Finance Business Partner

My client, a world leading global FMCG organisation, is currently looking for an experienced Finance Business Partner to cover a period of maternity leave.
This role is required urgently at the beginning of November and expected to run for 9 months. You should ideally be available immediately or on a maximum of 1 week's notice.

Main job purpose

The Finance business partner role offers a combination of controlling and finance business partnering opportunities. The role reports into the finance director and has multiple points of interaction.

This role partners the global marketing, procurement and IT functions. The role gives the unique opportunity to get involved in some of our client's game-changing projects, and requires out of the box thinking and commercial acumen.

Key Responsibilities

Business Partnering
· Key contact for Global Marketing and Media Operations.
· Support development of Business Cases for new projects requiring significant investments, helping articulate benefits and agreeing measurement
· Partnering IT /Procurement and other parts of the business for development of business cases that are required to be funded by various stake holders.
· Providing finance inputs and challenge key investment requests
· Partnering with IT with regards to meeting requirements of IT investment board for co-investment decisions
· Providing currency and tax support on new initiatives to ensure optimal billing structures are in place to avoid tax and FX leakage
· Presenting Updates on Monthly/Quarterly Results in respective leadership teams
· Support and drive the business partner's usage of Finance tools
· Provide Finance training to non-Finance business partners to enable them to be self-sufficient on basic finance fundamentals
Controlling
· Work with the EVPs and their teams to create a budget that fulfils priorities and is within targets set by Controllers. Drive discussions on prioritisation and ensuring targets are met
· Manage the Departmental budgets for all three teams, providing accounting guidance
· Provide guidance and suggestions on how to close any budget gaps
· Identify risks and opportunities within the quarterly forecasts and recommending corrective action where necessary
· Review monthly performance against agreed budgets and forecast phasing
· Approve monthly accruals and adjustments prepared by analysts

Skills and Competencies

· Experience of working with marketing, procurement & IT functions
· Working towards a full CIMA or other Professional finance qualification
· Experience of working with and influencing senior leaders within the organisation at Director level or higher
· Experience of developing business cases for innovation projects/new business opportunities
· Budget management and controlling experience
· Well-developed analytical and communication skills
· Ability to respond and deliver under pressure
· Experience of working in multi-national teams and/or a virtual team environment
· Comfortable working in an environment of flux