Commercial Finance Lead

Overall job purpose

This role is within the Commercial Finance team, part of the internal National Finance Office.

The purpose of this role is to support the business leaders to deliver sustainable profitable growth. You will develop strong, effective, and credible relationships with the business leaders, supporting their operational and strategic decision making by providing insightful financial analysis and analytical opinion. You will contribute to key decision making, using business partnering skills to both challenge and support, helping drive operational performance.

As a Commercial Finance Lead, you will be part of an established team and assume a lead role in the development, creation and review of firm's internal management information, supported by a team of Commercial Finance Assistants.

Responsibilities

• Provide financial insight, challenge and support to the service line leadership and management teams
• Develop and manage key relationships with the service line leadership and management teams to assist in gaining a thorough understanding of the business
• Translate financial information (including KPIs and monthly management accounts) into analytical opinion by identifying and working with service line and local management to understand underlying trends and exceptions, whilst considering any wider impact of these moving forward
• Contribute in driving operational performance by promoting commercial thinking, understanding the key drivers of the business and how they effect overall performance and profitability. To benchmark this information across the service line and wider business to help recommend how best practice could be applied
• Track progress towards budgets and periodic forecasts, supporting the business to understand their commitments and their progress towards achieving these
• Take a leading role in the annual budgeting process, by working with the service line leadership and management teams to set a fair, but challenging budget that is line with the firm's budget theme
• Assume a lead role within the Commercial Finance team, working closely with colleagues to proactively drive improvement, enhancing the planning tools available and identifying opportunities to streamline and automate process/reporting
• Be a role model within the team, assuming an active role in the development of junior staff
• Develop an understanding of the firm's culture and strategy and how change is achieved, whilst being a custodian of the firm's values

Personal and professional qualities

• ACCA/ACA/CIMA qualified, or equivalent accountancy experience
• Consultancy/business strategy/professional services experience preferred
• Proven and strong analytical skills coupled with demonstrable experience in evaluation methodology and/or analysis of performance
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• IT proficient with proven MS Excel skills
• Proactive, self-starter, tenacious and diplomatic; must be a completer/finisher

Competencies

Delivery

• Support & challenge decision makers and stakeholders in driving operational performance by providing accurate and timely insight, opinion and analysis of historical, current and future performance
• Be effective in managing expectations
• Demonstrate effective project management skills (where appropriate) and the potential to lead on elements within
• Be solution-focussed, critically evaluate existing processes; ensuring they are efficient yet accurate

Perception

• Build strong working relationships and be positively perceived by peers, the wider Finance function and business stakeholders
• Be recognised as a reliable reference point in your field both internally and externally

Influence

• Demonstrate professional scepticism when dealing with senior stakeholders in the firm
• Promote collaboration; challenge silo mentality
• Help to resolve conflicts, demonstrate skill and judgment in aligning differing viewpoints

Team

• Contribute to the direction, development & culture of the team; act as a cultural ambassador
• Be proactive in team matters; actively seek opportunities outside of core responsibilities that will help increase the value the team offers
• Champion the core values and standards expected of the team; challenge behaviours not consistent with these
• Collaborate with others including colleagues outside of the team; positively influence the actions and outlook of others
• Be proactive in supporting other colleagues' professional development; help to nurture and retain talent

Personal Effectiveness

• Assume responsibility for your professional development
• Prioritise own and (where appropriate) the team's workload effectively
• Take responsibility for achieving deadlines or resolving problems
• Use appropriate communication styles and methodologies

Note: This job description reflects the present requirements of the role. As duties and responsibilities change, the job description will be reviewed and will be subject to amendment in consultation with the individual.

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Diversity and Inclusion at RSM
At RSM, we want to create a strong sense of belonging so that people of all identities, backgrounds, and cultures feel they can bring their true self to work. Our clients come from all walks of life. We aim to achieve that same diversity of background, experience and perspective in our own teams, so that we can genuinely understand our client's needs. Diverse teams bring a broader range of ideas and insights to work. That's why we're working together to ensure our firm's principles and processes support a firm culture that embraces difference and strengthens inclusion.
At RSM we work hard to create an environment where our people can make a difference - to themselves, their career, their teams, and to the success of our firm and clients. We support all our people to work flexibly, to manage their family and other responsibilities alongside their work commitments; we believe this is key to achieving an inspiring and fulfilling working environment.]]>