Job Description

Job Title: Finance Business Partner Manager

Department: Finance

Responsible to: Head of Finance

Current job holder:

Approved by:

Head of Department/ Director: Finance Director

Job Evaluation Committee Reference Number:

Grade Allocated:

Date Allocated:

Team Chart Key Purpose of the Job

This high profile role will manage the business partnering team (presently 4 team members), responsible for financial and statutory reporting, budgeting, forecasting and providing financial analysis and insight, and involves working directly with senior stakeholders across the business.

The Finance Department has gone through a period of change following staff restructuring, new systems around income and expenditure, legal entity restructuring, new processes etc. This change is continuing and therefore as the department settles down, requires a person with robust finance department experience, who can continue to drive improvements in financial management and reporting (P&L, balance sheet and cash flow) and business partnering, whilst maintaining a strong focus on the core financial stewardship elements of the role. The job holder will have proven experience at managing a team of qualified accountants and financial reporting.

Main Duties and Key Responsibilities

Duties will involve, but not be limited to the following:

 Managing and motivating a team of four members, providing support and guidance, setting objectives and performing performance reviews.

 Within agreed timescales, produce the consolidated monthly management accounts (P&L, BS, CF), accompanying variance analysis.

 Produce accurate monthly management accounts for trading subsidiary (P&L, BS, CF) within agreed timescales.

 Draft the monthly Finance report for committees, directors and department heads including supporting commentary on performance.

 Assist Head of Finance with developing policies, documenting and improving processes, optimising use of financial systems and preparation of SORP statutory accounts,

 Assist the Head of Finance with the production of quarterly VAT return and VAT optimization.

 Oversee the monthly gift aid claim to HMRC and support the Head of Finance on gift aid optimisation.

 Oversee the preparation of Office for National Statistics returns and quarterly zoo KPI reports.

 Deliver significant improvement in financial reporting on business performance, specifically improving understanding of income sources and commercial metrics, cost discipline and transparency.

 Support the provision of financial information and analysis to internal stakeholders, understanding the key drivers of the business both current and proposed to facilitate efficient management of the operations and income growth.

 Ensure business partners analyze and explain current and historical performance and the likely forecast outturn and provide appropriate P&L analysis and insight along with linkage to business strategies and plans. Support the business partners to provide effective commercial business challenge to ensure key operational, commercial and financial targets are achieved or beaten.

 Strategic business planning input, evaluation and monitoring.

 Cash flow forecasting to enable treasury management.

 Delivering consistent accuracy in predicting performance. Drive the forecasting and planning processes within your area of responsibility ensuring effective involvement from the business & other finance teams.

 Identify and embed the use of common key performance metrics and leverage analytics to provide insight that drives action. Ensure finance and the business are using the metrics to operate more effectively by focusing on the real drivers.

 Working with their team of business partners, support, review and assess business projects, liaising with senior business executives to deliver insights to drive financial performance, ensure the plans are commercially strong and financially viable and where relevant maximize return on investment. Ensure ongoing support and tracking of project including providing effective challenge on deliverables & milestones.

 Ensure business cases are adequately prepared from a content and presentation standpoint.

 Support the Head of Finance with the annual Budgeting process and preparation of 5 year projections.

Building relationships Professional communication is expected at all times. The post holder is expected to maintain effective stakeholder relationships. The position involves working closely with personnel at all levels within ZSL as well as occasional communication with external organisations.

Working Conditions

This post is office based in London, although the post holder will need to work at Whipsnade occasionally as required.

Expectations of job holder

 To ensure that the policy for equality of opportunity is adhered to and promoted in all aspects of the post holder’s work.  To ensure effective quality control and continuous improvement in all aspects of the work and responsibilities attached to this post.  To comply with and promote Health and Safety policies and procedures and to undertake recommended Health and Safety training as and when necessary.  To be committed to professional self-development, through participation in in-service training as necessary for the successful carrying out of the job.  To undertake such other duties as are commensurate with the grade of the post.

N.B: This job description is designed to outline a range of main duties that may be encountered. It is not designed to be an exhaustive list of tasks and can be varied in consultation with the post holder in order to reflect changes in the job or the organisation.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Experience The person must be a qualified accountant (either ACCA, ACA or CIMA) and have had experience as a Finance Manager or Financial Controller, and proven ability to manage a team of qualified accountants, with first rate analytical skills and the ability to present financial information in an engaging manner and business partner skills to deliver insights on the financial performance and sound advice.

Skills & Abilities The following skills and abilities are essential:  Experience of managing a team of management accountants or finance business partners.

 Extensive experience in all aspects of statutory and management reporting.

 Ability to deliver accurate work within agreed timescales.

 Ability to think strategically.

 Ability to provide insight from financial and non-financial data.

 Ability to robustly challenge decision making and drive continuous improvement in business performance whilst maintaining positive relationships.

 Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel and experience of using Microsoft Powerpoint.  The ability to manage competing priorities confidently and competently.

 Excellent attention to detail.

 The ability to handle confidential information professionally.

 Excellent communicator, with excellent written and spoken English and strong presentational skills.

 Strong interpersonal skills.

 The gravitas to engage proactively with senior stakeholders and influence behaviours in a positive way.

 A proven ability to work effectively with teams and senior managers.

 Previous experience in a charity/NGO setting.