Head of Cost & Strategic Finance

Are you a commercially sharp, qualified finance leader who thrives on turning cost insight into strategic advantage?

We’re looking for a Head of Cost & Strategic Finance to lead best‑in‑class cost business partnering across Distribution and Group. This is a high‑impact, executive‑facing role responsible for shaping, challenging and optimising a c.£400m cost base and c.£70m strategic investment portfolio
. This isn’t a reporting role. It’s about influence, value creation and delivery
.

You’ll act as a trusted partner to Executive stakeholders, providing clear insight, robust challenge and forward‑looking analysis to ensure cost targets are delivered and strategic investments drive real value. You’ll lead budgeting, forecasting and cost planning across Distribution & Group, drive synergy savings, and ensure financial discipline and model governance remain strong as the business evolves. With 9 reports and manager‑of‑managers responsibility
, you’ll build and develop a high‑performing team while staying close enough to the detail to ensure quality, integrity and commercial clarity.

• Partnering with Executive stakeholders on cost performance and investment decisions
• Driving cost saving synergies across the business
• Supporting and challenging business cases, validating benefits and tracking delivery
• Leading annual budgets and rolling forecasts (FTE, staff and non‑staff costs)

• Delivering clear, insightful month‑end and variance analysis
• Investigating cost performance issues and providing ad hoc intelligence
• Enhancing forecasting models and strengthening business intelligence capability
• Presenting high‑quality financial reporting to Board, ExCo and Group

• Working closely with Controllership to ensure robust and auditable month/year‑end processes
• Maintaining strong model governance and quality control standards
• Ensuring consistency of reporting and planning processes across Finance

• Leading and developing a team of 9
• Driving accountability, collaboration and high standards across Finance
• Building strong relationships across functions to become a trusted business partner

• Qualified Accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA)
• Strong cost business partnering and planning experience
• Experience managing significant cost bases
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint capability
• Ability to distil complex data into clear, actionable insight
• High integrity and credibility with senior leadership

• Experience leading cost planning and project reporting
• Exposure to strategic investment governance
• Experience managing managers

• Executive exposure and genuine strategic influence
• Ownership of a large‑scale cost and investment portfolio
• Opportunity to shape financial discipline and value delivery at Group level
• Leadership scope with a manager‑of‑managers structure
• A role that blends commercial partnering, governance and strategic impact

If you’re a confident finance leader who enjoys challenge, influence and delivering measurable impact - this could be your next step.