Job Description
Head of Finance - Supply Chain (Fixed Term Contract: 12 Months)
Swindon or London - Hybrid
At WHSmith, our people are at the heart of everything we do. They are the ones that go the extra mile for our customers and enable our growth. Our Finance team is passionate about creating an environment where people can be creative and trailblazing to do their best work.
The successful candidate will be a senior member of the team reporting to the High Street Finance Director and business partnering the High St Merchandising Director and the Group Supply Chain Director. The successful candidate should project gravitas and have the ability to communicate effectively at the Exec level.
What you'll do
1. Operate as a true business partner to the High St Merchandising Director and the Group Supply Chain Director with effective engagement and communication.
2. Provide commercial and financial insight, input, and challenge into all Stock and Logistics initiatives and investments to ensure value creation and appropriate due diligence and controls.
3. Be responsible for the overall financial management of High St Stock and Group Logistics.
4. Work with the Group Logistics Director and our 3rd Party Logistics provider to report performance for both the High St and Travel divisions, tracking against KPIs and identifying opportunities for further efficiencies.
5. Support the High St Merchandising Director in managing stock levels, identifying problem stock, and ensuring appropriate clearance plans and provisions are in place.
6. Have balance sheet responsibility for the HS division, including inventory valuation, ensuring complete and accurate reporting.
7. Provide analysis, insight, and informative reporting as required by the High Street Finance Director to support and influence business decisions.
8. Liaise with external auditors as required.
9. Provide financial support in strategic transformation projects as required.
10. Manage a direct report supporting their development and learning.
Who you are
1. Qualified (CIMA/ACMA/ACA) with demonstrable post-qualified experience gained within industry.
2. Proven experience of business partnering, forecasting, and delivering month-end results.
3. A background of supporting and challenging businesses to make optimal operational and performance decisions.
4. A proactive approach to driving improvement in our outputs and processes.
5. Commercially minded - quick to understand the business and identify risks and opportunities.
6. Analytical - able to present complex data in an understandable and impactful way.
How we reward our teams
1. Hybrid working model from home and in the office.
2. 4pm Friday finish.
3. Flexible working.
4. 25 days holiday, plus your Birthday off, plus Bank Holidays with an opportunity to buy extra days holiday.
5. Family-friendly leave.
6. Company pension.
7. Competitive salary + Car Allowance.
8. Staff discount card for stores and online.
Who we are
Celebrating 230 years, we're proud to have grown and evolved into a globally recognized brand present in over 30 countries around the world. As a diverse group of over 11,000 colleagues, we are all on the same journey to a better business through our commitments to our planet, people, and the communities we serve. Across our diverse estate of 500 stores on UK high streets, we sell a wide range of products in categories such as Stationery, News and Impulse, and Books. We are an ambitious team that thrives on pace, collaboration, and innovation, resulting in a real entrepreneurial culture at all levels. #J-18808-Ljbffr