Finance Business Partner

Key Accountabilities expected from role

Primary Accountabilities

• Working very close with GBS and the business to ensure accurate and timely Planning & Forecasting
• Financial analysis, supported by the MI team, to drive performance insight.

• Working alongside Global Business Services (GBS), ensure that the business is provided with accurate and timely performance reporting.
• Planning & Forecasting


• Supports and consolidates the annual planning process for the two year planning horizon, ensuring plans are appropriately challenged, making interventions where relevant, giving full commentaries to detail variances and provides assurance to the Finance Manager and Functional Leads.
• Proactively leads provision of insight to SPU Leadership Team or Function equivalent that is integrated across SPU highlighting opportunities or risks to achieve the business strategy.
• Conducts forward looking analysis covering Environment, Market & Portfolio analysis identifying trends in the market and competitive environment.
• Evaluates and validates both opportunities and impact of risks on the business performance.
• Reports and supports the presentation of consolidated data, associated trends and key messages to respective business leaders, the CFO and the LT.
• Conducts detailed rolling forecasts at cost, RCOP and cash flow level. Communicating analysis drawing insights and highlighting areas where performance targets are not being met vs. strategic objectives and financial framework.
• Performance Insights


• Partners with other business stakeholders to analyse financial performance and articulate the underlying delivery of actuals vs. latest forecasts on a monthly basis and provide recommendations and interventions to drive improved performance. This may be on a consolidated basis for several regions to provide one set of numbers or with a focus on supporting a specific business region or area.
• Shares detailed analysis and insights, using KPIs and trends, with the business on appropriate business drivers to concentrate on to achieve business objectives, including timely input to support the business understand interventions required to support future prioritisation and planning.
• Co-ordinates the capture, analysis and reporting of financial outcomes or plans including risks and variances in accordance with financial and control policies.
• Leads the performance management governance process.
• Assists in the embedding of ways of working and effective integration with GBS to ensure reports are produced consistently and accurately.
• Completes special projects as directed by the Finance Manager and Strategy & Transformation Manager to financialise project outcomes and implications.
• Performance Reporting


• Engages with key stakeholders and assist in the preparation of financial reports, including month-end and quarter-end close for the business activities, forecasts, analysis and budgets to provide insights for the business providing relevant challenge and verification.
• Bridges the gap between financial reporting and business understanding by measuring and providing commentary on forecast variances to facilitate decision-making and ensure forecasts remain accurate and robust.
• Holds performance reviews with budget holders to discuss current and potential issues/opportunities.
• Identifies strategic and financial risks, and provides an independent view point to evaluate both opportunities and impact of risks on performance
• Business Partnering


• Develops relationships with the wider Finance team and Business Leads to identify and enable simplification opportunities within the extended business.
• Positions relationships with the respective business team to provide accurate, timely management reporting and business decision support.
• Maintains strong relationships within the Finance teams, e. Planning & Performance and Accounting & Reporting, and the wider business e. Commercial, Marketing etc.
• Builds solid partnership with Global Business Services to ensure quality is maintained and metrics are delivered.
• Lead business partner to key stakeholders and VPs across Formulated Products Technology (Lubricants & Fuels)
• Control


• Understand, maintain and monitor an effective system of (financial) controls relating to the business, more specifically:

• Accounting standards through the Group Reporting Manual (GRM)
• Delegations of Authority (DoA)
• Code of Conduct adherence
• Group Investment Assurance and Approvals Process (GIAAP)
• Economic Evaluation Methodology (EEM)
• Project Common Process, where applicable.

Key measures for success

• Plan and forecasts challenged, robust and accurate
• Insightful, accurate and timely reporting and MI
• Clear and transparent in year performance presentation demonstrating progress vs plans
• Simplification, standardisation and improvement in strategic and operational KPIs which drive questioning, actions and decisions
• Voice of the customer
• Relationships maintained with Finance teams and other Business Leads
• All material risks identified and communicated during GFO and Plan processes
• Project budgets managed effectively and performance versus costs monitored

Human relations & contacts

• Lubricants SPU
• Global finance teams
• Global Business Services
• Accounting Policy Team
• Internal Control
• Fuels Value Chain (FVC) 3 Regions
• VP's and key LT stakeholders & Downstream teams

Interaction:

• Build a business partnering relationship within Lubricants SPU to drive performance insight
• Maintain and enhance partnership with Global Business Services
• Consult with Accounting Policy Team and Internal Control to ensure appropriate accounting treatment and processes are followed.

Supervision Responsibilities

• There are no direct reports associated with this role