We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide.
We work directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world in partnership with the UK. We support them to build networks and explore creative ideas, to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications.
Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021–22 we reached 650 million people.
Head of F,P&A – Professional Services.
Department: Finance
Contract type: 18 months Fixed Term Contract (36 hours per week).
Pay band: SMPs
Salary: Starting at £55,699 - £68,649 plus £3,300 per annum London Market Allowance for those based in the London area only. (For candidates with exceptional skills, knowledge and experience (specific to the role) the British Council may consider a moderate broadening of the advertised pay range).
Benefits Include, but are not limited to:
* 32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays
* 3 days volunteering leave
* Career average defined benefit pension scheme
Location : UK - London, Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh or Belfast.
Closing date: Wednesday 29th January 2025 at 23:59 UK time.
Requirements:
Candidates must have the pre-existing, legal right to work in the UK.
Mobility, relocation and visa sponsoring support will not be provided.
The Team:
The global financial structure includes a Group Finance function based primarily in the UK, which sets finance strategy, policies and a governance and control framework. It supports corporate and regional teams, gives strategic advice, provides specialist services, maintains finance processes and is accountable for reporting to external bodies.
The Group finance function in the UK comprises the following teams: Global Tax and Status, Financial Planning and Analysis (“FP&A”), Financial Control and Financial Innovation.
This role sits within FP&A, to provide strong financial business partnering across Professional Services and is responsible for corporate FP&A, management reporting, planning, forecasting and budgeting and commercial finance support for corporate services.
The Role:
The Head of Finance Planning & Analysis (FP&A) – Professional Services is a senior role, on an eighteen-month fixed term contract.
This is an exciting role where you will lead the financial planning and analysis for the Professional Services departments. Reporting into the Director of FP&A Corporate Services and Transformation, the role will support the Director in provision of FP&A across budgets that exceed £190m per annum.
You will be a pro-active, forward looking finance professional with good relationship building skills and have a broad base of finance experience. They must have previously worked with multi-location operational teams, ideally in an international setting.
The role will play a key part in developing financial expertise across the corporate teams and in the creation of a single finance service and culture. The role will champion the new processes and ways of working developed in collaboration with the Finance Innovation Programme.
Accountabilities:
You will support the Director FP&A Professional Services to drive improvements to business performance and will help shape the future of the Corporate Units through:
* Provision of a good standard of business partnering, financial insight and discipline.
* Provision of commercially sound financial analysis to inform effective decision making.
* Delivery of annual financial planning processes. These will include processes for planning budgets, supporting transformation planning and delivery of in year targets.
Business Partnering & Stakeholder Engagement:
Pro-actively share insights to challenge, influence and add value to decision making, optimizing opportunity whilst balancing risk. Advise on business decisions and projects with finance related dependencies and implications.
Management Reporting and Financial Analysis:
* Monitor performance against budget, forecast and prior year. Prepare incisive analysis of financial results and propose remedial action where necessary to ensure the corporate unit achieves its financial targets.
* Analyse financial statements and data to provide insights about the financial performance and the business and financial impact of actions; advise on options to improve outcomes.
Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting:
* Co-ordinate the Professional Services Units with rolling financial planning processes, evaluating and quantifying strategically aligned plans which include both financial and non-financial metrics.
* Produce accurate financial forecasts highlighting potential risks and opportunities and support the formulation and implementation of mitigation plans where necessary.
Requirements of the Role:
* Excellent analytical skills along with strong planning and organisational skills.
* Flexibility, independence and initiative to perform successfully in a rapidly changing environment.
* Strong commercial finance experience gained in an organisation undergoing change and driving for growth.
* Qualified Accountant – CIMA/ACA/ACCA/CCAB.
Closing Date: Applications will close at 23:59 on 29th January 2025 UK Time.
Interviews will be held around the middle of February 2025.
You must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.
A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement:
The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment. We want to address under representation and encourage applicants from under-represented groups, in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability. All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.
The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with.
We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989.
Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed; these will include qualification checks, reference checks, identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.
If you have any problems with your application please email askhr@britishcouncil.org
Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made through the Apply section of our careers website. Our ‘ASK HR’ email is only to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.
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