Job Introduction

Role purpose

To lead the business financial planning and analysis activities.  Working with Sales, Purchasing and Operations departments to plan financial performance and understand how business activities impact financial outcomes.  This includes ensuring the integrity of standard and current costs.  Reviewing profitability of both new and existing business, providing analysis to the business.  Supporting the sales team with new business analysis which facilitate informed decision-making.  You will support corporate planning, budgeting and forecasting processes that happens throughout the year.  Support visibility and understanding of shift to full year performance by implementing Business Intelligence methodologies that are available to the management team.

Role Responsibility

Duties and responsibilities

• Lead Business Intelligence activity to make business performance more visible at all management levels
• Maintaining integrity in costs held within the ERP system
• Prepare costs/GM% for sales quotes on new customer business using SalesForce and ERP system
• Analyse GM% post shipping of new business to check whether GM% has changed, establish reasons why and support corrective action to improve
• Monitor Customer order quantities against original forecast/commitment and bring any material differences to the attention of Sales and Purchasing for discussion with the customer; following up in a timely manner to establish the outcome of the discussions
• Provide analysis and support to the sales team when calculating annual price increases factoring in exchange rates and discount rates
• Review assembly and test times on Fourth Shift to establish and agree new and existing products with manufacturing
• Assist the Financial Controller on the preparation of CAR forms where necessary to ensure documentation is comprehensively reviewed and completed
• Carry out post project appraisal reviews on large CAPEX projects
• Monitor low or negative GM% lines by customer order/shipment and make recommendations for improvement actions
• Review and analyse GM trends, making recommendations for improvement actions where appropriate
• Conduct monthly margin reviews, identifying trends and communicating via regular monthly Margin Improvement meetings
• Work closely with the manufacturing department to produce and analyse labour efficiency, offering support and ideas for improvements
• Carry out ad hoc projects within the Finance Department as required
• Own and produce annual corporate planning, budgeting and forecast process with ad-hoc modelling of reports as required
• Provide detailed analysis on variances between actual and budget, with the ability to present findings to finance and non-finance employees
• Ownership and production of variances between current costs and standard costs with reference to purchase price variances
• Key member of the finance project team currently implementing a new ERP system called IFS
• Support a continuous improvement culture, looking at ways to improve current processes focusing on producing value adding reports that drive improvement actions

The Ideal Candidate

Qualifications & experience

• Educated to degree level in business associated discipline or QBE in a similar role and company
• CIMA preferred, but not essential
• Experienced in working in a high-volume, high-pressured manufacturing environment, preferably with an engineering background
• Proven experience in making sound commercial decisions using analytical tools and opinions
• Used to working across a variety of departments and interacting with sales, purchasing and technical personnel with the ability to positively challenge decisions and argue with confidence
• Experienced in the use of MRP systems, training will be provided
• Significant experience in a similar role within a manufacturing business
• Computer literate with an excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, preferably an advanced user of Excel.
• Experience of working in a multi-currency environment with overseas customers and suppliers
• Experience in managing and training members of the team to enable growth and new opportunities

Professional Skills

• Able to interpret and analyse data and draw valid conclusions with the ability to articulate ideas clearly and concisely
• Attention to detail and good technical knowledge of product range and processes
• Able to read and understand bills of material
• Very strong commercial understanding and pragmatic approach
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written with the ability to communicate with people at all levels and from diverse cultures
• Capable of proactively challenging existing practices, processes and systems to deliver improvements to benefit the business
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise a busy workload

• Able to work on own initiative and attention to detail essential
• Professional credibility and integrity

HydraForce