EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Significant experience as a management accountant, business partner or a similar role.
• Experience of Finance Business Partnering at a senior level.
• Experience working within the personal financial services and/or banking industry.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Excel at Macro level desirable.
• Degree (ideally in mathematics, accounting etc).
• CIMA/ACCA/ACA qualified.
• Must be self-motivated with the ability to use their initiative and develop quickly in a dynamic environment.
• Comfortable with ambiguity.
• Candidate must be highly numerate with strong analytical and reporting skills.
• Advanced written and communication skills to support report writing and presentations of complex subject matter to senior stakeholders
• Excellent attention to detail with a methodical approach to work.
• Ability to apply intellectual rigour to problem solving.
• Ability to win the trust of and influence senior management.
• Flexible and logical approach to work.
• Must be able to multi task and change direction and priorities quickly.
• Ability to coach and develop team member(s) whether direct or otherwise.
• Ability to form influential working relationships at all levels within the organisation.
• Desire and ability to develop.
• To have a can-do attitude.

• Work closely with, and influence, senior management teams to help drive business performance – helping to ensure high quality financial decisions are made by these teams and drive effective cost management decisioning with a focus on long term profitability and protecting financial health of the franchise.
• Provide forward looking insight and challenge, adding demonstrable value through delivering business and commercial insights – acting as a catalyst for business change.
• Effectively share external industry perspectives and good practice to help deliver measurable improvements in the approach to effective cost management, business decisions and value for money returns.
• Provide objective financial advice and opinions that positively impact the future choices of the business taking into account TCF, Consumer Duty and other regulatory considerations alongside business strategy.
• Identify and drive financial efficiency - ensuring that the business allocates resources, including capital, effectively, with rigorous pressure on costs and a commitment to a value-for-money approach.
• Work effectively with FP&A and Shared services to share knowledge and understanding across Finance as appropriate.
• Role model leadership behaviours for the Finance Business Partners.
• Manage delivery of strategic objectives ensuring these are aligned with budget by partnering with and influencing the Operations Function.
• Optimise business growth and profitability through commercial analysis covering all relevant aspects of the P&L and balance sheet with particular focus on optimising costs/spend to derive the greatest efficiencies and/or RoI.
• Challenge investment proposals by working with SLT and change team to ensure that suitable returns hurdles are set and achieved and decisions reflect business priorities.
• Supporting new business initiatives by providing appropriate steer and support with the preparation of business cases.
• Ad hoc analysis as and when required including external benchmarking and identification of cost saving opportunities.
• Finance support for management of contracts and other key supplier considerations.
• Oversight of balance sheet implications of cost management actions, partnering with Financial Control to ensure that appropriate accounting policies are applied.
• Highlighting the capital implications of cost management actions, ensuring that these are understood by the teams and aligned with the objectives of VBG.
• Key role in developing the cost annual budget, reforecasts and monthly performance insights and outlooks working with the relevant business owners.
• Ensuring accuracy of cost booking for the Operations function and for inputting into policy and process change bank wide to improve such booking.
• Support FP&A with cost inputs for running sensitivity analysis and stress test scenarios.
• Liaising with Financial Control to ensure compliance with the appropriate accounting policies.
• Maintain awareness of accounting practices, particularly new products and new regulations.
• Understanding of regulatory requirements of the business.