Head of Financial Planning & Analysis

Knutsford, Cheshire
£90,000-110,000 per year
Permanent
Full-time

2 days ago
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Job Description:An experienced and commercially astute Head of Financial Planning & Analysis is sought to lead the financial insight and planning capabilities of this Knutsford based pharmaceutical business.Robert Half is proud to be partnering this expanding global business in the appointment of a Head of FP&A.The business is a leading medical communications and healthcare consultancy group, serving clients across biotech, pharma, and healthcare technology. It is due to the growth that an opportunity has arisen to lead the companies FP&A function. This role is critical to supporting strategic decision-making across the business, providing high-quality analysis, reporting, and business partnering. You will lead a team of four Finance Business Partners and own the development of financial reporting through Power BI to ensure data-driven performance management across the company.Reporting into the Group CFO, duties will include:Strategic Planning & Forecasting

Lead the annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and long-term planning processes in close collaboration with the leadership team
Align financial plans with business objectives, market dynamics, and operational drivers
Present robust analysis and recommendations to support strategic initiatives, growth opportunities, and investment decisions

Financial Reporting & Analysis

Deliver timely, accurate, and insightful management reporting across the business using Power BI dashboards and reports
Oversee analysis of revenue, margin, and cost drivers across service lines, geographies, therapeutic areas and clients
Present robust analysis and recommendations to support strategic initiatives, growth opportunities, and investment decisions

Business partnering

Lead and coach a team of 4 Finance Business Partners, supporting their engagement with senior leaders across the business
Ensure the FP&A team is an effective partner to the business, driving accountability and financial understanding.
Work closely with commercial leads to evaluate client profitability, pricing models, and project-level performance

Decision Support & Commercial Insight

Support strategic decision-making through scenario modelling, cost-benefit analysis, and ROI evaluations.
Provide financial input into new business opportunities, client proposals, and contract negotiations
Identify risks and opportunities to help drive financial performance improvement.
Where needed, support on due ad hoc diligence and reporting for current/prospective capital providers, and future transactions (e.g. M&A, refinancing and exit)

Team Leadership

Lead, mentor, and develop the FP&A team, fostering a high-performance collaborative culture
Set clear objectives, monitor performance, and support the career development of team members

Experience and qualifications:

Qualified accountant (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with at least 5-7 years of progressive experience in FP&A roles
Experience in a people based business where most of the revenue was derived by fixed project fee billing.
Strong track record of delivering high-quality financial planning, analysis, and reporting in a dynamic environment
Proven leadership of a finance team and senior stakeholder engagement

Technical Skills:

Advanced user of Power BI with a demonstrable track record of building insightful, self-serve dashboards
Strong financial modelling and Excel capabilities

Personal attributes:

Commercial mindset with strong analytical and strategic thinking
Hands-on, detail-oriented, and willing to roll up their sleeves and drive a strong financial grip on the business with an interest in the day-to-day minutiae of the business.
Excellent communication and storytelling skills, able to translate complex financial data into actionable insights
Confident, proactive, and collaborative leader who thrives in a fast-paced, client-centric environment
A strong collaborator and team player able to operate at pace across the business, whilst instilling financial rigour and discipline
Ambitious, forward-looking and drives action with a solutions-oriented and improvement-focused mindset
Excellent attention to detail

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in a forward-thinking investor backed business where you will see progression. This is a highly visible role, where you be able to add real value. Experience working in a fixed project fee billing environment is essential.In return you will be rewarded with a market-leading salary and benefits package. Hybrid working with the requirement to be in the office 2 days per week.Robert Half Ltd acts as an employment business for temporary positions and an employment agency for permanent positions. Robert Half is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Suitable candidates with equivalent qualifications and more or less experience can apply. Rates of pay and salary ranges are dependent upon your experience, qualifications and training. If you wish to apply, please read our Privacy Notice describing how we may process, disclose and store your personal data: roberthalf.com/gb/en/privacy-notice.

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