supporting the development of team members.
• Proactive, self-motivated approach with strong attention to detail and focus on delivering results.
• Part-qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, ACA or equivalent), with a clear commitment to completing professional qualification.
• Experience with in complex multi-site retail, hospitality, or travel business
• Experience working with large operational datasets and KPI reporting.
• Knowledge of labour productivity, labour forecasting, and operational performance metrics.
• Experience driving process improvements, reporting…