Head of Commercial Finance

Paul Smith is one of Britain’s leading independent design companies, driven by a spirit of curiosity, playfulness, adaptability and passion. These values shape every aspect of the brand, whether it’s a shirt, a shop or a special collaboration. Reaffirming the values that Paul set down in 1970, ‘classic with a twist’ remains the guiding principle of the company. Happily positioned between high fashion and formal wear, while taking reference from both, Paul Smith has always been proud to stand apart.

The Head of Commercial Finance is a strategic finance business partner responsible for driving profitable growth across Retail, Wholesale and Ecommerce. Reporting directly into the CFO and working closely with Merchandising, Production, Sourcing, Sales and Retail teams, the role provides commercial insight, financial challenge and robust analysis to support better pricing, inventory, promotional and investment decisions.

The role owns the commercial performance reporting framework, identifying risks and opportunities across sales, margin and inventory, whilst influencing decision-making to maximise profitability, cash generation and return on investment. You will play a key role in supporting the delivery of the Group’s strategic objectives through business partnering, financial planning, continuous improvement and the development of commercial finance best practice.

This is a new position within the company and can be based from either our Nottingham or London office.

• Partner with senior leaders across Merchandising, Production, Sourcing, Retail, Wholesale and Ecommerce to drive commercial performance.
• Provide financial insight and constructive challenge to support strategic decision-making.
• Lead financial evaluation of pricing strategies, commercial initiatives and investment opportunities.
• Own gross margin, profitability and commercial performance reporting across all sales channels.
• Deliver analysis of pricing, product mix, promotions and customer profitability to identify growth opportunities.
• Drive actions to improve margin performance and maximise commercial returns.
• Partner with business teams to optimise inventory investment, stock levels and working capital.
• Lead forecasting and planning for sales, margin and inventory performance.
• Develop financial models and scenario analysis to support strategic and operational decisions.
• Own KPI reporting and performance dashboards, providing clear insight to stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Drive continuous improvement through enhanced reporting, automation and finance transformation initiatives.
• Support and develop finance team capability while partnering with the CFO on strategic projects.

• ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified, with a minimum 5 years' experience in Commercial Finance, FP&A or Finance Business Partnering.
• Experienced within retail, fashion, apparel, consumer goods or other premium branded environments.
• Proven expertise in pricing, margin optimisation, profitability analysis, inventory management and commercial performance reporting.
• Strong track record of partnering with cross-functional teams including Merchandising, Retail, Wholesale and Ecommerce.
• Highly commercial, with the ability to turn complex financial data into clear, actionable business insight.
• Advanced financial modelling, forecasting and business case development skills.
• Confident influencing, challenging and building credibility with senior stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Strong analytical, organisational and prioritisation skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• Advanced Excel capability, with experience using Power BI or other business intelligence and reporting tools.
• Proactive, results-driven and adaptable, with a continuous improvement mindset and…