We are recruiting for a Director of Financial Operations and FP&A to join our team in the UK and become part of our global senior finance team.

This role is key to the success of our global finance team.

It is pivotal in supporting the practice leadership team with accurate, timely, and insightful Management information / reporting, whilst also ensuring our global finance team are functioning in a controlled and efficient manner as part of our future finance strategy.

This role sits in the global senior finance team and will work closely with a variety of stakeholders across the business.

A leader in the global finance team, communicating, coordinating, and delivering key financial processes, (including compliance and governance) and operational improvements.

• As a leader you will create a network of stakeholders around the practice, and be responsible for communicating, advising, and approving key financial activities.
• You will effectively govern all financial timetables and ensure global alignment, with a consistent focus on accuracy and timely delivery.
• Forward looking and proactive in making our finance team fit for future growth and a center of excellence.

The Role:

• Leading the global multi-region / multi-discipline management accounts consolidation process for month-end, budget, and forecasts
• Deliver robust planning process including annual budget and quarterly forecast.
• Work closely with the leadership team to produce accurate forecasts, focused on Profit, revenue, project margins, and cash / DSO.
• Maintain a suite of financial KPIs that evolve with the practice as we move through our period of strategic growth.
• Produce financial reports/dashboard – Interpretation of results, ensure reporting provides insightful commentary and actions focused.
• Periodic updates of the practice’s long-term strategic plan (1,3,6-year plan). Support the practice with long-term strategic planning, through building models and defining key assumptions and plans.
• Maintain and improve on the budget & forecast financial model in the business, potential to introduce a budget & reporting tool.
• Own and maintain financial risks and opportunities log, with focused action plans.
• Create, maintain, and provide reporting and insight on Giga projects (>£10m multi discipline / regional). Support production of monthly financial position to feed into board reporting.
• Establish a culture of continuous improvement to ensure effective support to changing business needs.
• Lead the future finance strategy – What does the future of finance look like. Organisational structure (shared service centre), streamlined process and systems (AI)
• Identify areas of improvement – Align to global risk matrix. Improvements include (not exclusive to) governance, controls, automation, efficiencies and supporting future growth.
• Responsible for collating records of all finance projects across the practice, globally led or regional. Ensure plans in place for resourcing and agree prioritisation.
• Manage UK Accounts payable team, ensuring timely payments, efficient processes and future of shared services.
• Indirect management of 3 teams (13 employees in total) – Financial operations, FP&A and UK AP
• Deputise for CFO as required.
• Ad hoc activities as required.

Required:

• Significant experience in a similar role – FP&A and Operations
• Significant financial analysis and numerical capability.
• Broad experience and knowledge of finance function.
• Qualified CIMA/ACCA.
• Experience in communicating and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Experience of having operated at a similar level of responsibility, providing technical accounting and financial information, along with guiding and supporting strategic and tactical decision making.
• Experience of professional services or the construction industry would be an advantage.
• Experience of Agresso accounting system would be useful but not essential.
• Experience of Deltek Vision would be an advantage but not essential.

Desirable:

• Applied strategic thinking and complex problem solving.
• Strong team player, yet comfortable to work autonomously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to deal with finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Highly organized with the proven ability to prioritize and work to tight deadlines.
• Confident, proactive character, with the ability to take the lead in challenging situations; able to work unsupervised and use own initiative.
• Positive and collaborative approach to support and grow the global Buro Happold business.
• Resilient with excellent communication skills and demonstrable attention to detail.