Halfords

Overview of the role:

The role holder will demonstrate leading financial decision making capability and will challenge, support and influence their senior stakeholders and teams. The Senior Finance Business Partner will ensure that we maximise profitability via optimisation of commercial decisions, creation and tracking of accurate forecasts supported by insightful financial analysis and management of investments and projects.

Reporting to the Head of Finance – Commercial Garages, this pivotal role acts as lead Business Partner to our Commercial Leadership teams who are responsible for delivering motoring services across our garage locations and mobile vans.

What will the role involve?

• Play key role as a trusted partner to the Directors providing the right balance of challenge and support around commercial decision making.
• Financial ownership of sales and margin across garage and mobile operations highlighting areas of concern and proposals for increasing profitability
• Drive actions to maximise profitability and achievement of budgets and forecasts via insightful evaluations of risks and opportunities
• Aiding the Directors to drive the business further into profitable growth by helping create, track and manage business initiatives and projects eg price increases, promotional activity
• Establish monthly Performance Review process with the Directors and their teams, understanding performance and driving management action.
• Provide commercial and financial support and challenge to the business’ transformation investment projects including assistance in the creation of business cases, spend control, tracking of benefits and advising on corrective action to ensure Business Case targets are met.
• Quarterly forecasting and budgeting highlighting opportunities and risks to the Directors to ensure strategy is in line with overall Business objectives.
• Deputise for the Head of Commercial Finance where appropriate.
• Being an active senior member of the Garages & Mobile Commercial Finance Team, the Commercial Team and wider Commercial Finance Team.
• Identify and correct weaknesses in weekly trading performance and work with team to identify opportunities to drive sales and margin
• Manage and develop a team of 5 Business Partners / Finance Analysts and ensure taks are aligned to work at the correct work level

What skills and behaviours are we looking for?

• Excellent commercial acumen: takes the time to understand the business objectives and focus activity to yield the greatest commercial benefit.

• Dynamic and results-driven individual with high levels of energy, flexibility and commitment to deliver both the business and their own objectives.

• Absolute commitment to quality with high attention to detail, working with a ‘right first time’ approach.

• A self-starter who is open to and comfortable with initiating change and both seeking and encouraging fresh ideas to meet an ever-changing environment. Able to support colleagues to adapt to change across the business.
• The ability to challenge and dive into the financial detail is essential and a background in management accounting is a distinct advantage
• Able to construct and manage processes to ensure that budget owners understand and own budget and target expectations.
• An effective communicator with excellent presentation skills and gravitas; articulate and persuasive; able to build strong relationships across the business at all levels.

• An ability to analyse complex data to inform decision making.
• Is able to draw on best practice from other organisations and adapt it to meet the needs the business.

• The ability to build strong working relationships through collaborative working, become a key and trusted member of the Exec team and able to influence across the business at all levels
• An ability to thrive in a fast-paced and pressurised environment proactively managing multiple work-streams.

• A track record of high performance in a commercial finance business partnering, planning team or financial advisory role.

• Professional qualification (CIMA,ACCA or equivalent) with several years PQE experience and advanced Excel/Pwerpoint skills.  Power Bi advantageous but not essential.

The role is based at our Support Centre in Redditch, with a hybrid working rhythm currently in place with 3 days per week mandated in the Support Centre.

Not sure you meet all the criteria? We'd encourage you to take the wheel and apply anyway! At Halfords we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for our colleagues. We're an equal opportunities employer and proud to welcome applications from all backgrounds and embrace diversity within our one Halfords Family.